Vyasa and Satyavati

Satyavati, the fish-smelling ferry girl, is approached by the powerful sage Parashara. He desires her, and she consents only after securing a boon: that her body will forever emit a sweet fragrance. Their union on the river produces a son who will become the author of the epic itself.

To justify summoning Vyasa, Satyavati must explain who he is. She tells Bhishma the story of her youth: how the sage Parashara came to her boat, enveloped the world in fog, and with her consent, fathered Vyasa, granting her boons including a divine fragrance and her virginity restored.

Vyasa appears instantly at his mother's thought. She explains the crisis, appealing to him as a brother to the dead king. Vyasa agrees to father sons on the widows but sets a condition: the queens must observe a strict vow for a year, or if conception is needed immediately, they must tolerate his formidable ugliness.

Satyavati summons Vyasa again, sending him to her other daughter-in-law, Ambalika. At the sight of the sage, Ambalika is distressed and turns pale. Vyasa prophesies that her son will be pale in complexion, and names him Pandu.

Satyavati leads her daughter-in-law Ambika to bed, instructing her to wait for Vyasa to secure an heir. When the fierce-looking sage arrives, Ambika is so terrified she closes her eyes and cannot open them. Vyasa prophesies that her son will be mighty and wise, but blind.

After the funeral rites for Pandu, the sage Vyasa sees the pervasive grief and foresees a terrible future of destruction for the Bharata lineage. He advises his mother, Satyavati, to retire to the forest to avoid witnessing the annihilation of her family. She agrees, persuades her daughters-in-law, and with Bhishma's permission, the three queens leave the court forever.