𝐑𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐑𝐀 𝐁𝐇Ā𝐕𝐀

PROLOGUE

The wife of Hastinapur's former king Pāndu, Kunti was pregnant with a child. When this news came from Shatshringa, and spread across the Kuru-rashtra, it earned a wide range of emotions.

From anger of Dhritrashtra's to disappointment of Gandhari to happiness of Bhism and to the confusion of Vidur.

Vidur, the Mahamantri of Hastinapur, was married to daughter of a Shudra woman, named Sulabha, but it had been quite sometime since their marriage but both of them were still childless.

Their hope of begetting a child was getting diminished, day by day, until the news of Kunti being pregnant reached their ears.

"You follow dharma and you know the pleasure that comes from satisfaction of desire. But you have killed me before my desire was satiated. Therefore, you will also be united with the five elements in a similar state, before your desire is satiated."

These were the words of the sage who was killed accidentally by Pandu during one of his hunting trips. Vidur and Sulabha wondered that if Pandu was cursed that he shall die if he engages in an intercourse with his wives, then how come Kunti was pregnant ?

They wasted no time going to Shatshringa to find their answers, where the former king of Hastinapur and conqueror of earth, resided with his two wives.

"Why should I hide anything to you Vidur ? We have obtained this child from Yamraj." Pandu said.

"You obtained a son from a god ?" Vidur asked, a hope emerging in his heart that now there perhaps be a chance of him also becoming a father.

"Yes. When she was a child, Kunti served Maharishi Durvasa, who gave her a mantra through which she can invoke any god and obtain a child from him. Because my eldest son would be bound to become the next king, I wanted him to be an ardent follower and upholder of righteousness, hence I asked Kunti to invoke Dharmraj Yamdev. Through Niyog, she got pregnant." Pandu explained.

Listening to this, Vidur got on his knees and held the hands of his elder brother.

"I have heard that in the hereafter there are no worlds for those who are childless. Pandu, would you help this unfortunate brother of yours ? You know how me and Sulabha have been childless for years. Would you please ask Bhabhishree to help us also beget a children from a god ? Its rather awkward for me to request this to her directly, hence I ask for your help." Vidur requested.

Pandu patted the shoulder of his younger brother and smiled.

"Don't worry. I shall tell Kunti to help Sulabha beget a child." He assured.

Pandu went straight to Kunti and asked her to help Sulabha. The kind daughter of Shurasen agreed at once, out of her love for the wife of Vidur.

And the great lady with great virtues, helped Sulabha by instructing her the way to chant the mantra and invoke a god.

The wife of Vidur spent a good while thinking which god she should invoke. Her mind told her to invoke one of the 11 Rudras, so her son can be fierce but also gentle, like Mahadev.

And hence out of great devotion Sulabha invoked Manyu, the first among the 11 Rudras, famous in the three worlds as the war god, wielder of thunder and Slayer of foes, the one who brings wealth and health.

Thunder echoed in the sky, for a moment it felt as though a war between Indra and Daityas was taking place in the heavens.

Manyu appeared, with a highly complex divine character with contradictory qualities, and yet harmonizing within himself all contradictions. His form was ever youthful but also such that it could overwhelm the enemies with fear.

And through him, Sulabha got pregnant. And on an auspicious moment she bore a son, who was named Manvendra.

This was a matter of great worry for the blind king Dhritrashtra, firstly the son of Pandu named Yudhishthir had already been born, and just 7 months after his birth, Manvendra was born.

There were already two contenders ready for the throne, and yet his sons wasn't born, even though Gandhari had been pregnant before Sulabha.

And when his sons finally broke out of their pots, the same morning Pandu's second son Bheem was born. The path to throne for Dhritrashtra's eldest son Duryodhan, was quite unclear.

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A/N

Btw, Vidur actually had 10 sons with Sulabha but here I have taken creative liberty ✨

Do enjoy the trailer -