DEVEVRATA TO BHISHMA

WITH joy Shantanu received to his heart and his kingdom the resplendent and youthful prince Devavrata and crowned him as the Yuvaraja, the heir apparent.

So Shantanu took up the entire burden of bringing up the little son with care and affection. He was both father and mother to him. He engaged very learned scholars to teach him the Vedas and the Puranas. Devavrata was taught archery by the greatest archer of the times, Parashurama. Shantanu himself was a good and just king. Devavrata learnt from his father how to rule the kingdom following the ideals of Truth and Justice. Thus Devavrata was well trained in every way to take up the reins of kingship, when he came of age.

Devavrata was happy in every way, except for the absence of his mother. His father had taken care to provide him with everything else he needed; there was nothing wanting. Devavrata looked upon Shantanu as a god comes down to the earth to look after him. Devavrata had all the qualities of a good king. In course of time, Shantanu enthroned Devavrata as the Yuvaraja, as his worthy successor. Devavrata, like his father, looked after his subjects with love and kindness. They felt very happy under his kind rule. Shantanu was happy to be relieved of his duties as a king. He now had plenty of leisure and rest.

One day Shantanu went out with his men to hunt. At the end of the day, his men camped on the banks of the river Jamuna. While his men rested, Shantanu went all-alone into the heart of the jungle. A cool and fragrant breeze blew from a distance. The air was suddenly filled with a fragrance so divinely sweet that the king sought for its cause, and he traced it to a maiden so lovely that she seemed a goddess. A sage had conferred on her the boon that a divine perfume should emanate from her, and this was now pervading the whole forest. So she was better known as Yojanagandhi, though her parents had named her Satyavati.

From the moment the goddess Ganga left him, the king had kept his senses under control, but the sight of this divinely beautiful maiden burst the bonds of restraint and filled him with an overmastering desire. He asked her to be his wife.

The girl grew shy at his words. She bent down her head and said, "Your Highness, I have a father. If he agrees, you can marry me." And before the king could say a word, she went away.

In a day or two kings Shantanu went to Dasharaja. He told him that he wished to marry Satyavati.

Dasharaja was surprised. What was he before the king? Was it possible the king would marry his daughter? What could he say?

Shantanu himself helped him. He gave him an assurance. He said, "Tell me whatever you have in your mind. Do not fear just because I am the king. Think of me as a relative."

Dasharaja felt free to speak. He said, "Great king, you are a good man. I shall gladly give you my daughter. But you have a son who is grown up. He is the Yuvaraja, and is looking after the kingdom."

King Shantanu said, "But how that matter?"

Dasharaja's mouth went dry. With great difficulty he said, "Great king, Satyavati is my daughter. I have to think of her prosperity. What will happen to her son? The Yuvaraja will become the king, will he not?"

Shantanu was taken aback when he heard these words. Dasharaja said, “If my daughter's son can become the king, I will agree. I shall gladly give you my daughter in marriage. Please do not be angry with me. I beg of you, forgive me. I am the father of the girl."

Though almost mad with passion, the king could not make this promise, as it meant setting aside the godlike Devavrata, the son of Ganga, who was entitled to the crown. So, he thought over Dasharaja's words for a long time. Then he said firmly, "Dasharaja, I am proud of my son Devavrata. I cannot be his enemy." So saying, he left the place at once. His heart was with Satyavati. It was a price that could not be thought of without shame.

He therefore returned to his capital, Hastinapura, sick with baffled desire. He did not reveal the matter to anyone and languished in silence. One day Devavrata asked his father: "My father, you have all that your heart could wish. Why then are you so unhappy? How is it that you are like one pining away with a secret sorrow?" The king replied: “Dear son, what you say is true. I am indeed tortured with mental pain and anxiety. You are my only son and you are always preoccupied with military ambitions. Life in the world is uncertain and wars are incessant. If anything untoward befalls you our family will become extinct. Of course, you are equal to a hundred sons. Still, those who are well read in the scriptures say that in this transitory world having but one son is the same as having no son at all. It is, not proper that the perpetuation of our family should depends on a single life, and above all things I desire the perpetuation of our family. This is the cause of my anguish.” The father prevaricated, being ashamed to reveal the whole story to his son.

The wise Devavrata realized that there must be a secret cause for the mental condition of his father, and questioning the king's charioteer came to know of his meeting with the fisher maiden on the banks of the Yamuna. Devavrata came away from his father. He sent for his father's charioteer. From him he learnt all that had happened. 'My father's happiness alone is important. I shall sacrifice anything for him', he said. He went to the chief of the fishermen and besought his Daughter’s hand on his father's behalf.

Dasharaja welcomed Devavrata and treated him with great respect. Then Devavrata said, "Dasharaja, I know everything. I have thought over what has happened. I have taken a decision. My name is Devavrata; that means one who is loyal to God. My father is my God. So, for my father I shall give up the throne. This is my vow - and I shall be true to it."

The chief of the fishermen said: "O best of the Bharata race, you have done what no one else born of royal blood has you have done till now. You are indeed a hero. You can yourself conduct my daughter to the king, your father. Still, hear with patience these words of mine which I say as the father of the girl. "I have no doubt you will keep your word, but how can I hope that the children born of you will renounce their birthright? Your sons will naturally be mighty heroes like you, and will be hard to resist if they seek to seize the kingdom by force. This is the doubt that torments me." When he heard this knotty question posed by the girl's father, 

Devavrata, who was bent on fulfilling the king's desire, made his supreme renunciation. He vowed with upraised arm to the father of the maiden: "I shall never marry and I dedicate myself to a life of unbroken chastity." And as he uttered these words of renunciation the gods showered flowers on his head, and cries of "Bhishma," "Bhishma" resounded in the air. "Bhishma" means one who undertakes a terrible vow and fulfils it. That name became the celebrated epithet of Devavrata from that time. Then the son of Ganga led the maiden Satyavati to his father.

And so Bhishma became famous all over the world.