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Tales from Indian Mythology
You may be wondering why the Vasus were born to you and me. Let me explain. They stole Vasishtha's cow Nandini with her calf, and he condemned them to earthly life. But when they implored his forgiveness he softened his curse by adding that they would be released from their mortal bonds as soon as they were born. At about the same time I had also incurred the wrath of Vasishtha by dressing myself improperly in his presence. Thus I too happened to fall a victim to a similar curse from him. When the Vasus begged of me to be their mother during their brief sojourn on earth, I readily agreed.” Having thus revealed her identity, Ganga vanished with her baby, leaving Santanu in a stupor.
Since Ganga's departure, Santanu had praetically renounced the world. He now felt very lonely and miserable and gradually lost interest in matters of state, causing concern to those around him. If they advised him to marry again, he would ask: "Is there another Ganga ?” Feeling remorse for having lost her through his own folly, he began to behave like a mad man.
Many, many years later, one sunny morning, Santanu, accompanied by his entourage, happened to pass by the site where he first met Ganga. He stopped for a while and stood still, as his tears fed a wild mallika creeper. The river was swelling and surging furiously and there was the imminent danger of her destroying everything that came her way. As he looked around lazily, he saw in the distance a boy, rivalling the sun in radiance, engaged in the amazing feat of raising a formidable dam of arrows across the river. Rubbing his eyes, Santanu asked his men. "Do you think a human being
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