Pandu: In the Mahabharata epic

In the Mahabharata epic, Pandu is the son of Vichitravirya and his second wife, Ambalika from Vyasa. He is more popularly known as the father of the Pandavas. After Vichitravirya's death his mother Satyavati sent for her first born, Rishi Veda Vyasa. According to his mother's wishes, he visited both the wives of Vichitravirya to grant them a son. Ambalika was instructed by Satyavati to keep her eyes open lest she would bear a blind son like Ambika (Dhritarashtra). She did keep her eyes open ... King Pandu was a prominent figure in the Mahabharata. As a prince of the Kuru dynasty, he was the son of Ambalika and the sage Vyasa, born under extraordinary circumstances to continue the royal lineage. Pandu was a king in the Mahabharata who died by a curse after having sex with his wife Madri. He had five sons by Kunti and the gods, who became the Pandavas, the heroes of the epic. In ancient mythology Paandu was the earthly Father of the five Pandavas, the mighty warriors of the epic Mahabharata. Over the centuries the concept of Paandu has morphed into many different avatars, varying from region to region.