Satyavati's and King Shantanu's grand son in Hindu legend.
King Vichitravirya's wives are Ambika and her sister Ambalika, who died without heirs.
Satyavati, Vichitravirya's mother, asks her son, Vyasa, to sleep with his brother's two wives in a desperate effort to preserve the lineage.
Ambika and Ambalika each recoil from Vyasa on their own, and each of their sons is born with a flaw:
- Ambika conceals her eyes, causing her son Dhrtarashtra to be born blind.
- Ambalika becomes pale, leading her son Pandu to be born with an unusually pale skin.
Ambika is so horrified by Vyasa's looks that she sends her serving maid instead when she is urged to sleep with him again.
In contrast to the two sisters, Ambika's maid happily serves Vyasa and receives a gorgeous son called Vidura as a result.
Satyavati only asks her oldest son, Vyasa, to sleep with the two
women in order to continue King Shantanu's lineage.
Vyasa sires Pandu and Dhrtarashtra from this marriage, and
their descendants become the principal fighting factions in the Mahabharata,
the second of the two great Sanskrit epics.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
Be sure to check out my writings on religion here.
