Reading Notes: PDE Mahabharata, Part A

       

Image information: King Shantanu stops Ganga from drowning their eighth child, Image credit: Wikipedia

          In the story “King Shantanu and Ganga” written by Donald A. Mackenzie, the author writes about how Devavrata became the eighth son of King Shantanu and the goddess Ganga. Before Devavrata was born, the eight Vasus, attendants of Indra, came to Ganga and asked her to become their human mother. In Hinduism, Vasus are the eight elemental gods, who are the attendant deities of Indra, and later known as Vishnu. According to Wikipedia, the elemental gods represents the different aspects of nature: Dhara meaning “earth,” Anala meaning “fire,” Anila meaning “wind,” Apa meaning “water,” Pratyusha meaning “sun,” Prabhasa meaning “sky or ether,” Soma meaning “moon,” and Dhruva meaning “motionless.” Furthermore, Ganga consented and promised that she would return them back to the to Ganges river soon after their birth.
          One day, as King Shantanu walked alongside the Ganges river, Ganga appeared before him in her human form of surpassing beauty. Awestruck by her charm and her beauty, the king quickly asks Ganga to be his bride. Knowing that she had made promises to the eight Vasus, Ganga agreed to the king only on one condition that he never spoke harshly at her or attempted to thwart her in doing as she willed. King Shantanu, so lovestruck by Ganga, consented without any hesitation.
         Soon after they were married, the goddess was pregnant with the king’s first son. Once he was born, Ganga casted him into the Ganges river, just as she had promised that she would. At home, the king was stricken with horror upon hearing the death of his first son as his crazy, but beautiful wife had drowned him in the river. Still, remembering what he had promised her, the king kept his silent. So there were seven more sons, one after the other, drowned by their mother the same way she did with the first. When the eighth son was born, the king could not hold his silent any longer, so he broke his promise and stopped her from drowning the child. Reminding the king of his vow, Ganga departs from his side along with their eight son; however, before she disappeared with the babe, she explains to the king who she was and why she had to cast the Vasus, their children, into the Ganges. After many years has passed, the fair goddess returns to Shantanu along with Devavrata, who has been endowed with the virtues of the Vasus.
          In the story, the author didn’t mention how much grief the king must’ve been through after his wife had left him with their son. Furthermore, if I could change the plot, I would change how the king and the goddess meets by the Ganges river. Instead of deceiving the king about her true identity, Ganga would explain to the king about her duties and they would fall in love despite the hardship.