Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata, Part A

Part A

Vyasa and Ganesha

Web Source: Wikimedia

• King Bharata was the sire of King Hastin
• King Hastin built the city of Hastinapura
• King Hastin fathered King Kuru
• King Kuru fathered King Shantanu (great grandson of King Bharata)
• King Shantanu was very religious, just, and powerful
• First wife was the goddess Ganga
• Goddess of the Ganges river
• known to be divinely beautiful
• Ganga did assume a human form at one point
• Prior to human form, she was visited by eight deities or attendants of Indra 
• The eight attendants crossed paths with the brahmin Vasishtha during his meditation
• they blocked the path between him and the sun, so Vasishtha cursed them and condemned them to a human form out of rage 
• He was so powerful, that he was able to rain power over celestial beings
• The eight attendants quickly went to Ganga and she agreed that she would be their human mother
• She also agreed to throwing them into the Ganges River after they were born so that they could quickly return to their celestial being
• In return, they had to promise one eighth of their power to her son
• Apparently he was not to marry or have kids (not sure if he cannot or she would not allow it)
• One day, King Shantanu was walking beside the Ganges River, when Ganga appeared to him
• She was extremely beautiful with teeth that resembled a "radiant pearl"
• Her garments had the splendor of lotus blooms and decked out in ornaments
• She was the most beautiful woman, and King Shantanu asked her to be his bride after questioning if she was human or not 
• Ganga agreed to become King Shantanu's bride, but did have conditions of this marriage
• Ganga told him that he is to never speak poorly to her and is to never keep her from doing what she wants. If he does, then she will not marry him
• Lucky for her, he agreed to all of these terms, which were very reasonable
• King Shantanu and Ganga soon became pregnant and she gave birth to a son
• She then threw her son into the river for "thy welfare"
• The King was extremely shocked by this behavior, but kept quiet out of fear that the beautiful Ganga would leave him
• She threw her next seven sons into the river as well
• Finally the King was fed up, and his pent up rage caused him to speak out towards his bride
• As a result, he broke his vow, and Ganga revealed her true self and why she was tossing the children into the river, then she left him
• Ganga returned later with a son for King Shantanu that he immediately loved

Bibliography:

King Shantanu and Ganga

Author: Donald Mackenzie

Web Source: Mahabharata Online