The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 97

Section LXLVII. *( Sambhava Parva continued. )* There was a king of name Pratipa who was kind to all creatures. He spent many years in ascetic penances at the source of the river Ganges. And the accomplished and lovely Ganga one day assuming the form of a beautiful female, rising from the waters, approached the monarch. And the celestial maiden endued with ravishing beauty, approaching the royal sage engaged in ascetic austerities, sat upon his right thigh that was for manly strength a veritable *Shal* tree. And when the maiden of handsome face had so sat upon his lap, the monarch said unto her, 'O amiable one, what dost thou desire? What shall I do?' The damsel answered, 'I desire thee, O king, for my husband! O thou foremost of the Kurus, be mine! To refuse a woman coming of her own accord is never applauded by the wise.' Pratipa then answered, 'O thou of the fairest complexion, moved by lust I never go unto others' wives or women that are not of my order. This, indeed, is my virtuous vow! The maiden rejoined, 'I am not inauspicious or ugly. I am every way worthy of being enjoyed. I am a celestial maiden of rare beauty. I desire thee for my husband. Refuse me not, O king!' To this Pratipa: 'I am, O damsel, abstaining from that course to which thou wouldst incite me. If I break my vow, sin will overwhelm and slay me. O thou of the fairest complexion, thou hast embraced me sitting on my right thigh. But, O timid one, know that is the seat for daughters and daughters-in-law. The left lap is for the wife, but thou hast not accepted that. Therefore, O best of women, I cannot enjoy thee as an object of desire. Be my daughter-in-law. I accept thee for my son.' "The damsel then said, 'O thou virtuous one, let it be as thou sayest. Let me be united with thy son. From my respect for thee, I shall be a wife of the celebrated Bharata race, Ye (of the Bharata race) are the stay of all the monarchs on earth. I am incapable of numbering the virtues of this race even in an hundred years. The greatness and goodness of many celebrated monarchs of this race are also limitless. O lord of all, let it be understood now that when I become thy daughter-in-law, thy son shall not be able to judge of the propriety of my acts. Living thus with thy son I shall do good to him and increase his happiness. And he shall finally attain to heaven in consequence of the sons I shall bare him, his virtues, and good conduct.'" Vaisampayana continued, "O king, having said so, the celestial damsel then and there disappeared. And the king too waited for the birth of his son inorder to fulfill his promise. "About this time Pratipa, that light of the Kuru race, that bull amongst the Kshatrias, then engaged, along with his wife, in ascetic austerities from desire of offspring. And when they had grown old, a son was born unto them, This was no other than Mahabhisha. And the child was called Shantanu because he was born when his father bad controlled his passions by ascetic penances. And the best of Kurus, Shantanu, knowing that regions of indestructible bliss can be acquired by one's deeds alone, became devoted to virtue. And when Shantanu grew up a youth, Pratipa addressed him and said, 'Sometime, before, O Shantanu, a celestial damsel came to me for thy good. If thou meetest that fair-complexioned one in secret and if she solicit thee for children, accept her as thy wife. And, O sinless one, judge not of the propriety or impropriety of anything she does, and ask not who she is and whose or whence, but accept thou her as thy wife at my command.'" Vaisampayana continued, "And Pratipa, having thus commanded his son Shantanu and installing him on his throne, then retired into the woods. And king Shantanu endued with great intelligence and equal unto Indra himself in splendour became addicted to hunting and passed much of his time in the woods. And the best of monarchs always slew deer and buffaloes. And one day as he was wandering along the banks of the Ganges he came upon a region frequented by the *shiddhas* (ascetics crowned with success) and *charanas*. And there he saw a lovely maiden of blazing beauty and like unto another Sree herself. Of faultless and pearly teeth, and decked with celestial ornaments, she was attired in garments of fine texture and resembled in splendour the filaments of the lotus. And the monarch beholding that damsel became surprised, and his raptures produced instant horripilation. With steadfast gaze he seemed to be drinking her charms, but repeated draughts failed to quench his thirst. The damsel also, beholding the monarch of blazing splendour moving about in great agitation, was moved herself and experienced an affection for him. She gazed and gazed and longed to gaze at him evermore. The monarch then in soft,words addressed her and said, 'O thou slender-waisted one, beest thou a goddess or the daughter of a Danava, beest thou of the race of the Gandharvas or Apsarãs, beest thou of the Yakshas or of the Nagas, or beest thou of human origin, O thou of celestial beauty, I solicit thee to be my wife.'" And so ends the ninety-seventh Section in the Sambhava of the Adi parva.