9 Chapter 8 - Bhīshma's Birth
"Once upon a time, King Śāntanu ruled the Kuru Kingdom from the capital city, Hastināpur."
Vāsusen, eager with curiosity, interrupted, "Who is he? Is he the father of Lord Bhishma?"
With a patient sigh, the sage addressed him, "Vāsusen, listen carefully to what I am currently telling you, and don't interrupt. Let someone finish before asking questions, alright?"
Vāsusen nodded, "En."
Undeterred, the sage continued, resuming the tale.
***
King Śāntanu was like God Indra on earth.
One day, he ventured into the wilderness to hunt wild and dangerous animals.
Amidst his pursuit, fate led him to the tranquil banks of the river Gaṅgā.
There, he encountered an extraordinary sight – an exceptionally beautiful woman whose presence seemed to radiate a celestial allure.
As their eyes met, an unspoken connection sparked, and in that moment, both King Śāntanu and the mysterious woman found themselves captivated by an undeniable force, succumbing to the enchantment of love at first sight.
King Śāntanu approached the captivating woman and respectfully inquired, "I don't know if you are a Devī, Dānavī, Gandhrvī, Apsarā, Yakśinī, Nāginī, or a Human. I don't care who or what you are. But O Goddess, I request you to please marry me."
Hearing the King's heartfelt plea, the lady replied, "O King Śāntanu, my name is Gaṅgā. Who wouldn't be happy to marry a person like you? But if you want to marry me, I have a condition."
"You can ask for as many conditions as you want, as long as you are willing to marry me," King Śāntanu replied enthusiastically, his eyes captivated by the mysterious Gaṅgā
"My condition is that no matter what I do, good or bad deed, you must never stop me. You must never question or criticize me. As long as you agree to that, I am ready to marry you," Gaṅgā laid out her simple yet significant condition.
"Just that?" King was elated, realizing that he could marry such a beauty with such a straightforward condition. "I promise in the name of Lord Śiva, that I will never ask and stop you regarding what you do and will never say any harsh word to you."
With this solemn vow, King Śāntanu and Lady Gaṅgā sealed their fates and returned to the palace.
***
As months passed, King Śāntanu's tireless efforts and time spent with Lady Gaṅgā bore fruit, and she became pregnant. In due course, she gave birth to a son.
Overwhelmed with joy upon hearing the good news, King Śāntanu hastened to meet the queen.
However, upon reaching the palace, he discovered that Queen Gaṅgā was venturing outside with their newborn son cradled in her arms.
Curiosity overriding his joy, the King silently trailed behind her, eager to understand the mysterious circumstances surrounding the queen's actions.
Queen Gaṅgā, holding their newborn son, walked solemnly to the riverbank and, to the King's shock and horror, drowned the infant.
Witnessing this unimaginable act, the King was paralyzed with disbelief. Despite the overwhelming urge to question and demand an explanation, he remembered the promise he had given – a vow never to question or criticize her actions.
In that moment of profound inner struggle, the King grappled with the weight of his own silence. He had never regretted any decision as much as making such a promise. As Queen Gaṅgā turned to leave, she locked eyes with the stunned King and uttered, "This is for their good."
Her cryptic words lingered in the air, leaving the King torn between the echoes of his promise and the haunting mystery of the tragic event he had just witnessed.
Despite the horrifying events that transpired, daily life in the palace returned to normalcy. Queen Gaṅgā's conduct, beauty, magnanimity, and attention to the King's comfort left no room for complaints.
Yet, the pain of losing his firstborn son lingered deep within King Śāntanu's heart.
When Queen Gaṅgā became pregnant again, the King, haunted by the unresolved grief of his past, decided to follow her discreetly once more.
To his devastating astonishment, he witnessed the heartbreaking scene repeat itself – the queen drowning their newborn son.
The agonizing cycle recurred a total of seven times, each instance amplifying the King's silent agony.
The weight of his promise shackled him in silence, leaving the King in a torment of sorrow and unanswered questions.
On the eighth time, he couldn't bear it anymore.
"STOP!!" King Śāntanu's anguish burst forth, "What are you doing? Why are you doing this? What kind of woman are you? How many of my sons are you going to kill, you murderer? In the name of Śiva, please stop and give me my son back!"
Hearing this, lady Gaṅgā smiled with a hint of sadness.
"King Śāntanu, I am none other than this river Gaṅgā," she revealed her true identity, "As you have asked, I will not submerge this child in the river. But know that I am doing this because they asked me to do so, in order to free them from the curse."
Baffled and desperate for answers, King Śāntanu questioned, "Who are you talking about? What curse?"
Lady Gaṅgā unfolded the tale of their tragic fate, "These children of ours are none other than 8 Vasu Deva who had been cursed by sage Vasiṣṭha. When they went to the forest where the sage resided, they discovered his divine cow — Kāmdhenu.
"It is said that she is capable of producing anything you want. If you were to drink her milk, you would live 10,000 years in your young form.
"One request of one Vasu's wife, they stole the cow. But this couldn't be hidden from the great ascetic. Sage Vasiṣṭha managed to find out who were the thieves and cursed them to take birth on the earth and live as mortals."
Listening to this revelation, King Śāntanu's eyes widened with realization, "So, these 8 children of ours were the Vasu Devas?"
"Yes. They had asked me to give birth to them and relieve them of the pain of living the mortal life. That's why I drowned them as soon as I gave birth to them.
"But it seems like this one's karma won't let him get leave soon. After all, he was the main perpetrator of the crime," Lady Gaṅgā explained, her words heavy with the weight of divine destiny.
Hearing the truth behind her actions, King Śāntanu was overcome with regret for his decision to stop her.
"Well, then I will be going now," Lady Gaṅgā announced.
"Stop! Where are you going?" pleaded King Śāntanu.
"Did you forget your promise, King Śāntanu? Since you broke your promise, it is my time to leave," she reminded
"No, please, don't go. Please…" the King pleaded desperately.
"Don't worry, I will return your son once his education is finished." With those reassuring words, Gaṅgā walked on the river without falling, displaying divine grace.
With a divine flash, the lady Gaṅgā, submerged in the river and disappeared.
With his wife and child gone, King Śāntanu, burdened with sorrow, turned to his duties and focused on his work to distract himself.
Despite the pain, he clung to hope, trusting that one day, his wife would return with their son.
***
Years had passed.
King Śāntanu was currently on a hunting expedition on the bank of river Gaṅgā. As he tracked the deer he had shot, he noticed a drastic change in the river's water level. It was too shallow.
Puzzled by this unexpected development, the King decided to investigate the source of the issue.
To his astonishment, he discovered that the river's flow had been obstructed by a dam made up of arrows.
Standing there, bow in hand and quiver at his side, was a young man. In a moment of realization, King Śāntanu understood that this individual was responsible for the startling transformation of the river.
Although he looked very familiar, he couldn't figure out who he was.
With curiosity, Śāntanu asked, "Who are you?"
Before the young man could respond, Gaṅgā emerged in her human form from the river. "He is your son, King Śāntanu."
"Gaṅgā?" King was delighted to see his wife return.
Gaṅgā didn't reply but continued, "His name is Devavrat. He has learned the knowledge of scripture and economics in heaven from sage Vasiṣṭha and Bṛhaspati themselves. He has learned the art of weapons and warfare from the great Parśurām. There is no one on the earth who can defeat him."
The revelation of their son's formidable skills left King Śāntanu both astonished and proud.
"Let's go back to the palace. The people will be joyous upon hearing the news of you two returning."
"Apologies, King, but my duty is over here. Now that I have returned your son to you, I will be going back to heaven."
Hearing this, Śāntanu tried to protest. But he knew that there was nothing he could do to change her mind.
As Devī Gaṅgā returned to her river form, Śāntanu, with mixed emotions, took his son back to the palace.
That day, the whole Kingdom celebrated the news of the new heir. The return of Devavrat marked a momentous occasion in the history of Hastināpur.
