Mahabharata – 151

by

Sankar Mukherjee

and

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                Aadivamsavatarana Parva

        Mahabhisha Born as Santanu

The great Pratipa of the Kuru race promised Ganga the goddess that he would accept Ganga as his daughter in law. But alas!  he did not have a son to get married with Ganga so he apparently suspended his penance. About this time great Pratipa, the bull amongst Kshatriyas, was engaged,with his wife in austerities from the desire of offspring. Mahabhisha due to the curse of Brahma  was born as a son to them,at their old age. The child was known as Santanu. Because when he was born his father controlled his inner senses. And the bull among men, Santanu, knowing the region of perennial bliss which can be achieved by one's own deeds alone, becomes devoted to virtue. When Santanu  grows young Pratipa tells him “Oh Santanu,in the past a celestial lady came to me for your hands. If you meet that fairy lady in secret  and if she solicits you for children, accept her as your wife. Never judge  her acts & ask not who she is or whose child she is or from where she is coming. Fulfill her desire.” And king Pratipa crowns Santanu as the king in his place & goes away to the woods.

Santanu meets Ganga

The king Santanu of great intelligence & royal effulgence becomes addicted to hunting and pass much of his time in the woods. He gets great pleasure in killing deer and buffaloes, along  the bank of the Ganges.The region is frequently visited  by Siddhas and Charanas. And there he sees a lovely lady of blazing beauty.She looks like another Lakshmi herself,of faultless teeth and decked with celestial ornaments,& clothes. And the king seeing her, becomes surprised, and his euphoria produces instant shivering.With his eyes he seems to be drinking in her charms. But his lust is not satisfied. The king then in soft words addresses her, Oh slender-waisted one! and adds -- Be you a goddess or the daughter of an ogre, or of the race of the Gandharvas  or Apsaras, Yakshas or the Nagas, or be you of human origin, Oh you of celestial beauty! I solicit you to be my wife.

The maiden then, hearing those soft and sweet words of the smiling king,& remembering her promises to the Vasus, addresses the king in deep loving voice -------Oh king! I shall be your wife and obey your commands. But, Oh king! you must not interfere with me in anything I do,be it agreeable or not.Nor shall you ever address me unkindly. As long as you shall behave

kindly, I promise to live with you. But I shall certainly leave you the moment you interfere with me or speak to me any unkind word.

 The king answers -- Let it be so.

And Ganga then obtaining that excellent king, for her husband, becomes highly pleased.