An Oath That Changed History

The River's Son

At the bank of river Ganga, he was standing with a heavy heart. He came here for hunting. But his eyes were not on the running deers. Rather they were fixed on river Ganga. Entire Aaryavarta worshipped this river as a Goddess, but for King Shantanu it was a curse! Yes, a big curse in his life!

This is the river in whose current his seven newborns had lost their lives! No, it was not some accident. His babies were deliberately placed on river current just after they were born! And none but their mother did that work!

But why? Why was she so cruel to her own children? Shantanu did not know. He always failed to understand that mysterious lady. At his first youth she won his everything by her irresistible beauty. The Kuru King Shantanu was turned into a plaything of her hand! She never even told him her name and identity! And Shantanu too did not dare to ask in fear of losing her company! She was the first lady love in his life! But he had received nothing from her except this immense pain of losing newborn babies! Now at this middle age the King was feeling he had a large void in his heart that would never be fulfilled. His soul was silently weeping to get his seven sons back...but alas, it was no more possible!

The King sighed. "What will you gain from staring at this river, you fool?" he said to himself, "You were equally responsible, were you not? Why did you not stop her?"

"I was bound by my promise," another part of his mind tried to defend him.

"Oh please don't give this excuse! Was your promise greater than your innocent children's lives?" Shantanu's own conscience scolded him harshly. He did not find a fitting reply to this. He clutched his bow tightly. As long as he would stand beside that cursed river his own mind would keep kicking him. Rather hunting would be more preferable. At least that would be able to make him forget his pain for a little time! Shantanu raised his feet to leave that place, meanwhile...

A soft sound broke the silence around him. He turned around, and found a bunch of arrows just had entered into the river. Before he could realize the situation another bunch arrived and they hit the ends of previous ones. Shantanu's eyebrows were curved. Who was doing this?

Bunch after bunch of arrows kept coming and hitting ends of previous bunch. Finally when the last bunch checked flow of river, no more arrows came. Shantanu stood amazed. Who was this talented archer? He moved his eyes around everywhere.

And he found a handsome lad standing with bow and arrows. His face was glowing with the pleasure of success. Shantanu could not understand why his heart wanted to embrace that lad. Had his sons been alive, they would have been of this age only! The King could not resist a sigh.

He approached to the lad and asked gently, "You are a gifted archer! Who are you, boy? And where did you learn this excellent archery from?"

The boy smiled, "I'm Devavrata, disciple of Lord Parshuram." His smile touched Shantanu's heart, as if someone had poured a drop of nectar in his large void! He asked again, "Whose son are you?"

"My mother's name is Ganga. I'm Ganga's son!" he proudly replied.