(Sambhava Parva continued)

"Vaisampayana said, 'Soon after the monthly season of the princess of
Kosala had been over, Satyavati, purifying her daughter-in-law with a
bath, led her into the sleeping apartment. There seating her upon a
luxurious bed, she addressed her, saying, 'O Princess of Kosala, thy
husband hath an elder brother who shall this day enter thy womb as thy
child. Wait for him tonight without dropping off to sleep.' Hearing these
words of her mother-in-law, the amiable princess, as she lay on her bed,
began to think of Bhishma and the other elders of the Kuru race. Then the
Rishi of truthful speech, who had given his promise in respect of Amvika
(the eldest of the princesses) in the first instance, entered her chamber
while the lamp was burning. The princess, seeing his dark visage, his
matted locks of copper hue, blazing eyes, his grim beard, closed her eyes
in fear. The Rishi, from desire of accomplishing his mother's wishes,
however knew her. But the latter, struck with fear, opened not her eyes
even once to look at him. And when Vyasa came out, he was met by his
mother, who asked him, 'Shall the princess have an accomplished son?'
Hearing her, he replied, 'The son of the princess she will bring forth
shall be equal in might unto ten thousand elephants. He will be an
illustrious royal sage, possessed of great learning and intelligence and
energy. The high-souled one shall have in his time a century of sons. But
from the fault of his mother he shall be blind 'At these words of her
son, Satyavati said, 'O thou of ascetic wealth, how can one that is blind
become a monarch worthy of the Kurus? How can one that is blind become
the protector of his relatives and family, and the glory of his father's
race? It behoveth thee to give another king unto the Kurus.' Saying, 'So
be it,' Vyasa went away. And the first princess of Kosala in due time
brought forth a blind son.

"Soon after Satyavati, O chastiser of foes, summoned Vyasa, after having
secured the assent of her daughter-in-law. Vyasa came according to his
promise, and approached, as before, the second wife of his brother. And
Ambalika beholding the Rishi, became pale with fear And, O Bharata,
beholding her so afflicted and pale with fear, Vyasa addressed her and
said, 'Because thou hast been pale with fear at the sight of my grim
visage, therefore, thy child shall be pale in complexion. O thou of
handsome face, the name also thy child shall bear will be Pandu (the
pale).' 'Saying this, the illustrious and best of Rishis came out of her
chamber. And as he came out, he was met by his mother who asked him about
the would-be-child. The Rishi told her that the child would be of pale
complexion and known by the name of Pandu. Satyavati again begged of the
Rishi another child, and the Rishi told her in reply, 'So be it.'
Ambalika, then, when her time came, brought forth a son of pale
complexion. Blazing with beauty the child was endued with all auspicious
marks. Indeed, it was this child who afterwards became the father of
those mighty archers, the Pandavas.

"Some time after, when the oldest of Vichitravirya's widows again had her
monthly season, she was solicited by Satyavati to approach Vyasa once
again. Possessed of beauty like a daughter of a celestial, the princess
refused to do her mother-in-law's bidding, remembering the grim visage
and strong odour of the Rishi. She, however, sent unto him, a maid of
hers, endued with the beauty of an Apsara and decked with her own
ornaments. And when the Vyasa arrived, the maid rose up and saluted him.
And she waited upon him respectfully and took her seat near him when
asked. And, O king, the great Rishi of rigid vows, was well-pleased with
her, and when he rose to go away, he addressed her and said, 'Amiable
one, thou shalt no longer be a slave. Thy child also shall be greatly
fortunate and virtuous, and the foremost of all intelligent men on
earth!' And, O king, the son thus begotten upon her by Krishna-Dwaipayana
was afterwards known by the name of Vidura. He was thus the brother of
Dhritarashtra and the illustrious Pandu. And Vidura was free from desire
and passion and was conversant with the rules of government, and was the
god of justice born on earth under the curse of the illustrious Rishi
Mandavya. And Krishna-Dwaipayana, when he met his mother as before,
informed her as to how he had been deceived by the seniormost of the
princesses and how he had begotten a son upon a Sudra woman. And having
spoken thus unto his mother the Rishi disappeared from her sight.

"Thus were born, in the field of Vichitravirya, even of Dwaipayana those
sons of the splendour of celestial children, those propagators of the
Kuru race.'"