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The great epic Mahabharata begins not on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, but with a quiet and mysterious union that shaped the destiny of an entire lineage.
King Shantanu, the ruler of Hastinapur, once encountered a divine woman on the banks of the sacred river Ganga. Captivated by her grace and presence, he asked for her hand in marriage. The woman agreed—on one unbreakable condition: Shantanu must never question her actions, no matter how painful or incomprehensible they appeared. Bound by love and fate, the king accepted, unaware of the trials that awaited him.
After their marriage, the queen—revealed to be Devi Ganga, the embodiment of the sacred river—gave birth to seven sons. One by one, she carried each newborn to the river and immersed them in its waters. Though shattered by grief, Shantanu remained silent, honoring his promise. When the eighth child was born and Devi Ganga prepared to do the same, the king could no longer restrain himself and questioned her act.
At that moment, Devi Ganga revealed the truth. The seven children were celestial beings cursed to be born on earth, and their immersion freed them from mortal suffering. The eighth child, destined to live, was returned to Shantanu—this child would later be known as Devavrata, the future Bhishma. Having fulfilled her purpose, Devi Ganga departed, leaving behind a son whose vow and sacrifice would define the course of the Mahabharata.
Thus, the epic begins—not with war, but with sacrifice, destiny, and the unseen workings of dharma.
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