This part starts with Maharaj Shantanu being crowned as King of Hastinapur.

King's favourite pastime was hunting, one day, when he was walking along the banks of river Ganga in search of a prey i.e a deer or a bison.

He saw a beautiful maiden sitting on a rock with her feet dipped in water. She was so beautiful that he fell in love with her at the very first sight. After that, he used to go there regularly and they talked, laughed and slowly she too fell in love with him. And when Maharaj proposed her, she put forward a condition.

That no matter what happens, she should never be questioned for her actions and if he does, she will leave him forever.

Confused but happy, Maharaj Shantanu accepted the conditions and they got married. Years passed as they lived happily together, but, for some reason, his wife behaved strangely for a woman. Each time a child was born to her, she drowned it.

Seeing each of his child getting killed one after the other, Maharaj fell in dilemma, but he dared not question his beloved wife, lest he'd lose her altogether.

However, when the eighth child was born, he couldn't contain his anger and asked her the reason for this cruel behaviour.

As the promise which laid the foundation for their marriage lay broken, woman appeared in her real form.

She told him that she is Goddess Ganga, narrating the story of eight Vasus who were cursed to be born as humans. The seven sons she drowned were those Vasus whom she freed from their curse, but eighth son had to live upto the curse as Maharaj broke his promise.

This eighth son was named Gangeya, after his mother and Maharaj Shantanu named him Devvrath. As per the conditions, she left him, taking the child with herself, promising to return him when Devvrath will be worthy to be the yuvraj.

But Maharaj Shantanu did not let his personal sorrow affect his duties as a king, and continued ruling wisely.

Skip to years later, One pleasant day, tired after a long journey, Maharaj decided to take some rest near the banks of Ganges, when he observed that the flow of water was quiet subdued.

That's when he noticed a young warrior on the other side of water. He held a stong bow, shooting arrows with such perfection that he was able to deviate the flow of water.

Warrior's aura was divine, strikingly handsome, tall and muscular built. There appeared Ganga, Maharaj's former wife and introduced the boy as the eighth son, Devvrath.

She told him that Devvrath is the mightiest Archer living in land of Aryavarth and has learnt all there is to know about the duties of a king.

Taking Devvrath along, Maharaj returned home joyfully.

Summoning an urgent meeting, and with all the kinsmen, brahmans, scholars present, he declared Devvrath, the yuvraj of Hastinapur.

Yuvraj soon earned never ending love and respect from people, who admired him for his calm nature, but also feared his wrath.

Maharaj were proud to have such a worthy and valiant son as his hier but still he felt lonely at times. At such moments, he used to take long walks alone, along the banks of Yamuna.

On one such walk, he came across a beautiful fisherwoman, Satyavati. With overwhelming loneliness and lack of love, Maharaj felt a desire to make Satyavati his own and take her to his palace.

He went to meet Satyavati's father, Dashraj, to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. Dashraj readily accepted the proposal but put foreward a condition.

That the son born to his daughter shall be the yuvraj, i.e the next king.

Dismayed and heartbroken, Maharaj told him 'No' and returned to his palace with thoughts full of Satyavati. He couldn't do injustice to his son, but living without Satyavati seemed impossible.

At Hastinapur, he passed his days lost in longings. Devvrath continuously nudged him for an answer but Maharaj always changed the topic.

But Devvrath was too intelligent to be taken by these silly excuses, so he went to an old minister who was devoted to his father and digged out all the info.

Devvrath, accompained by a few elder ministers, went to meet Satyavati's father. Upon hearing Dashraj's words of condemn, he promised them that Satyavati's eldest son would reign as king after present Maharaj.

Dashraj was yet not satisfied and asked Devvrath about his own sons and lineage. Not intending to go back without winning Satyavati for his father, Devvrath took some water from the yamuna river and pledged a Terrible oath to remain celibate throughout his life.

Flowers started raining on Devvrath and an akashvani named him Gangaputr Bhism.

That is how Bhism won Satyavati's hand for his father.

Hearing about this incident, Maharaj Shantanu were filled with guilt, for his son had to make such a big sacrifice for his happiness.

He granted Devvrath, the boon of 'Iccha Mrityu' i.e willful death. Having received this boon, Bhism became immortal, untill he himself decided his time of death.

Maharaj married Satyavati and had two sons, Chitrangad and Vichitraveerya. Elder son, Chitrangad was killed in a battle, and after Maharaj died, Bhisma set the younger son, Vichitraveerya on the throne and ruled on his behalf.

The problem was, Vichitraveerya was a drunkard, and a Playboy, who was always indulged in his own world of luxuries.

During that time, Asur Raj Devantak attacked Hastinapur with a huge army of asurs. But Bhism destroy his army, killing millions of asurs mercilessly, and forced him to retreat, Asur's capital, Sabalgarh was also taken under Hastinapur.

This news spread across the Aryavarth like a wildfire, no one dared to challenge Bhism, not with a sound mind.

King of Kashi organished a swayamvar for his three daughters, Amba, Ambika and Ambalika. Amba was secretly in love with Shalv Naresh. But King of Hastinapur, Vichitraveerya were not invited for the ocassion.

Bhism, burning with fire for Hastinapur's insult, took Satyavati's blessing and set off to bring the princesses for his younger brother.

He went to Kashi in a single chariot and abducted the princesses, defeating all the rival kings who tried to oppose him. When the wedding was about to take place, Amba told everyone about her and Shalv Naresh, saying that he too is in love with her and she was to choose him.

Reflecting upon what should be done, Bhism made arrangements for her to be escorted to Shalv, with due respect (😂😂).

Other two sisters, i.e Ambika and Ambalika were married to Vichitraveerya.

Here Shalv Naresh rejected Amba saying that she was now won by another prince and shall marry and live there only.

Amba, utterly humiliated by all the happenings, vowed to destroy Bhism and make him pay for his doings.

She went to meet Bhism's teacher, sage Parsuram, one who hated kshatriyas to the core, and told him her tale.

Parsuram, accompained by Amba and other ascetics, went to Hastinapur to meet and have a talk with Bhism.

And when Bhism arrived to pay respects, Guru Parsuram ordered him to marry Amba, which he rejected because of his pledge of celibacy.

Angry Parsuram then challenged him for a duel otherwise, which he cheerfully accepted. They met each other in a single combat and fought non stop for 23 days with Bhism emerging as victor in the end.

Parsuram apologised to Amba for his failure and left, but Amba was not at all in the mood to forget her humiliation.

She went to mount Kailash and performed a severe penance for next 12 years to please lord Shiva.

When Lord Shiva appeared before her, she asked for the boon to be the reason for Bhism's fall.

'Tathastu' said lord Shiva and dissapeared. She made a funeral pyre, lit it and jumped in its flames, hoping that in the next birth, she will become a warrior and slay Bhism.

[ And in the next birth, she was reborn a daughter of Maharaj Drupad, Srikhandini ]

Meanwhile, Vichitraveerya died due to his liver failure as a result of his excessive drinking habit and he died without a hier. This awoke conflicts among courtiers, kinsmen, brahmans, and common people.

Satyavati tried to get Bhism back down from his vow and give Hastinapur, a worthy king and a future hier, but to no avail.

She then revealed to Bhism that she had another son, which she conceived before her marriage from Rishi Parshara. He is Maharishi Ved Vyas.

With his mother's permission, Bhism, met Ved Vyas and requested him for a solution. Sage, hearing about the situation, agreed to perform niyog. He informed Bhism about the auspicious timing and both departed for Hastinapur.

After everything was all set, Ambika, when she went in her chamber for coitus, seeing Ved Vyas, she was scared to death and closed her eyes shut.

Next day Ved Vyas informed Satyavati that Ambika closed her eyes seeing him, and so the son born to her would be blind.

When Ambalika's turn came, she was so scared to see the sage that her skin turned blue yellow in fear.

Again next day, Ved Vyas sadly explained Satyavati that Ambalika didn't close her eyes, so her son would be okay but would be physically weak.

Satyavati request Vyas to try once more, but sisters did send a maid as a substitute, and as the maid wasen't afraid of the sage, Vyas informed Satyavati that the son born to this maid will be highly qualified scholar and a brilliant advisor.

So Ambika gave birth to a blind boy, Dhritrashtr, Ambalika gave birth to Pandu, and Vidur conceived from the maid.

Once again, atmosphere of chaos settled as people were convinced as to one of three brother will definitely be the next successor.

Time passed with education of Princes, Dhritrashtr became a master of wrestling and combats requiring brute strength. Pandu polished his archery skills under Bhism's guidance. Vidur as said before, accomplished himself in studies about advisory and chief of ministers.

One day, Bhism got the information that Gandhar, a kingdom towards the north west, has given shelter to Asur Raj Devantak and his remaining army.

He then proceeded to pay a visit to King of Gandhar and proposed to marry their princess, with Hastinapur's eldest prince, Dhritrashtr.

Gandhari, the pious and intelligent princess of Gandhar, was know to be one of the most beautiful women of that era. She had a possessive brother, Shakuni, who love his sister from the bottom of his heart.

Not convinced but Gandhar Raj accept the proposal, fearing Bhism's wrath, much to Shakuni's dismay, who began to hate this son of Mata Ganga from the core.

Bhism also put forward a condition that Asur Raj Devantak should be told to leave the borders of the kingdom before marriage commences.

And hence, Dhritrashtr and Gandhari were married.

To feel her husband's pain and match his steps, Gandhari blindfolded herself for the rest of her life, fuelling Shakuni's hatred for kuru vansh.

Sometime later, word got out that Gandhari was born 'Manglik' i.e born in a non auspicious timing, a sage had predicted that her first husband would die an uncertain death because of this.

So she was first married to a goat to set her free from this so called curse.

Getting known about the matter, Satyavati ordered the Gandhar royal family to be imprisoned. To further torture them, she set their meals to one grain of rice per person.

King of Gandhar had 100 sons, of which Shakuni was youngest and most intelligent. So all the rice grains were collected and given to him, hoping atleast one of them could survive.

Humiliated and subjected to witness his family members starve to death one by one, Shakuni swore revenge on entire kuru vansh, specially Bhism.



And our second set of characters include,

=> Maharaj Shantanu.



=> Mata Ganga.



=> Devvrath Bhism.



=> Satyavati.



=> Vichitraveerya.



=> Amba, Ambika, Ambalika.



(From left to right)

=> Shalv Naresh.



=> Guru Parsuram.



=> Srikhandini.



=>Ved Vyas.



=> Dhritrashtra.



=> Pandu.



=> Vidur.



=> Gandhari.



=> Shakuni.