A Story of Dvapar Yuga in Prose (Part-26 A)
By Lokanath Mishra
(Mahabharata )
King Shantanu, the ruler of Hastinapura, would often gaze upon the face of his son Devavrata with deep admiration and pride. During this period, Devavrata repeatedly repelled numerous enemy attacks solely through his extraordinary courage and martial prowess. Which father, after all, would not feel his chest swell with pride on having a son who was powerful, virtuous, and handsome? Devavrata, too, revered his father as one would a god.
One day, King Shantanu mounted his chariot and traveled a long distance along the banks of the river Ganga. Suddenly, an extraordinarily enchanting fragrance drifted through the air with the breeze. Intrigued, the king asked his charioteer to guide the chariot toward the source of this fragrance. After traveling some distance, Shantanu saw a boat gliding upon the river. There was no male boatman—only a remarkably beautiful young woman rowing it. From her body emanated a divine fragrance that spread for nearly a yojana (several miles). Out of curiosity, Shantanu waited until the young woman brought her boat to the shore.
The king was completely mesmerized by the unparalleled beauty of this woman—her graceful figure, slender waist, radiant eyes, and captivating presence. As she approached, Shantanu asked her about her identity.
She introduced herself as Satyavati, the daughter of Dasharaja, the chief of the Nishada community. Since Dasharaja had no son, Satyavati assisted her father in his livelihood. Observing her keen interest and competence, her father had permitted her to work as a boatwoman.
King Shantanu later met Dasharaja and formally requested Satyavati’s hand in marriage. Noticing the king’s intense affection for his daughter, Dasharaja placed an unusual and controversial condition. Seeking to secure his daughter’s future, he said:
“I will give my daughter to you on one condition only. The son born from her womb must be declared the rightful heir to the throne of Hastinapura.”
Devavrata was Shantanu’s beloved son, dearer to him than life itself. The king could not even imagine sacrificing his son’s future at the altar of desire. Thus, he abandoned his hope of marrying Satyavati and returned in silence.
However, day and night, the image of Satyavati’s youthful beauty appeared before his mind’s eye. The lingering fragrance of Yojanagandha seemed constantly present in his senses. Shantanu grew withdrawn, absent-minded, and joyless; the smile vanished from his face.
At first, Devavrata assumed his father’s somber mood was temporary. But as days passed and Shantanu did not recover his former cheer, Devavrata questioned him about the cause of his sorrow. The king tried to dismiss the matter with a gentle smile, but Devavrata—gifted with exceptional intellect—sensed that the smile was forced.
Determined to uncover the truth, Devavrata spoke with his father’s charioteer, who revealed everything in detail: Shantanu’s love for Satyavati and Dasharaja’s condition regarding succession.
Without informing his father, Devavrata (also known as Gangeya) went directly to Dasharaja and assured him that from that very moment he renounced all claim to the throne of Hastinapura. He declared:
“Sir, rest assured. I shall never, under any circumstance, claim the kingship. The son born to your daughter alone shall ascend the throne.”
Yet Dasharaja remained unsatisfied. He replied:
“Prince, I trust that you will not break your word. But who can guarantee that your sons or grandsons will not claim the throne in the future? Denying a son his rightful inheritance is unjust. Today your father accepted this reasoning—tomorrow you might do the same.”
For a moment, Devavrata stood silent. Then, raising both clenched fists toward the heavens, he thundered in a deep, solemn voice:
“Let the gods, humans, yakshas, rakshasas, gandharvas, and kinnaras bear witness. Let the sun, moon, and the constellation of stars be my witnesses.
I, Devavrata, son of the Ganga and the only son of King Shantanu, solemnly vow today:
I shall never marry any woman. I shall remain celibate for my entire life. This is my irrevocable oath.”
Witnessing this unparalleled devotion and sacrifice, the gods in heaven showered flowers and cried out in praise, calling him “Bhishma, Bhishma”—meaning the Terrible One, for such a vow was fearsome in its severity.
After this terrible vow, Dasharaja had no further objections. He brought Satyavati to King Shantanu. Overwhelmed by his son’s unmatched devotion and sacrifice, Shantanu embraced Devavrata and bestowed upon him a blessing:
“My son, because of this terrible vow, you shall henceforth be known as Bhishma, and your vow shall be remembered in history as the Bhishma Pratigya.
As a reward for your extraordinary sacrifice, I grant you the boon of Ichchha-Mrityu—the power to choose the time of your death.”
By then, Devavrata had already become beloved throughout the kingdom for his gentle conduct, unmatched valor, and concern for the people. However, unrest arose in the kingdom. Many blamed King Shantanu’s infatuation for Bhishma’s sacrifice and accused the king of injustice. The situation worsened until crowds gathered near the palace, shouting slogans of “Victory to Prince Devavrata!”
To calm the people, Bhishma himself came forward with the ministers and addressed the crowd:
“Respected citizens of Hastinapura, I am indebted to you for your love and respect. But such actions are harmful to the welfare of the kingdom. Please disperse before this is declared an act of treason.”
When the city elders expressed concern about entrusting the kingdom’s future to uncertain heirs while Bhishma lived, Bhishma made yet another vow:
“From today until my death, I shall remain forever loyal to the throne of Hastinapura. Whoever sits upon it, Bhishma shall stand beside the throne as its living shield and obey every royal command without protest.”
Though Bhishma’s vows later caused immense suffering to the Kuru dynasty, he cannot be blamed. As a devoted son, he gave society an eternal lesson on filial duty. Perhaps Dasharaja’s selfish ambition bore responsibility for many calamities that later befell the Kurus.
Years later, Shantanu and Satyavati had two sons. Bhishma devoted himself to shaping them as worthy heirs. After Shantanu’s death, Bhishma enthroned Chitrangada, who soon died in battle with the Gandharvas. Overcome with guilt, Bhishma crowned the younger son, Vichitravirya.
When Vichitravirya came of age, the king of Kashi held a swayamvara for his three daughters—Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika. Hastinapura was deliberately not invited. At Satyavati’s insistence, Bhishma went to the swayamvara and forcibly abducted the princesses after defeating the assembled kings.
Amba, however, revealed her love for King Shalva. Respecting her feelings, Bhishma sent her back, but Shalva rejected her out of wounded pride. Rejected everywhere, Amba returned to Hastinapura, where Bhishma refused to marry her, citing righteousness and his vow.
Humiliated, abandoned, and burning with despair, Amba left Hastinapura and sought refuge at the Triveni, where she encountered Parashurama, her spiritual protector. Seeing her misery, Parashurama promised to avenge her suffering.
Amba pleaded:
“You are a divine and supreme Kshatriya. Bhishma denied me marriage—
Uphold justice and grant me a husband. Make Bhishma accept me as his wife.”
( to be continued)