LORD BRAHMA CURSED SHANTANU AND GANGA

Eight Vasus getting cursed, the Love story of Shantanu and Ganga and Bhishma lives

Once there was a mighty king named Mahabhisha in the Ikshavaku dynasty. He performed Ashwamedha yajna, pleased Indra dev, and reached heaven. One day he was present along with other deities in Lord Brahma's service. Ganga reached there near lord, her cloth blew away by the wind. All the Deities ignored her by looking downwards but The king was consistently looking staring at her charm. Brahma cursed him that he would be born on the earth again and earn holiness and later would get salvation by Ganga only then come back to heaven. King then requested Pratipa to be his father. Ganga could notice the king losing his patience. She was concerned about him. While returning, she saw all the vasu deities falling downwards from heaven. They were all looking pale. Ganga was curious to know the cause behind it so she requested them. The eight vasus then defined her regarding the curse they had had from sage Vasishtha. I have narrated it below,

Sage Vasishtha;  son of Varuna Deva was an outstanding Ascetic who practised austerities in a forest. At that time daughter of King Daksha named Surabhi gave birth to a cow from sage Kashyapa. Vashistha had acquired from them that cow as his homdhenu. Her name was Nandini. One day all the Vasu deities were roaming all around the earth. One of Vasu's stunning wives could see Nandini there. She then explained to her husband that, "whoever drinks the milk of this cow will remain young and stay long." She desired to abduct the cow. So she requested her husband to do so.

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To fulfil her wish, one of the vasus kidnapped the cow by taking the help of the other vasus. When Vasishtha came back to his place, he could not find the cow there. By his Ascetic power, he could understand that Nandini was abducted by the vasus. So he cursed all of them to be born on Earth. Then he went on meditating again. All the vasus came to his hermitage but could not get any mercy from him.

Vasishtha informed him that each year all of the vasus would be released from the curse after their demise however the curse would remain for a long time.

In order to get salvation, vasus then requested Ganga to drown them in her holy water as soon as they would take birth from her. Ganga agreed to free them from their curse by saying that she would marry King Shantanu who would be born to king pratipa. She in addition asked the vasus for a child who would live like her and King Shantanu's son. So all the eight vasus promised her that they would provide their eight body components from which a boy would be born and live.

King Pratipa was ruling the earth at that time. Once he went to Haridwar and meditated near Ganga. Ganga came to him out of the water as a glamorous and attractive lady and sat on the right thigh of King Pratipa. Ganga asked him to choose her as his wife. King denied it as she was not from his caste and also she was sitting on his right thigh. Either his daughter or daughter-in-law could sit there. Out of generosity, he suggested she marry his son Shantanu and become his daughter-in-law.
Pratipa told regarding the tremendous lady to his son Shantanu. While Shantanu went on hunting one day he found Ganga there. She resembled the goddess Laxmi. She was extraordinarily pretty, adorned with ornaments, good looking. Ganga was additionally pleased by seeing the mighty king Shantanu. Shantanu wished to make her his wife. Ganga recalled the curse and the commitment of King Pratipa. She agreed to the proposal but in addition to that she made the king promise her that, "You should by no means stop me or speak to me harshly if I ever do anything incorrect otherwise I will leave you." King agreed and married her. One by one she drowned all her seven sons; the vasus who subsequently got relieved from the curse and earthly bondage.

King was in a dilemma. While drowning her eighth son King out of grief stopped her and requested her the reason for her being so rude toward her babies. She defined everything to him related to the curse of Brahma, the previous birth of the vasus their salvation, and then as per the circumstance she left Shantanu. Before leaving as promised she had to give her eighth boy to the king who was born out of the eight vasus body parts. As formerly mentioned he was promised to live as per his wish. He became mighty fearless and more powerful than others. He was named 'Gangadatta'. He stayed close to his mother and practised divine weapon archery. He looked simply like Indra Deva. One day while practising the dhanurveda Shantanu noticed that boy and was stunned. He could not recognize his son as he had seen him when he was a kid. Later Ganga came out of the water and reminded the king of the promised son. She advised the king that his son had already finished all the Vedas and learned all about astravidya. She asked him to take Gangadatta to his palace. He was known as Devavrata.

It is additionally noted in the book that Shantanu fell in love with Nisadraj's or Dashraj's daughter Satyavati. Nisadraj had wished Satyavati's would-be son to be crowned as Hastinapur's king, not Devavrata. On such a condition, only Nisadraj had to marry his daughter off to the king. Devavrata after knowing this took an oath for turning into celibate during his whole life not to marry anyone for which he was known as 'Bhishma' and his oath was acknowledged as 'Bhishma Pratignya'. Pleased Shantanu granted him a boon of death as per his will.

Ref: Mahabharata book Adi Parva

Read about the hundred dead sons of Sage Vasishtha