Story of Maa Ganga

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During the Dwapar Yuga (the era of Mahabharata), king Shantanu, the king of Hastinapur, was in a jungle hunting when his eyes fell upon an extremely good looking angel-like woman walking with poise and elegance. The king was in love at first sight and proposed to her to marry him. This woman was the divine mother Ganga. Maa Ganga agreed to the proposal on one condition. Her condition was that the king could never question Her actions. No matter what She did, the king couldn’t question Her. She said that the day he did question Her, She would answer, but that would be their last day together and She would leave him forever.

The king reluctantly agreed since he was mesmerized in love.

The wedding was a grand affair as all royalty weddings are. Then began the cycle of birth and death. Maa Ganga gave birth to sons one after the other and everytime She would deliver a baby, She would take him and drown him in the ganges. An infant, just like that, drowned. King Shantanu wanted to question this behavior the first time itself but Maa Ganga’s condition stopped him. This continued for seven sons. When Maa Ganga was going to drown the eighth son, Shantanu couldn’t take it anymore and questioned Her. Maa Ganga then told Shantanu the following story –

There were 8 demigods who were known as Vasus. Once these Vasus were strolling with their wives and came across this beautiful cow called Nandini. The wives were so attracted by the beauty of this cow that they requested their husbands to steal it. They hence took the cow with them. The cow however belonged to sage Vashishtha and when he learnt of this, he got very angry and cursed the 8 Vasus. He cursed them so that all of them will be born as humans and go through all the sufferings of a human life. The brothers felt very sorry and begged for forgiveness.

The sage then melted a little however the curse couldn’t be reversed. So it was modified as this – the brother who stole the cow will spend an entire lifetime in human life whereas the other seven brothers will only experience the nine months of pregnancy.

The Vasus then approached Maa Ganga to be their mother and birth them to which Maa Ganga agreed.

Maa Ganga had already fulfilled the destiny of the seven brothers by drowning them and now she handed the eighth brother to King Shantanu. This eighth brother was none other than Bhishma. We have read about him in the Karma post earlier.

Maa Ganga handed Bhishma to Shantanu, and submerged in the river Ganga.

As the years passed, King Shantanu raised Bhishma with utmost care and love, unaware of the profound destiny that awaited his adopted son. Bhishma grew to be a wise and powerful prince, dedicated to serving his kingdom. However, the unspoken truth of his origin weighed heavily on Bhishma's heart. He longed to uncover the mystery behind his birth and the reason for his mother's actions.

One day, driven by a relentless curiosity and a sense of duty, Bhishma approached his father and questioned him about the circumstances surrounding his birth. King Shantanu, bound by the promise he had made to Ganga, hesitated but ultimately revealed the tale of the Vasus, the stolen cow, and the curse that led to Bhishma's unique fate. Bhishma, though initially shocked, accepted the truth with grace and understanding. This revelation marked a pivotal moment in their relationship, strengthening the bond between father and son.

Bhishma's life took a profound turn when he made a solemn vow to remain unmarried and devote himself entirely to serving the throne of Hastinapur. His commitment to this oath earned him the title of "Bhishma Pitamah," meaning the grandfatherly Bhishma. Despite the challenges he faced and the personal sacrifices he made, Bhishma's loyalty and unwavering dedication to his family and kingdom became legendary, leaving an indelible mark on the epic of Mahabharata.

The tale of Maa Ganga, King Shantanu, and Bhishma serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities of fate, sacrifice, and the enduring power of a mother's love. It invites contemplation on the choices we make, the oaths we uphold, and the strength required to navigate the intricate web of destiny. In honoring Maa Ganga's sacrifice and Bhishma's unwavering devotion, we find inspiration to face our own challenges with resilience and selflessness.

This story makes us think about the courage and discipline required to first go through pregnancy, childbirth and then drown the child to fulfill their destiny. There have been many stories about the greatness of a mother’s love but this one by far, tops them all. The love that allows you to part with a loved one in order to put them out of misery. We bow to the love in Maa Ganga.