page_title: Shantanu
section_title: Shantanu and Ganga
hierarchical_section_title: Shantanu / Shantanu and Ganga
caption_attribution_description: English: Shantanu trying to stop Goddess Ganga from drowning their eighth child. മലയാളം: തങ്ങളുടെ കുട്ടിയെ മുക്കിക്കൊല്ലാൻ പോകുന്ന ഗംഗയെ ശന്തനു തടയാൻ ശ്രമിക്കുന്നു.
context_page_description: Shantanu was a Kuru king of Hastinapura in the epic Mahabharata. He was a descendant of the Bharata race, of the Lunar dynasty and great-grandfather of the Pandavas and Kauravas. He was the youngest son of King Pratipa of Hastinapura and had been born in the latter's old age. The eldest son Devapi had leprosy and gave up his inheritance to become a hermit. The middle son Bahlika abandoned his paternal kingdom and started living with his maternal uncle in Balkh and inherited his kingdom. Shantanu thus became the king of Hastinapura kingdom.
  The meaning of the name can be explained by nirukti available in Adi Parva, through which Sri Nityānanda Miśra elaborates its meaning as "the one who amplifies sukha for others". Monier-Williams translates śaṁ-tanu as "wholesome for the body".
  Shantanu is best known for being the father of Bhishma, one of the mightiest warriors of all time.
context_section_description: Shantanu saw a beautiful woman on the banks of the river [Ganges] (Ganga) and asked her to marry him. She agreed but with one condition: that Shantanu would not ask any questions about her actions. They married and she later gave birth to a son. But she drowned the child. Shantanu could not ask her the reason, because of his promise, lest she would leave him. One by one, seven sons were born to them and were drowned by Ganga. When Ganga was about to drown the eighth son, Shantanu, devastated, could not restrain himself and confronted her. Finally, Ganga explained to King Shantanu about Brahma's curse given to Mahabhisha and her. Then she told him that their eight children were Eight Vasus who were cursed by Vasishtha to be born on earth as mortal humans. However when they pacified him, he limited his curse and told them that they would be freed from this curse within a year of their birth as humans. So she released the seven of them from this life by drowning them all. However the Vasu ([Dyaus Pita|Dyaus]) was cursed to live a long life and to never have a wife or have children. But the sage also gave a boon to him that he would be virtuous, conversant with all the holy scriptures and will be an obedient son to his father.  Ganga said she would take him to the heavens to train him properly for the King's throne and status. With these words she disappeared along with the child while Shantanu was struck with grief thinking about spending the rest of his life without her.
caption: Shantanu stops Ganga from drowning their eighth child, who later was known as Bhishma.
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