Shantanu and Gangaa - 1

There happened to be a king named Shantanu, in the lineage of Bharat. Once he went for gaming spree towards Gangaa's banks. One day he saw a beautiful woman coming out of Gangaa River and taking a stroll on the bank. Shantanu got attracted to her, he came to her and introduced himself - "I am Shantanu, the king of Hastinaapur." The woman said - "I am Gangaa." Shantanu further said - "I came here to game but became myself a game of a woman with beautiful eyes. Now there is only one way to save Hastinaapur." Gangaa asked - "And what is that?" Gangaa further said, before he could answer, - "I will come tomorrow to get my answer." Shantanu asked - "Why tomorrow, why not today?" Gangaa said - "Because an answer of every question has its own time." and she went away. Shantanu also came back to his camp.

Raajaa could not sleep the whole night, and he came at the same place next day. Gangaa also came there and she furthered the previous day's conversation. She said - "So yesterday you were saying that there was only one way to save Hastinaaapur. What is that?" Shantanu said - "And that way is that you come to my palace as my wife." Gangaa accepted his proposal, but with a condition that Raajaa would not ask her any question whatever she did and if Raajaa asked any question about her any action, she would leave after replying his question. Raajaa Shantanu was madly in love with her, so he agreed her all conditions. He brought her to his palace, and declared her as his chief queen.

Shantanu was very happy living with Gangaa. He used to spend his day and night with her. People felt as if he had forgotten Hastinaapur, because he was not seen around for many days. Then one day the news came from the palace that Gangaa was pregnant. People were very happy to hear this news. And not much time passed by that Gangaa gave birth to a baby boy. Now People were very happy that Hastinapur had got its Crown Prince. 

The then Raajaa saw Gangaa taking his son to Gangaa River. He was surprised to see this and followed her. He saw that she flowed the baby in Gangaa River and came back to the palace. He was shocked with grief and sorrow to see this, as how a woman could throw her newborn baby in a river. He wanted to ask something from her but could not ask because he was bound to his words.

Everybody whoever heard it could not believe his ears, but it was true. Time passed by and Gangaa gave birth to second boy. She did the same with him too what she did with the first. Shantanu again got very sad, but bound to his words he could not ask her as why did she do this to his children. Although he saw all this with his own eyes but his heart was not ready to accept this.

Shantanu went to his Raaj Guru and said - "Kul Guru, I am lost in darkness, I can't see anything. I can't find the way to come out." Guru said - "If the human being will close his eyes, he will not be able to see anything, therefore you open your eyes and then look around. Light is soul and without soul nothing is possible. What I guess that this darkness is some of your problem." 

Shantanu said - "Mahaaraanee has killed my two sons and I couldn't do anything." Guru asked - "But why?" "Because I am bound to my words to her." Guru said - "Are you bound to your words for the reason that Mahaaraanee continues to kill your children and you cannot do anything? Mahaaraaj, You have no right to promise for anything such like which hinders the justice. Such promises are Shaap." Raajaa said - "I am living the same Shaap." Guru said - "If you call this living then what is called dying? Don't you see injustice in this?" Raajaa said sadly - "Yes, I can see it." Raaj Guru asked - "Then what are you doing to stop it? Whoever Raajaa cannot save lives of his own children how he will protect the public of Hastinaapur?"

Shantanu said - "I am not only a Raajaa, I am an individual also." Guru said - "A Raajaa is only a Raajaa. He has no right to be an individual. Come out of your darkness, then only you will be able to see the solution of this problem." Shantanu went away from there.