Jaya- Mahabharat

कुरु वंशः - Kuru Vamsa

Bharat Vamsa goes on for 4 more generations, and the kingdoms reunited by him are again separated between heirs to throne... In the lineage of Bharata, comes a king Samvarna. He marries one of the daughters of Surya Deva, a river deity, called Tapati.

They both had a son Kuru. Kuru was such a great king... His greatness was in valour, in virtue, in justice. But more than all of that, his greatness was in penance (Tapas, or in Hindi Tapasya), and discipline. The story of his Tapas goes as:

When Vishnu's 6th incarnation Parashurama, challenged the entire warrior clan of Bharat, the Kshatriya Kula, they all stood before him in the battlefield, called as Shyamanta Panchaka Kshetra, and Parashurama with his axe given by Shiva, even after being a ascetic, slayed all the Kshatriyas in the field. The thing was that Parashurama's parents were brutally killed by one certain king called Sahsrabahu, and he burnt down their Ashram in woods. Parashuram, when came to know, did penance and got the axe from Shiva, and learnt the art of battle from him. In anger, he slayed Sahsrabahu, and all the allies who came to help him. 21 times, he is said to have slain clean the world off warrior kings. After the 21 times, he met Shri Rama, and he was pacified of his anger and blood-thirst and revenge. He gifted all the kingdoms he won, to his guru Lord Shiva, who was in his Avdhuta incarnation. Thereafter, in the very blood drenched Shyamanta Panchaka Kshetra, he sat and did penance for several years. When he had repented enough for the sin of all the killing, the place became full of penance-energy. Whilst Kuru came to throne, the region of Shyamanta Panchaka was under him, and to purify the blood-drenched kshetra, and make it a vibrant place again, he commenced a long and strong penance. His penance satisfied the desperate souls of all the ancestors who got killed, and thereby, in joy they proclaimed that may this battlefield be known heretofore as Kurukshetra.

In Kuru's lineage, came one King Pradipa. Pradipa was very virtuous, but to his great misfortune he had no heir to ascend to the throne. Therefore, to achieve his desire of having a heir, he went to penance. The place he chose, was Gangotri, the glacier mountain from where Ganga descends from Swarga Loka to Earth. In the chilly freezing place, Pradipa sat in penance for many years. One fine day, while he was meditating, a beautiful lady, very divinely beautiful looking, came near him, saw him, and overcome by the craze of his beauty and tranquil, she sat on his right lap. Pradipa opened his eyes, and asked her, "Who are you, O divine looking lady?" at this, the lady replied, "O Pradipa, I am Ganga Devi. I have heard of your virtuous ruling. But having seen you in person, I am greatly amazed by you. I am desirous of marrying you."

Pradipa smiled and replied, "O Devi. You have sit on my right lap. Traditions uphold that a man's left side and left lap, is reserved for his wife. But the right lap is reserved for the daughter. Having sat on my right lap, you are thereby my daughter. Or atleast, I can consider you to be my daughter-in-law. I cannot marry you in either case"

Ganga also smiled and said, "O Pradipa. Indeed your virtue is great. But since I am desirous of you, I will prefer to be your Daughter-in-Law, then I can marry your son, who will possess all your qualities. Thereby, I bless you to have a son" But she continued, adding a condition, "O Pradipa, you must tell your Son of this promise you made to me. He shall marry me. And, one more condition. When I ask his hand in marriage, yes I shall do it myself, he shall not put any question to me. None of my decisions should be questioned ever. I know what I do" Overwhelmed by the joy of getting a son, Pradipa didn't mind any of the conditions and accepted to all of it. He gladly returned back to the kingdom. Later, as blessed, he got a child Shantanu, so named because he was peaceful and calm. 

Shantanu grew to be as handsome and valorous and virtuous as his father. When Pradipa got old, and decided to renounce kingdom and pass kingship to Shantanu, he told Shantanu that one day, he shall be approached by a divine lady. Without any questions, he shall agree to all that she has to say. "Because", Pradipa said, "I owe her you"... And saying so, he left for the woods.

Shantanu ruled the kingdom in an unparalleled manner. It is said that nobody in his kingdom spoke lie, nobody cheated, and all slept in peace. There was no theft or robbery. Animals lived and reproduced happily, as they were not subjected to any cruelty. Enemies used to fear opposing him, or calling him out for war. Women were respected, and so was cattle. Fields were lush and people saw Shantanu as even Vishnu (as a metaphor for protector). 

One fine evening, Shantanu went to stroll out on the banks of Ganga. In the beautiful dusk scenario, he saw a lady. She looked celestial, very divine, with shining luster and twinkle on every inch of her skin. Shantanu couldn't take his eyes off her.  And to his awe and joy, she was walking towards him. The lady stood in front of Shantanu. As they both gazed into each other's eyes, passion and love overtook them. The lady spoke, in a clear voice
"O Shantanu. I am Ganga. The Devi of the river Ganga" Shantanu, eager as to not stand back, said "O Devi. I am Shantanu. The son of Pradipa"
"Indeed I was right then. O Shantanu I had met your father. And your glamour and beauty parallels his. As he accepted me as his daughter-in-law, we both are bound to be married. Hence, I ask you to marry me." Shantanu, positively astonished at the offer, "O devi, it is of my great Sukrita (the fruits of acquired virtue, also known as Punya) that a lady like you asks to marry me. Devi, I am more than eager and ready.... " Before he continued, Ganga devi interrupted and said, "O rajan (king).. But, I have a condition. And bound by your father's condition, you ought to accept that too. At no point of time, no matter what, you shan't question me. Not only you, no minister, no soldier, no civilian of your kingdom, should ever question my actions. I know what I do. I dont like being questioned and interrupted in that regard"
Shantanu, went a little silent at this. Nonetheless, being a goddess, this lady shouldn't commit Adharma. Moreover, his father, as he had told himself too, owes him to her. So, deciding positively, he merely said "Yes" Not questioning anything.

They both thereby married. Shantanu made sure that the condition putforth by Ganga was followed by everyone and was known to everyone as verily his order. The marriage took place with grandeur and the leaders and deities blessed the couple, blessed their love, and blessed that they shall have many kids. Little did they know, what was to happen following this.
*******

Hey! With this, the backstory ends. From Manu, and from the Manushyas, and up until Pradipa, we know this period as Puranic period. From Shantanu, until Yudhishthir, we know the period as Ancient Itihasa. From Yudhishthir to Janamejaya, we know the period as Later Itihasa. After that recent history follows.. Don't worry, these characters will become very familiar to you. Dont worry about remembering the names and lineages. You only need to remember everyone from Shantanu. From Shantanu only the great legend of Mahabharat begins. Thus we are entering the field of the main story.
I hope we will enjoy this journey 🤍🤍