The Princes Are Trained and Pandu Becomes King
Bhishma raises the three princes as his own, training them to excellence. But when the time comes to choose a king, Dhritarashtra's blindness and Vidura's birth bar them from the throne, leaving Pandu to be installed as lord of the earth.
From the moment of their birth, Bhishma reared Dhritarashtra, Pandu, and the immensely intelligent Vidura as if they were his own sons. He oversaw their rites, their studies, and their vows. When they attained youth, he ensured they became skilled in every art: labour, exercise, archery, horsemanship, fighting with clubs, shields and swords, the science of elephants, and the sacred texts of ethics. They studied history, the Puranas, and many other branches of learning. They knew all the details of the Vedas, the Vedangas, and their theory.
Each prince excelled in his own domain. The valorous Pandu surpassed all other men in archery. Dhritarashtra was stronger than anyone else. And in the three worlds, there was no one who was Vidura’s equal in his eternal devotion to dharma — for him, righteousness was the supreme goal.
Seeing that Shantanu’s lineage had been revived so splendidly, a saying became common throughout the world and in all kingdoms: “Among mothers of heroes, the daughters of the king of Kashi; among all countries, Kurujangala; among those who know everything about dharma, Bhishma; and among all cities, Gajasahrya.”
But when the time came to choose a king, the law intervened. Dhritarashtra, though the eldest and immensely strong, was blind from birth. By the law of the time, a blind man could not obtain the kingdom. Nor could Vidura, for he was born of a servant woman — his wisdom and devotion to dharma notwithstanding.
Therefore, Pandu, the middle brother, unmatched in archery and free from any disqualification, became the lord of the earth.