Mahabharat: Unknown stories of Mahabharat’s characters (Part 1)

Hello everyone, I am Swati Mann. This is an article, stories on the characters of Mahabharat. By writing these, I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feeling of any religion, caste and community. I have much respect for my religion and everything related to it. I have read these stories and therefore want to share all these with you all. These stories sometimes tell you about the reasons behind the incidents of Mahabharat and sometimes tales which you all might have heard. I will try my level best to be in Chronological order.

Today, I will tell about Maharaj Shantanu.

In the epic Mahabharat, Shantanu was a Kuru king of Hastinapur. He was a descendant of the Bharata race, of the Lunar dynasty, father of Bhishma (Also known as Devavrata), one of the mightiest warriors of all time and great-grandfather of the Pandavas and Kauravas. He was the youngest son of King Pratipa of Hastinapura and had been born in the latter’s old age. The eldest son Devapi had leprosy and gave up his inheritance to become a hermit. The middle son Bahlika (or Vahlika) abandoned his paternal kingdom and started living with his maternal uncle in Balkh and inherited his kingdom. Shantanu thus became the king of Hastinapura kingdom.

In his previous birth, there was a powerful king of the Ikshvaku Dynasty named Mahabhisha. He possessed many virtuous qualities, and after performing a thousand Ashvamedha Yagnas and a hundred Rajasuya Yagnas (to qualify as emperor), he had attained heaven after his death. Once he got an opportunity to visit the court of Brahma where all the Devas and Ganga were also present. While the celestials were worshipping Brahma, a wind blew and displaced Ganga’s clothes. Everybody present there bashfully bent their heads except Mahabhisha who kept gazing at her. Upon seeing this act, Brahma lost his temper and cursed him to be born as mortal. Ganga who also relished the mortal act was cursed to be born as human and come back only after breaking Mahabhisha’s heart. Mahabhisha then requested Brahma that he, Mahabhisha, be born as the son of Kuru king Pratipa and his wish was granted by Brahma.

The Kuru king Pratipa was once meditating. At that time Ganga took the form of a beautiful woman, approached the king and sat on his right thigh. When he asked her what she wanted, Ganga requested him to become her husband. Pratipa however refused since he had taken a vow not to lust for anybody, and also that she had sat on his right thigh and according to traditions a man’s right thigh was for his daughter or daughter-in-law while the left thigh was for his wife. He then proposed that she marry his son, to which she agreed.

A child was born to Pratipa and his wife Sunanda in their old age. He was named Shantanu because when he was born his father had controlled his passions by ascetic penances. Pratipa then installed Shantanu as king of Hastinapura and retired into the woods to perform penances. Bahlika who was elder than Shantanu also gave permission to him for becoming the king of Hastinapura.

Thank you, for reading my article. Please do comments, if you want to read more. And I am again sorry, if I hurt anyone’s feeling. Please write, if I should continue or not.