Chapter 11: Mahābhiṣa and Gaṅgā; the Vasus’ curse, Gaṅgā’s pact with Pratīpa and marriage to Śantanu, and the birth, preservation and return of Gāṅgeya.
There was a king of the Ikshvaku line, a lord of the earth, renowned as Mahabhisha, true to his word and valiant in truth’s cause. (BORI: 1-091-1)
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With a thousand horse sacrifices and a hundred Vājapeya sacrifices, that mighty king pleased Indra, lord of the gods, and thereby attained heaven. (BORI: 1-091-2)
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Then, on one occasion, the gods were attending upon Brahma. Royal seers were present there, as was King Mahabhisha. (BORI: 1-091-3)
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Then Ganga, foremost of rivers, approached the Grandsire. The wind lifted her moon-bright garment. (BORI: 1-091-4)
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Then the hosts of gods suddenly lowered their faces, but the royal sage Mahabhisha, unabashed, gazed at the river. (BORI: 1-091-5)
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The blessed Brahmā cursed Mahābhiṣa and said to him, “Once you have been born among mortals, you will regain these worlds.” (BORI: 1-091-6)
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That Ganga who has stolen your heart, you fool, will indeed do things displeasing to you in the human world. (KUMB: 1-102-7; NILA: 01.096.007)
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When anger arises in you, she will be released from the curse. (KUMB: 1-102-8; NILA: 01.096.008)
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After considering all the kings rich in ascetic merit, that king chose the illustrious Pratipa as his father. (BORI: 1-091-7)
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Seeing King Mahabhisha lose his composure, the foremost of rivers turned away with her thoughts fixed on him alone. (BORI: 1-091-8)
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As she went on her way, she saw the Vasus, the celestial gods, their forms marred and their radiance dimmed by dejection. (BORI: 1-091-9)
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Seeing them in such a state, the foremost of rivers asked, “Why have you lost your former appearance? Is all well with the gods?” (BORI: 1-091-10)
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The divine Vasus said to her, “We have indeed been cursed, great river, by the great-souled Vasishtha, who became enraged at a slight offense.” (BORI: 1-091-11)
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For in our confusion, we all once passed over that hidden best of seers, Vasiṣṭha, as he sat performing his twilight devotions. (BORI: 1-091-12)
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In his anger, he cursed us: “Be born from a womb.” What a knower of Brahman has declared cannot be otherwise. (BORI: 1-091-13)
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Therefore, become a human woman and bear the Vasus as your sons on earth, so that we may not enter the inauspicious wombs of mortal women. (BORI: 1-091-14)
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Thus addressed by the Vasus, Gaṅgā said, “So be it,” and then asked them, “Among mortals, what supreme man will be your father?” (BORI: 1-091-15)
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King Pratipa’s son, named Shantanu, is righteous. He will live in the human world, and he will be our father. (BORI: 1-091-16)
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I too am of the same mind, gods, just as you have said, sinless ones. I shall do what pleases him and what you desire. (BORI: 1-091-17)
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You should cast your sons into the waters as soon as they are born, so that our release may not be long delayed, O you who range through the three worlds. (BORI: 1-091-18)
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I shall do so. But let a son be provided for him, so that his union with me for the sake of a son may not be fruitless. (BORI: 1-091-19)
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Each of us will give a quarter of our power. Through that power, you will bear the son he desires. (BORI: 1-091-20)
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But no further line of his will arise among mortals; therefore, that mighty son of yours will be childless. (BORI: 1-091-21)
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Having made this agreement with Gaṅgā, the Vasus departed with joyful hearts, swiftly and as they had resolved. (BORI: 1-091-22)
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Foolish as we were, we all wished to seize Surabhi and were cursed by that Brahmarshi. Please release us quickly. (KUMB: 1-102-20)
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Then King Pratipa, devoted to the welfare of all beings, went to the bank of the Ganges and sat there for many years, reciting prayers. (BORI: 1-092-1)
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Before him, Ganga, endowed with beauty and virtue, as though Śrī had taken bodily form, emerged from those waters in a supremely alluring form… (BORI: 1-092-2)
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As the royal sage was reciting, the noble-minded woman of divine beauty and lovely face seated herself on his right thigh, which resembled a sal tree. (BORI: 1-092-3)
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But King Pratipa said to the high-minded woman, “What may I do for you, fair lady? What favor do you desire?” (BORI: 1-092-4)
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“I desire you, O king, best of the Kurus; accept me. For good men condemn the rejection of women who are filled with desire.” (BORI: 1-092-5)
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I would not approach another man’s wife out of desire, fair lady, nor a woman of a different caste, noble lady. Know that this is my righteous vow. (BORI: 1-092-6)
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I am neither inferior nor forbidden to you, and I can never be reproached. Love me as I love you, O king—a maiden and an excellent woman. (BORI: 1-092-7)
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I have overlooked this act of yours—your urging me toward pleasure. If I were to act otherwise, a breach of dharma would destroy me. (BORI: 1-092-8)
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You came to my right thigh and embraced me, lovely woman. Know, timid one, that this is the seat for children and daughters-in-law. (BORI: 1-092-9)
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The left side is the place for a lover, and you have avoided it. Therefore, lovely woman, I will not make love to you. (BORI: 1-092-10)
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Become my daughter-in-law, lovely one; I choose you for my son. For, fair-thighed woman, you came and took your place on the daughter-in-law’s side. (BORI: 1-092-11)
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So be it, knower of dharma. May I be united with your son. Out of devotion to you alone, I shall join the renowned Bharata dynasty. (BORI: 1-092-12)
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Among all the kings on earth, you are the supreme refuge. Even in a hundred years I could not recount the virtues that have arisen in your lineage—such is its unsurpassed nobility. (BORI: 1-092-13)
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Your son must not know my parentage, O lord, and he must never question anything I do. (BORI: 1-092-14)
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Living with your son on these terms, I shall increase his happiness, and through virtuous and beloved sons, your son will attain heaven. (BORI: 1-092-15)
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Having said, “So be it,” she vanished then and there, O king. As he awaited the birth of a son, the king kept her words in mind. (BORI: 1-092-16)
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Meanwhile, Pratipa, bull among Kshatriyas, practiced austerities with his wife for the sake of obtaining a son, O descendant of Kuru. (BORI: 1-092-17)
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That Mahabhisha was born as a son to the aged couple. Since offspring was born to him when he had grown tranquil, the son was Shantanu. (BORI: 1-092-18)
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Remembering the imperishable worlds he had won through his own deeds, Shantanu performed only virtuous deeds, O best of the Kurus. (BORI: 1-092-19)
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Then Pratipa instructed his son Shantanu, who had reached manhood: “Long ago, Shantanu, a woman approached me for your welfare... (BORI: 1-092-20)
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My son, if that beautiful, divinely lovely woman should approach you in private, desiring you out of longing for a son, you must not question her: “Who are you, fair lady, and whose daughter are you?” (BORI: 1-092-21)
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Whatever she may do, you must not question her about it, sinless one. “At my command, you should accept her when she seeks you,” he told him. (BORI: 1-092-22)
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Having thus instructed his son Shantanu, King Pratipa installed him in his own kingdom and then retired to the forest. (BORI: 1-092-23)
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That wise king Shantanu, renowned throughout the earth as an archer, became devoted to hunting and constantly roamed the forests. (BORI: 1-092-24)
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That best of kings, killing deer and buffalo, wandered alone along the Ganges, which was frequented by Siddhas and Charanas. (BORI: 1-092-25)
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One day, O great king, he saw a supremely beautiful woman. (BORI: 1-092-26A)
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Gaṅgā’s attraction to Śantanu is a later addition and is absent from the original narrative, where the goddess descends for a specific purpose. Splitting the verses and removing this narrative noise brings the passage closer to KDV style.
radiant in form like Śrī herself dwelling in a lotus. (BORI: 1-092-26B)
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utterly flawless, with beautiful teeth, adorned with celestial ornaments, clad in a fine garment, alone and as radiant as the heart of a lotus… (BORI: 1-092-27)
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Seeing her, the king was thrilled, the hair on his body standing on end, and was amazed by her beauty. (BORI: 1-092-28A)
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Gaṅgā’s attraction to Śantanu is a later addition and is absent from the original narrative, where the goddess descends for a specific purpose. Splitting the verses and removing this narrative noise brings the passage closer to KDV style.
As though drinking her in with his eyes, he could not have enough of the sight. (BORI: 1-092-28B)
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As soon as the lovely woman saw the radiant king wandering there, affection arose in her heart, and she could not gaze at him enough. (BORI: 1-092-29)
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Then the king addressed her, reassuring her in a gentle voice: “Whether you are a goddess, a demoness, a Gandharva woman, or an Apsara…” (BORI: 1-092-30)
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Or whether you are a Yakshi, a serpent woman, or a human, slender-waisted lady—whoever you may be, radiant as one born of the gods, become my wife, beautiful one. (BORI: 1-092-31)
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Hearing these gentle and charming words of the king, she smiled, remembered her agreement with the Vasus, and the blameless woman approached him. (BORI: 1-092-32)
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Delighting the king’s heart with her words, she said to him, “O protector of the earth, I shall become your obedient queen.” (BORI: 1-092-33)
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But whatever I may do, O king, whether good or bad, you must neither prevent me from doing it nor speak harshly to me about it. (BORI: 1-092-34)
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For only on these terms will I live with you, O king. If you restrain me or speak harshly to me, I shall leave you without a doubt. (BORI: 1-092-35)
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“This is my condition, O king: take me as you desire. Your father has won me over; become my husband, my lord.” (KUMB: 1-104-8)
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When the king said to her, “So be it,” she was filled with incomparable joy, O best of the Bharatas, at having won that foremost of kings. (BORI: 1-092-36)
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Having obtained her, Shantanu, master of himself, enjoyed her as he pleased. Mindful that he was not to question her, he said nothing to her. (BORI: 1-092-37)
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The lord of the earth delighted in her conduct and character, her beauty and nobility, and the attentions she showed him in private. (BORI: 1-092-38)
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For she was the goddess Ganga, the river that follows three paths, divine in form. Having assumed a splendid human form, that fair-complexioned woman… (BORI: 1-092-39)
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She came as a wife to the lionlike King Shantanu, whose desire had been granted by good fortune and whose splendor equaled that of the king of the gods. (BORI: 1-092-40)
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With her skill in lovemaking and affection, and with her captivating amorous gestures and playful graces, she delighted the king; as she took pleasure, so did he. (BORI: 1-092-41)
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Captivated by the excellent qualities of that woman and absorbed in lovemaking, the king did not notice the many years, seasons, and months that passed. (BORI: 1-092-42)
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That king enjoyed both heavenly and human pleasures. Having obtained the finest of women, the illustrious Shantanu rejoiced. (KUMB: 1-105-2)
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Enjoying himself with her as he pleased, the king fathered eight sons by her, all radiant as the immortals. (BORI: 1-092-43)
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Each son as soon as he was born, she cast into the water, O Bharata; saying, “I do this to please you,” she submerged him in the current of the Ganges. (BORI: 1-092-44)
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This did not please King Shantanu, but the ruler said nothing to her then, for fear that she would leave him. (BORI: 1-092-45)
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Then, when the eighth son was born, the grief-stricken king, wishing to save his child, said to her as she seemed to smile… (BORI: 1-092-46)
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Do not kill him! Who are you, and to whom do you belong? Why do you kill your sons? Murderer of your own children, do not incur this terrible sin! Stop, you wicked woman! (BORI: 1-092-47)
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O you who long for a son, I will not kill your son, best of fathers. But my stay here is now at an end, in accordance with the agreement that was made. (BORI: 1-092-48)
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I am Ganga, daughter of Jahnu, attended by hosts of great seers. I have lived with you in order to accomplish the gods’ purpose. (BORI: 1-092-49)
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The eight gods known as the Vasus, greatly blessed and immensely powerful, have become human because of the curse laid upon them by Vasiṣṭha. (BORI: 1-092-50)
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There is no one on earth but you who can father them, nor is there any human woman like me to bear them. (BORI: 1-092-51)
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Therefore you assumed human form in order to become their mother. By giving birth to the eight Vasus, you have won imperishable worlds. (BORI: 1-092-52)
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But this was the agreement I had made with the gods, the Vasus: “I shall release each one, as soon as he is born, from human birth.” (BORI: 1-092-53)
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Thus they have been freed from the curse of the great-souled Apava. May all be well with you. I shall go; protect this son, a keeper of great vows. (BORI: 1-092-54)
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My appointed sojourn among the Vasus is now complete. Know that this son was born of me and given by Ganga. (BORI: 1-092-55)
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A man who abandons his own wife and consorts with another man’s wife is never released from hell until the dissolution of all beings. (KUMB: 1-103-7)
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Endowed with surpassing splendor, like the moon in autumn’s bright fortnight, he was then born in the tenth month, radiant as the sun. (KUMB: 1-103-20)
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At that time, a Brahmin performed the birth rite and the other ceremonies prescribed by the Veda; and the Brahmins performed the most solemn naming rite… (KUMB: 1-103-23)
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for Shantanu, O king, with the rites prescribed by the Veda at that time. Thereafter King Shantanu, observant of the customs of the world, was brought up. (KUMB: 1-103-24)
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Upon reaching maturity, that foremost upholder of dharma attained the highest perfection and achieved supreme mastery of both the science of archery and the Veda. (KUMB: 1-103-25)
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Broad-shouldered and mighty-armed, with the prowess of a rutting elephant, endowed with all the marks of kingship in their full perfection… (KUMB: 1-103-33)
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Endowed with the qualities of a statesman and thoroughly versed in the duties of a Kshatriya, he single-handedly brought the earth under his sway after conquering its rulers. (KUMB: 1-103-34)
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He mastered all the Vedas and every aspect of royal duty, and performed many sacrificial rites and ceremonies with abundant gifts. (KUMB: 1-103-35)
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He gratified the Brahmins skilled in Vedic study with precious stones of every kind, cattle, villages, horses, and wealth. (KUMB: 1-103-36)
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Endowed with youth and beauty, manliness and strength, sovereignty, majesty, valor, and wealth... (KUMB: 1-103-37)
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Abiding in truth and well versed in every duty, that king was made king of kings by the other kings. (KUMB: 1-103-38)
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O tiger among the Bharatas, the kings became free from grief, fear, and illness; their sleep and waking were pleasant, and they prospered. (KUMB: 1-103-39)
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Through the observance of the rules governing all the classes, Brahmin preeminence prevailed. The Kshatriya order looked to the Brahmins, and the Vaishyas to the Kshatriyas. (KUMB: 1-103-40)
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The Shudras, in turn, served the Vaishyas, who were well disposed toward Brahmanas and Kshatriyas. So too in the case of livestock and boars, and likewise of wild animals and birds... (KUMB: 1-103-41)
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Then, while Shantanu was on the throne, there was no wanton killing of wretched, unprotected creatures living in animal forms. (KUMB: 1-103-42)
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That king became a father to all beings. As the righteous joy of the Kurus dwelt in Hastina... (KUMB: 1-103-43)
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In splendor he was like the sun, and in strength the equal of the wind; in anger he resembled Death, and in forbearance he was like the earth. (KUMB: 1-103-44)
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her hair dishevelled, touching her locks with both hands; in beauty, youth, charm, and bodily proportions... (KUMB: 1-103-50)
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with her gestures, expressions, and graceful movements, the play of the corners of her eyes, the fullness of her hips, her waist, breasts, bosom, and gaze... (KUMB: 1-103-51)
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With the luxuriance of her hair, her feet, her gestures, and her smile, and with conversation like the cuckoo’s song, putting to shame one who ranges through the three worlds… (KUMB: 1-103-52)
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Vani, Girija, Lakshmi, other women, and celestial maidens… She approached Shantanu, driving misfortune away. (KUMB: 1-103-53)
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The graceful Ganga gazed desirously at the king and moved playfully before him, like a Kinnari, resembling an Apsaras. (KUMB: 1-103-56)
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Seeing her, who stood there surpassing all royal women in beauty, Shantanu was filled with delight at the very sight of her. (KUMB: 1-103-57)
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Desiring children and remembering Pratīpa’s words, she herself—to Prince Śāntanu, king and lord of the earth… (KUMB: 1-104-3)
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The king promised her that it would be so, then helped the noble lady onto his chariot and departed with her. (KUMB: 1-104-10)
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Remembering his father’s words, he did not question her about the crime against his sons. As each was born, that woman killed seven excellent sons. (KUMB: 1-105-7)
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For fear of violating his duty, Shantanu never questioned her; but when she was about to kill the eighth, his resolve faltered. (KUMB: 1-105-8)
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Then, seeing her about to kill him, that delight of the Kuru line, the best of the Bharatas, spoke these words in profound distress: (KUMB: 1-105-10)
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This son of yours, the joy of the family, born through their power, will perform a superhuman deed—there is no doubt. (KUMB: 1-105-19)
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Who is this one among the Vasus named Āpava, and what wrong did he commit, through whose curse you have all assumed human form? (BORI: 1-093-1)
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And what did this prince, Gangadatta, do that will cause him to dwell among human beings? (BORI: 1-093-2)
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And how did those Vasus, lords of all the worlds, come to be born among humans? Tell me that, Jahnavi. (BORI: 1-093-3)
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Thus addressed, the goddess Gaṅgā, daughter of Jahnu, then spoke these words to her husband, King Śantanu, foremost of men: (BORI: 1-093-4)
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O best of the Bharatas, the son whom Varuna obtained long ago was the sage named Vasishtha, also known as Apava. (BORI: 1-093-5)
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His sacred hermitage stood on the slope of Meru, king of mountains, inhabited by herds of deer and flocks of birds and covered with flowers of every season. (BORI: 1-093-6)
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The son of Varuṇa, foremost among the virtuous, practiced austerities in that forest, O best of the Bharatas, where the roots, fruits, and water were sweet. (BORI: 1-093-7)
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Daksha’s daughter, the exceedingly proud goddess named Surabhi, bore Kashyapa a cow, O bull of Bharata’s line— (BORI: 1-093-8)
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…for the benefit of the world—an excellent cow that yielded every desired thing. The righteous Varuni obtained her as his sacrificial cow. (BORI: 1-093-9)
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Living in that ascetic grove frequented by sages, the cow then roamed its delightful, holy grounds without fear. (BORI: 1-093-10)
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Then one day, O bull of Bharata’s line, all the Vasus, Prithu and the others, came to that forest, which was frequented by gods and divine seers. (BORI: 1-093-11)
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Accompanied by their wives, they roamed throughout that forest and delighted in its lovely mountains and woods. (BORI: 1-093-12)
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There, O you of Indra-like valor, the slender-waisted wife of one of the Vasus, while roaming through that forest, saw the sage Vasiṣṭha’s excellent cow, which granted every desire. (BORI: 1-093-13)
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Filled with wonder at the cow’s wealth of fine qualities, she showed her to Dyu, O bull-eyed one. (BORI: 1-093-14)
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beautiful, with a fine udder, yielding abundant milk, with a lovely tail and face, endowed with every virtue and unsurpassed character... (BORI: 1-093-15)
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Long ago, O king, delight of Puru’s line, the Vasu’s wife showed him the cow endowed with such qualities. (BORI: 1-093-16)
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Then, as soon as Dyaus saw that cow, O king, mighty as the lord of elephants, he spoke to the goddess, describing the cow’s beauty and virtues: (BORI: 1-093-17)
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This excellent cow, O dark-eyed goddess, belongs to the sage whose splendid forest this is, O lovely-waisted one. (BORI: 1-093-18)
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O slender-waisted lady, any mortal who drinks this cow’s sweet milk will live for ten thousand years, retaining his youth. (BORI: 1-093-19)
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Hearing this, O best of kings, the lovely goddess of slender waist addressed her radiant husband: (BORI: 1-093-20)
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In the human world I have a friend, a king’s daughter, named Jinavati, who is endowed with beauty and youth. (BORI: 1-093-21)
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the daughter of the wise royal sage Uśīnara, true to his word, renowned in the human world for her beauty. (BORI: 1-093-22)
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For her sake, O greatly fortunate one, quickly bring me the cow with her calf that I desire, O best of the immortals, increaser of merit. (BORI: 1-093-23)
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So that, after drinking her milk, that friend of mine may alone among mortals be free from old age and disease, O bestower of honor. (BORI: 1-093-24)
[PV-KDV:01_011_137]
O illustrious, blameless one, you should do this for me, for there is nothing you could do that would please me more than this. (BORI: 1-093-25)
[PV-KDV:01_011_138]
Hearing the goddess’s words and wishing to please her, Dyaus, together with his brothers Prithu and the others, then stole that cow. (BORI: 1-093-26)
[PV-KDV:01_011_139]
Thus urged by the lotus-eyed woman, Dyu, O king, failed to take the sage’s severe ascetic power into account. He stole the cow, never anticipating his downfall. (BORI: 1-093-27)
[PV-KDV:01_011_140]
Then Vāruṇi returned to the hermitage with fruit, but in that excellent forest he did not see the cow with her calf. (BORI: 1-093-28)
[PV-KDV:01_011_141]
Then the ascetic searched for her in that forest, but though he searched, the noble-minded sage could not find the cow. (BORI: 1-093-29)
[PV-KDV:01_011_142]
Realizing through his divine sight that the Vasus had carried her away, he was immediately overcome by anger and then cursed them. (BORI: 1-093-30)
[PV-KDV:01_011_143]
“Since you Vasus have stolen my milk-giving cow with the fine tail, you shall all be born among human beings—of this there is no doubt.” (BORI: 1-093-31)
[PV-KDV:01_011_144]
Thus the blessed Āpava, that foremost of sages, having fallen under the sway of anger, cursed those Vasus, O bull of the Bharatas. (BORI: 1-093-32)
[PV-KDV:01_011_145]
Having cursed them, the illustrious sage fixed his mind once more on his austerities. Thus, O king, that ascetic rich in austerity—the Brahmarṣi of immense power—cursed the eight Vasus, filled with wrath against the gods. (BORI: 1-093-33)
[PV-KDV:01_011_146]
Then, having reached the hermitage, those great-souled ones, aware that they had been cursed, approached that sage once more. (BORI: 1-093-34)
[PV-KDV:01_011_147]
O bull among kings, though the Vasus sought to appease the sage, they obtained no forgiveness from that foremost of sages, Āpava, O tiger among men, who was versed in every dharma. (BORI: 1-093-35)
[PV-KDV:01_011_148]
And that righteous man said, “You seven, Dhara and the others, will indeed be released from the curse after one year.” (BORI: 1-093-36)
[PV-KDV:01_011_149]
But this Dyaus, on whose account I cursed you, will dwell in the human world for a long time because of his own deed. (BORI: 1-093-37)
[PV-KDV:01_011_150]
I do not wish to make false what I said to you in anger. And this noble-minded one will have no offspring among human beings. (BORI: 1-093-38)
[PV-KDV:01_011_151]
He will be righteous and thoroughly versed in all the scriptures. (BORI: 1-093-39A)
[PV-PAN:01_011_152]
The verse is split, as the first half—describing the otherwise poorly disposed Dyaus as well versed in the scriptures—appears to be a later addition, pending further corroboration. The second half independently forms a complete four-pāda anuṣṭubh.
Devoted to what is dear and beneficial to his father, he will abstain from relations with women. Having said this to all the Vasus, the venerable sage departed.(BORI: 1-093-39B)
[PV-KDV:01_011_153]
Then all the Vasus came to me together and asked me for a boon, O king, which I granted: “O Ganga, as each of us is born, cast us yourself into the water.” (BORI: 1-093-40)
[PV-KDV:01_011_154]
Thus, best of kings, I duly did what they, having all been cursed, asked of me, so as to release them from the human world. (BORI: 1-093-41)
[PV-KDV:01_011_155]
O best of kings, this one alone—Dyaus—will, because of that sage’s curse, remain in the human world for a long time, O King, O Bharata. (BORI: 1-093-42)
[PV-KDV:01_011_156]
Having told him this, the goddess vanished there and then, taking the boy with her and going wherever she wished. (BORI: 1-093-43)
[PV-KDV:01_011_157]
Śantanu’s son thus came to have two names—Devavrata and Gāṅgeya—and surpassed Śantanu in virtues. (BORI: 1-093-44)
[PV-OTH:01_011_158]
Then Śantanu, afflicted with grief, returned to his own city. (BORI: 1-093-45A)
[PV-KDV:01_011_159]
I shall recount the boundless virtues of Shantanu— (BORI: 1-093-45B)
[PV-OTH:01_011_160]
and the great good fortune of the illustrious Bharata king, whose radiant history is called the Mahabharata. (BORI: 1-093-46)
[PV-OTH:01_011_161]
Thus all eight Vasus were then cursed by that sage of the Yamuna because of Dyu’s offense, O best of men. (KUMB: 1-106-35; KUMB: 1-106-36)
[PV-SVO:01_011_162]
This boy, your son, will return to you when he is grown. And I too will come to you when summoned, O king. (KUMB: 1-106-47)
[PV-SVO:01_011_163]
That wise and righteous Shantanu, honored by gods, royal sages, and the king of the gods, was renowned throughout all the worlds as a man true to his word. (BORI: 1-094-1)
[PV-OTH:01_011_164]
Self-control, generosity, patience, wisdom, modesty, steadfastness, and supreme vigor were ever present in the noble-minded Shantanu, that foremost of men. (BORI: 1-094-2)
[PV-OTH:01_011_165]
Thus endowed with virtues and skilled in matters of righteousness and worldly prosperity, the king was the protector of the Bharata dynasty and of good people. (BORI: 1-094-3)
[PV-OTH:01_011_166]
He had a neck like a conch, broad shoulders, and the prowess of a rutting elephant; he held firmly that dharma alone was superior to desire and wealth. (BORI: 1-094-4)
[PV-OTH:01_011_167]
These qualities were found in the great-spirited Shantanu, bull of the Bharatas, and no Kshatriya was his equal in righteousness. (BORI: 1-094-5)
[PV-OTH:01_011_168]
The kings consecrated him—steadfast in his own duty, foremost among all who knew dharma, and protector of the earth—as king over kings. (BORI: 1-094-6)
[PV-OTH:01_011_169]
Free from sorrow, fear, and affliction, and sleeping and waking in comfort, the kings each became a protector of Bharata. (BORI: 1-094-7)
[PV-OTH:01_011_170]
At that time, when the world was protected by kings headed by Shantanu, order prevailed among all the social classes, with the Brahmins foremost. (BORI: 1-094-8)
[PV-OTH:01_011_171]
The Kshatriyas served the Brahmins, and the Vaishyas, devoted to the Kshatriyas, served them; the Shudras, attached to the Brahmins and Kshatriyas, served the Vaishyas. (BORI: 1-094-9)
[PV-OTH:01_011_172]
Dwelling in beautiful Hastinapura, the capital of the Kurus, he ruled the earth as far as the ocean. (BORI: 1-094-10)
[PV-OTH:01_011_173]
He was like the king of the gods, knew righteousness, spoke the truth, and was upright; through generosity, righteousness, austerity, and discipline, he was endowed with supreme splendor. (BORI: 1-094-11)
[PV-OTH:01_011_174]
Free from attachment and hatred, pleasing to behold like the moon, radiant as the sun, swift as the wind, like Death in anger, and equal to the earth in forbearance. (BORI: 1-094-12)
[PV-OTH:01_011_175]
O king, while Shantanu ruled the earth, there was no wanton killing of livestock and boars, or of deer and birds. (BORI: 1-094-13)
[PV-OTH:01_011_176]
In his kingdom, where righteousness and sacred knowledge were paramount, the disciplined Shantanu ruled all beings impartially, free from desire and passion. (BORI: 1-094-14)
[PV-OTH:01_011_177]
At that time, rites were undertaken for sacrifices to the gods, seers, and ancestors, and no living creature was killed unlawfully. (BORI: 1-094-15)
[PV-OTH:01_011_178]
That king became a father to all creatures—to those in distress and without protectors, and to those living in animal wombs. (BORI: 1-094-16)
[PV-OTH:01_011_179]
While that foremost ruler of the Kurus, the supreme lord of kings, reigned, his speech was grounded in truth and his mind devoted to the duty of giving. (BORI: 1-094-17)
[PV-OTH:01_011_180]
For thirty-six years—sixteen, eight, four, and another eight—he found no pleasure among women and lived as a frequenter of the forest. (BORI: 1-094-18)
[PV-KDV:01_011_181]
The son of Ganga, his son, was his equal in appearance, conduct, character, and learning; he was a Vasu named Devavrata. (BORI: 1-094-19)
[PV-OTH:01_011_182]
He was proficient in every weapon, both those used by kings and all others; immensely strong, resolute, and valiant, he was a mighty chariot-warrior. (BORI: 1-094-20)
[PV-OTH:01_011_183]
Once, after shooting a deer, King Shantanu followed the river Ganga and saw that the Bhagirathi had little water. (BORI: 1-094-21)
[PV-KDV:01_011_184]
Seeing it, Shantanu, bull among men, wondered, “Why does this foremost of rivers not flow today as it did before?” (BORI: 1-094-22)
[PV-KDV:01_011_185]
Then, as he searched for the cause, that great-hearted man saw a tall, handsome, fine-looking youth… (BORI: 1-094-23)
[PV-KDV:01_011_186]
wielding a divine weapon like the god Purandara, and standing there after blocking the entire Ganges with sharp arrows. (BORI: 1-094-24)
[PV-KDV:01_011_187]
Seeing the river Ganges nearby covered with arrows, the king was astonished at the superhuman feat. (BORI: 1-094-25)
[PV-KDV:01_011_188]
Though Shantanu had seen that son long before, when he was newborn, the wise king could not remember him well enough to recognize him as his own son. (BORI: 1-094-26)
[PV-KDV:01_011_189]
But when he saw his father, he bewildered him with his magic; then, having bewildered him, he quickly vanished on the spot. (BORI: 1-094-27)
[PV-KDV:01_011_190]
Seeing that marvel there, King Shantanu suspected that it was his son and said to Ganga, “Show him to me.” (BORI: 1-094-28)
[PV-KDV:01_011_191]
Ganga showed him, appearing in a magnificent form and holding the adorned boy in her right hand. (BORI: 1-094-29)
[PV-OTH:01_011_192]
Though she was adorned with ornaments, clad in spotless garments, and he had seen her before, Shantanu did not recognize her. (BORI: 1-094-30)
[PV-OTH:01_011_193]
O king, this is that eighth son whom you once fathered by me. O tiger among men, take him home. (BORI: 1-094-31)
[PV-KDV:01_011_194]
This one, O tiger among men, is unsurpassed in his knowledge of every weapon. Accept this son whom I have raised, great king. (KUMB: 1-107-34; KUMB: 1-107-35; NILA: 01.100.033; NILA: 01.100.034)
[PV-KDV:01_011_195]
The mighty one learned the Vedas and their ancillary disciplines from Vasishtha himself. Trained in arms and a supreme archer, he is the equal of the king of the gods in battle. (BORI: 1-094-32)
[PV-OTH:01_011_196]
He is ever esteemed by gods and asuras, O Bharata, and he knows completely whatever science Ushanas knows. (BORI: 1-094-33)
[PV-OTH:01_011_197]
Likewise, whatever science the son of Angiras, revered by gods and asuras, knows is also present in its entirety, with all its branches and subsidiary branches, in this mighty-armed, great-souled son of yours. (BORI: 1-094-34)
[PV-OTH:01_011_198]
Whatever weapon is known to the mighty sage Rama, Jamadagni’s son, whom no enemy can assail, is also established in him. (BORI: 1-094-35)
[PV-OTH:01_011_199]
O king, take home this mighty archer—your own valiant son, whom I give to you—well versed in royal duties and affairs, O hero. (BORI: 1-094-36)
[PV-OTH:01_011_200]
Having said this, the illustrious woman vanished on the spot. (KUMB: 1-107-41क्ष्)
[PV-KDV:01_011_201]
Thus permitted by her, Shantanu took his son, radiant as the sun, and returned to his own city. (BORI: 1-094-37)
[PV-KDV:01_011_202]
Returning to his own city, which resembled Indra’s city, the Paurava felt that all his desires had been fulfilled. He then consecrated his son as crown prince of the Pauravas. (BORI: 1-094-38)
[PV-KDV:01_011_203]
The illustrious son of Shantanu delighted the Pauravas, his father, and the entire kingdom by his conduct, O bull of the Bharatas. (BORI: 1-094-39)
[PV-KDV:01_011_204]
Thus the king of boundless valor spent four years enjoying life with his son. (BORI: 1-094-40)
[PV-KDV:01_011_205]