King Shantanu was the fourteenth king in the dynasty of Bharata.He was the son of the powerful King Patipa.Shantanu was married to Ganga who made him promise that he will never question her about anything that she does.

Ganga was very beautiful and she was very much in love with Shantanu. Time passed by very quickly and they were blessed with a son.As Shantanu searched the palace chambers for the queen and the child he was told that Ganga had taken the child to the river.He hurried there to find that she had thrown the child into the river.

Bounded by his promise,he could not have asked her anything.The King returned home and after a while life continued in its normal way.As the years went by,Ganga had six more sons and she threw them all in the river just as she did the first.This caused Shantanu a lot of discomfort but he had his promise to keep.

Queen Ganga became pregnant for the eight time and Shantanu kept a close eye on her.When the child was born,she again took of to the river but was stopped by the King who now questioned her reasons for being so cruel.

She reminded him of his promise to her but he was so overcome by grief that he stopped her from going to the river.Ganga told him that since he had now broken his promise to her,it is difficult to live with him and so she must leave.

The King persuaded her to stay but with tears in her eyes she said that she couldn't.Then she began to tell Shantanu of her real identity. "I am Ganga the river and I belong to the heavens.In your previous life you were a king called Mahabhisak.In the court of Lord Indra you saw me and fell in love with me.

I desired that you be my husband and the gods became angry with me and placed a curse on me so that I will be born on earth and be your wife. These sons born to me are Vasus and they were also cursed to be born on earth.

They have pleaded with me to be their mother here and that I must kill them when they are born so that they could be free of life here on earth at the earliest possible time.Seven of our sons have already been freed of the curse but the eight will have to stay on earth for a long time,as such his life has been spared.

Grieve not my Lord for that which the Gods ordain cannot be changed.My Lord please allow me to take this son with me and I will return him to you when the time is right.I will take good care of him as he will become a worthy successor to the throne of the Pauravas."

She then left with the child and the King Shantanu was left all alone as a sad and dejected man.

Sixteen long years passed and King Shantanu was out hunting one day when he saw a boy of young age stopped the natural flow of the river Ganga.The king was amazed at the skill of such a young boy.

Ganga came out from the river and addressed the King: "My Lord,this is your son.He has received the best possible training and he is now fit to be a prince,a worthy successor to the throne of Hastinapura.He was taught Political science by Brihaspati,Vedas by Vashishta and the Science of weaponry by Parashurama."

She then instructed the boy to bow to his father's feet as a mark of respect.The King happily returned to the palace with the boy and spread the news that his newly found son whose name was Devavrata, would be crowned as the Prince.

Pandit Bhadase Maharaj.

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