༺|| 🕉 ռǟʍǟɦ ֆɦɨʋǟʏɛ 🕉 ||༻
╰•★★ ॐ|| ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय नमः ||ॐ ★★•╯
▌║▌║ ▌│█║▌║▌║ Շђє ﻮค๓є ςђคภﻮєгร - ๒เรђ๓ค & кคгภ.║▌║▌║█│▌║▌║▌
He is the son of Devi Ganga.
He has taken an oath of Celibacy.
He is the eldest son of Maharaj Shantanu.
The...
In the land of Aryavarta's, there was a beautiful and well- developed country of Hastinapur. Hastinapur, the city of elephants. This is where the story begins.
Currently the country of Hastinapur is being ruled by the great Kuru Empire. It has been under the Kuru Empire from generations, passed on to son from father, generation after generation. The land developing and thriving under the rule of these strong kings.
The current rule of this formidable state is King Shantanu. He was a descendant of the Bharata race, of the Lunar dynasty. The youngest son of King Pratipa of Hastinapur and had been born in the latter's old age.
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He was the youngest son, and still ruled the kingdom. Why you ask? Well, 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. And thus, Shantanu thus became the king of Hastinapur kingdom.
Maharaj Shantanu's birth had been in King Pratipa's old age. Why and how? Well, the story is a sweet one.
In Maharaj Shantanu's previous birth, he 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 Rajsuya Yagna's (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 the Lady Ganga were also present. While the celestials were worshipping Brahma, a wind blew and displaced Ganga's clothes revealing her body. Everybody present in the room bent their heads except Mahabhisha who kept gazing at her.
Upon seeing this act, Brahma lost his temper and cursed him to be born a 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.
And thus, 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 Hastinapur and retired into the woods to perform penances. Bahlika who was elder than Shantanu also gave permission to him for becoming the king of Hastinapur.
