According to the Bhavishya Purana, during the intense battles of Mahabharata at Kurukshetra, a remarkable event unfolded one night. Ashwatthama, Kritavarma, and Kripacharya, sons of guru Dronacharya, approached the Pandavas' camp to worship Lord Shiva with deep devotion. Pleased by their piety, Shiva granted them entry into the Pandavas' camp. Using the divine weapon bestowed by Shiva, Ashwatthama stealthily entered the camp at night and massacred the sleeping Upa-Pandavas, escaping without alerting anyone.
Upon discovering the slaughter of their sons, the Pandavas, in their ignorance, blamed Shiva and decided to wage a war against him. As they confronted Shiva, all their weapons merged into him, showing their futility against the divine. Angered by their audacity, Shiva cursed the Pandavas, stating that because they were devotees of Krishna, they would only receive the fruits of their actions in Kali Yuga, the age to come. After being cursed, the Pandavas sought refuge with Lord Krishna, who revealed their future births in Kali Yuga:
Arjuna was reborn as Brahmaananda, a great devotee of Shiva, in the house of King Parilok.
Yudhishthira took birth as Balkhani (Malkhan) in King Vatsaraj's family.
Bhima became Veeran, a king of the Vanaras kingdom.
Nakula was reborn as Lakshmanudu, a prince in the kingdom of Kanyakubja, under King Ratnabhanu.
Sahadeva took birth as Devasingh in King Bhimsingh's family.
