The Curse of Pandu

Once King Pandu of Hastinapur was hunting in the jungles. As he was wandering he saw a deer couple mating. He shot them with five arrows and wounded them critically. As the deer were dying the male deer spoke to Pandu, "What you have done is a heinous act which does not suit a king. Even the worst of humankind would not have killed a mating pair of animals. I am Rishi Kindam and I usually roam the forests like a deer. You have killed me without any reason. You will not be blamed for killing a Brahmin as you did not know that I was one, but you killed me when I was with my wife, so I curse you that whenever you make love with your wife you will die immediately." Thus cursing the saint died. Pandu was contrite and decided that he would now live a celibate life as a hermit in the jungles and pray for Moksha or deliverance from the endless cycle of birth and death. He went to his kingdom and told both his wives, Kunti and Madri that he was leaving to live the life of a hermit in the jungles. But his wives insisted that they would accompany him to the jungles and live with him and share his life of hardship in the jungle. Thus Pandu gave his kingdom to his brother Dhritrashtra and left Hastinapur to live in the jungles as a hermit.