The Pandava brothers are five sons of King Pandu in the epic Mahabharata. Their mothers were Kunti and Madri, the two wives of Pandu. Their names were Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. The Pandava brothers were the examples of all good qualities in human being and each represented a prominent quality. Yudhisthira was famous for his truthfulness and righteousness; Bhima was the most powerful; Arjuna was the great warrior and archer; Nakula was a handsome man and Sahadeva was very wise. Pandavas fought the great battle of Kurukshetra against their cousins Kauravas.

The first three of Pandava brothers were sons of Kunti while Nakula and Sahadeva were the children of Pandu`s younger wife, Madri. King Pandu had a curse that any sexual relationship would be fatal for him. But he sought his heirs. His queen Kunti had a boon by which she could invite any of the devas (gods) and have sons like them. Kunti used her power to have children. The first son of kunti was Yudhisthira who was born from Dharma, the god of righteousness, Bhima was the son of Vayu, the wind god, Arjuna was the son of Indra, the sky-god and king of gods. Kunti allowed Madri also to use her power and call the gods to have offspring. Madri invited the Ashwini brothers and got Nakula and Sahadeva.

After Pandu`s death, Pandava were brought up as the Kuru princes and got their education from guru Drona along with the Kauravas. The Kauravas were the cousins of Pandavas and they harassed Pandavas in many ways, as they were jealous with them. Once Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kauravas, arranged for Pandavas to rest in a beautiful house in Varanavata. The house was actually made of lac which was very inflammable and Kauravas made a conspiracy to set fire in the house. However, Pandavas came to know the plan and they left the house before the fire was set. Pandavas, invited one tribal female with her five sons who burnt in that house and everybody thought that Pandavas were dead. Mother Kunti, along with her five sons started to live in a village in the guise of Brahmins. They earned their livings by begging alms.

Once Pandava went to the Swayambhara of Draupadi in the kingdom of Panchal. Arjuna hit the target of fish eye with the arrow that was rotating on a wheel above the head and won the hands of Draupadi. The other suitors present there challenged Arjuna and they had a fight with Pandava brothers. The Pandava brothers returned home and asked their mother to see what they have brought. Kunti did not look at as she thought they might had earned some good alms and asked them to distribute among themselves what they have brought. To keep the truth of Kunti`s word all Pandava brothers had to marry Draupadi. Later Draupadi`s father Drupad came to know the proper identity of Pandavas and became very happy. He arranged the pompous ceremony of the marriage between Pandavas and Draupadi.

Pandavas returned to their kingdom and demanded their part of land from King Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra allotted them their realm. Pandavas made their capital Indraprashtha there. The palace of Indraprashtha and the city were made by the demon architecture Maya and was the most beautiful of their kind. Pandavas invited Kauravas to their kingdom and they felt more jealous.

Kauravas thought out a plan to defeat the Pandavas. Yudhisthira, the eldest Pandava loved to play dice game but he was not an expert player. On the other hand Duryodhana`s maternal uncle Shakuni was a con artist of dice game. So they invited the Pandava brothers in the dice gambling. Yudhisthira was losing the game from the very first round. He lost all his properties, even the kingdom at the baiting. Then he put bait on his brothers one by one and lost all of them. Finally he lost himself also. Then Yudhisthira had nothing to put bait on but Kauravas reminded him still he had Draupadi, the wife of Pandavas.

Yudhisthira put bait on Draupadi and lost the final game also. Duryodhana ordered to Dushasana, his younger brother to bring Draupadi to the court and strip her off in front of everybody. Dushasana caught the hair of Draupadi and dragged her to the court. He wanted to take off her saree. But Draupadi prayed to lord Krishna and Krishna helped her. Dushasana was tired of pulling the saree but the saree had no end. King Dhritarashtra could realize their guilt finally and released Draupadi as well as freed the Pandava brothers. They all returned to the Indraprastha.

But the Kauravas were not ready to give up so easily. They arranged another dice game and this time the bait was that those who would lose the game would have to go for twelve years of exile and one year of disguise. Pandavas left their kingdom along with Draupadi. In the final year all the Pandavas took different guise and took refuge in the palace of king Virata. Yudhisthir took the guise of a Brahmin under the pseudonym Kanka. Bhima took the job of chef in the kitchen. Arjuna took the guise of a eunuch Brihnnala and was appointed as the master of song and dance to the prince and princess and Nakula-Sahadeva was appointed to take care of the cows and horses. Draupadi went to Queen Sudeshna and was appointed there as a hairdresser under the name `Sairindhri`.

Sudeshna`s brother Keechaka used to tease Draupadi with unfair and vulgar proposal. Hence, Bhima killed him one night. Here Pandavas fought for Virata with the Kauravas to rescue the huge herd of his cows.

After the thirteen years of banishment was over, Pandava demanded back their kingdom. But Kaurava refused to return it and challenged them in a war. Pandava had no way other than to go for the war. However they tried every possible way to avoid the war. But the war was inevitable. All the kings of India took part in this great battle. Both the Pandavas.

And Kauravas wanted to get lord Krishna at that time, as he was the most adorable personality. Krishna said that he himself would not take part in the war. He offered between him and his terrific army. Duryodhana chose the army while Arjuna selected Krishna himself.

After that great battle of Kurukshetra started. Arjuna felt reluctant for the war as he saw all his friends and relatives gathered and he did not want to fight against them. Then Krishna gave advise to the third Pandava which is famous as `Bhagavad Gita`. Arjunas illusion was removed and his mind was ready for the war. Pandavas fought bravely in the war and finally they won. Thus Pandava got back the total Hastinapura and reigned there for many years.

When Pandavas grew old, Yudhisthira renounced the throne and anointed their heir in the throne. The Pandava brothers and Draupadi set their journey for heaven but except Yudhisthira all of them died in the way. Yudhisthira was Dhrmaraja and hence he could enter the heaven with mortal body.

Though the Pandavas had to face much diversity in their life they never got deviated from the path of truth and righteousness. Thus Pandava set up the Kingdom of dharma by fighting against all the sins.