Pandu gets the Throne

We have seen how Bhishma ruled the kingdom of the Kurus and how the land prospered under his rule while the two princes were young. Dhritarashtra was , anyway, not in a position to rule the country because of blindness. Vidura could not be considered because he did not belong to the ruling class. Hence, when Pandu became old enough to take charge Bhishma installed him as king after consulting with all concerned.

Pandu marries Kunti

The most commonly followed way of marriage for the ruling class is called Swayamvara where the bride chooses the groom from among those assembled. That is what Kuntibhoja, the father of Kunti, decided to do for his daughter. Kunti was by then well known in all the kingdoms, far and near, and many kings came to stake a claim. Pandu was one among them.The bride was led around by her maids and introduced to the assembled kings one by one. She had heard about the qualities of Pandu and he stood out as the most handsome among the kings seated. Kunti had no difficulty in choosing the right groom and she put the garland on the neck of Pandu. Kuntibhoja conducted a proper marriage between the two soon after.

Pandu marries Madri

A marriage for the royalty served many purposes. First, it was essential that an heir to the throne is assured at all times. Kings married many to make that sure. Building strong alliances with other kingdoms was also equally important, especially at times of war.That must be the reason why Bhishma was not satisfied with just one bride for Pandu. It was in this context that he heard about the princess Madri of the Madra kingdom. He knew that her brother Salya, the ruling monarch of that country, was thinking of giving her away for a price. That was also an accepted custom. Bhishma went with a large a large army and with huge load of valuable gifts. That and Pandu'a fame could convince Salya to give her hands to him.

Pandu starts on a victory march

It was the custom of kings to establish their supremacy by starting a march to other kingdoms. Only ambitious monarchs with enough resources and courage would succeed. That was not like a normal war. Other kings would hear about such marches. They would judge the relative strength or weakness of the marching king. Accordingly, they would challenge or accept the supremacy of the other without a fight. In either case gifts by way of royalty would be offered to the winner. Pandu started on such a victory march with the blessing of his elders like Bhishma. He had a large army with him. He challenged the former enemies of the Kurus and defeated all of them. He reaffirmed his supremacy over others who had already been subjugated in the past. At the end of the march he claimed suzerainty over a large empire. He could also amass loads of gifts that was to be carried in a number of carts and by hundreds of mules. He received a wonderful welcome by Bhishma and the citizens of the Kurus.