Divine Curse and the Fate of Ganga’s Seven Sons: The tale of Bhishma and His Brothers – 6

The story of Ganga and Shantanu is a well-known tale from Indian mythology. It goes as follows:

Once, King Shantanu of Hastinapur went hunting near the banks of the river Ganga. There he saw a beautiful woman, who was none other than the river goddess Ganga. Shantanu fell in love with her at first sight and approached her, asking for her hand in marriage.

Ganga agreed to marry Shantanu on the condition that he would never question her actions, no matter what they were. Shantanu agreed to the condition and they were married in a grand ceremony.

After their marriage, Ganga gave birth to a son. But to Shantanu’s horror, she immediately drowned the child in the river. She did the same thing with the next six children that she bore.

Shantanu was devastated by the loss of his children and did not understand why Ganga was killing them.

When Ganga was about to drown their eighth child in the river, Shantanu stopped her and asked her to spare the baby’s life. Ganga agreed but told him that he had broken his promise, and she would have to leave him and take the child with her.

Ganga also revealed that the children, the seven boys were actually gods known as Vasus. They had made a mistake, and as a punishment, they were cursed to be born on earth as humans. Their mother, Ganga, was simply returning them to their divine form.

The child, who would later be known as Bhishma, grew up to be a brave and virtuous warrior. Later he was returned to his father and was called Gangadutta as he was given by his mother Ganga.

The story of Ganga and Shantanu is one of love, devotion, and sacrifice. It shows how even the gods have a purpose and a plan that may be beyond our understanding, and that true love requires acceptance and trust.