I (10) King Shantanu

SHAKTI

SHUKA, the son of VEDA VYAASA had attained the ‘Supreme Siddhi’! He had finished his Earthly existence. VYAASA had other disciples who studied the VEDAS, under his expert guidance. Asita, Devala, Vaishampaayana, Jaimini, and Sumantu- all these disciples, who were great ascetics, went towards the Earth by the order of their Great Guru to spread the Knowledge obtained by him.

Vyaasa felt depressed. He felt lonely. He thought he had nothing to live for. He decided to depart from this world. He remembered his mother Satyavati, the daughter of the fisher man. He had last seen her, when he bid farewell to her on the banks of River Ganga; a weeping mother! Now he felt that he should pay respects to her before his departure. He rushed to the island where he was born. But his mother was not found to be there. Surprised, he enquired the fisherman-father of hers – about his mother and her whereabouts! The Chief of the fishermen community welcomed him with all the respect due, and praised him in high sounding words. He informed the Sage that his daughter was now wedded to King Shantanu.

Vyaasa decided make his abode on the banks of River Sarasvati, and stayed there performing ‘Tapas’.

 

Satyavati was the Queen of the Great King of the Moon-Dynasty, Shantanu. She had two sons by him, Chitraangada and Vichitraveerya. The first was very handsome and a good warrior. The younger son was no less in prowess.  Bheeshma, the eldest son of Shantanu was born to Ganga Devi, the Celestial damsel.  Vyaasa was the son born to Satyavati by Sage Paraashara. All four were brothers, in some way.  This system of marriage may raise some doubts in the minds of some puritans. A girl having a child before marriage by a Sage; she again marrying a king and having two more sons; The king already having a son from another damsel; The king might be forgiven; but, what about the girl? Is it wrong? No!

A girl is never considered a sinner, when she marries another man for her security or for love.

Shakti-forms can never become impure. A woman is only a ‘Ksethra’, a field where the seed is sown. If she is willing, she can bear the seed of anybody. But, by remaining faithful to one and only husband she gains Supreme Powers. She is adored in the world. She is worshipped as SATI, the Form of Durga. So the

accusing finger cannot be pointed towards Satyavati, as a fallen woman.

Maybe the king is at fault. He forced his son Bheeshma of great character to remain without progeny, to satisfy his own passion. Instead of allowing his family-tree to flourish through the son of the divine damsel Ganga, he cut off that glorious branch called Bheeshma and stopped its growth. He married a fisher-man’s daughter and the sons he produced did not do any credit to the prosperous growth of the family. Whereas Paraashara, the father of Vyaasa used Satyavati only as a ‘field’ to produce his own ‘son of supreme greatness’. Shantanu, because of his lack of ‘Veerya’ did not fulfill the duties of a perfect king. His one mistake- a passionate union with an undeserving female - started the deterioration of ‘ChandraVamsha’ and brought destruction to one and all. So, because of peculiar circumstances Bheeshma, Vyaasa, Chitraangada, and Vichitraveerya - all become brothers by relation. Somehow feeling, that he had some more work in this world, Vyaasa remained in this Earthly existence performing penance and waited for the future events.

Shantanu died in course of time. Bheeshma established Chitraangada on the throne of Hastinaapura.

He had renounced the throne long ago to serve his father’s needs.

Chitraangada was very strong and always welcomed wars. His arms always itched for a good battle. He wandered all over the lands fighting battles, hunting wild animals, always showing off his prowess to others in arrogance. A Gandharva named Chitraangada wanted to teach him a lesson. He left his divine

Air-vehicle, got down on the Earth and invited the arrogant king for a battle. A fierce battle took place. Three years passed. The war ended in the death of the Earth-king Chitraangada. Bheeshma made Vichitraveerya the king. Bheeshma supervised the affairs of the kingdom till the king came of age. Bheeshma decided that the young king should be united with a suitable girl in marriage.

The king of Kashi had three worthy daughters. He had arranged for a Svayam-vara for his daughters. Bheeshma went to the kingdom of Kashi, defeated all the kings assembled there, carried off the three princesses to Hastinaapura. He thought of them as only equal to his mothers, sisters or daughters. An auspicious day was fixed for their marriage with the young king Vichitraveerya. But, just before the marriage, Ambaa, the eldest daughter of the king of Kashi approached the son of Jaahnavi, and hesitatingly placed before him, her personal problems. She informed him that she had mentally wooed king Shaalva as her husband in the Svayam-vara. Bheeshma consulted all the elders and with their permission allowed her to go to the abode of Shaalva. But a heavy disappointment awaited her there. Disregarding her pleas of love, Shaalva refused to accept her as his wife. He argued that since she was grabbed by the hand and placed in the chariot by the son of Ganga, she was now equal to his mother, and he was helpless in this matter. Weeping her heart out, the princess returned to Bheeshma and explained her sad plight. She pleaded with him to accept her as his wife. But Bheeshma refused to accept her by saying that her heart belonged to someone else, and he had no right over her. He asked her to return to her father’s place.

Her heart shattered to pieces; angry and frustrated, the beautiful princess went to the forest to perform penance. Ambaa’s heart was now filled with extreme hatred towards all men, especially the ruthless Bheeshma, who had destroyed her life and yet had no regrets about it.

What is right? What is wrong? Why did everybody deal with a young maiden unjustly? Was it the male arrogance? Was it a false pretense a man pretends to maintain? Is the love-principle in a man – just pretence to enslave a woman? Did Shaalva, the lover have no real love for his beloved? Rather his mind was burning with the insult he had received from the eldest son of Shantanu and so the plight of an innocent girl did not bother him.  On the other hand Bheeshma, the iron-hearted great man who had taken a vow of celibacy, did not feel that it was his responsibility to solve the problem of a girl, whom he had forcibly carried away. For him, the family-tree was important; the dynasty was important. A tender heart of a young girl was not worth bothering about. Even giants make mistakes. Bheeshma, the world-renowned great man trampled one budding heart of a young and innocent girl and crushed it regardless of DHARMA.

If a SHAKTI cries-If a woman cries-there is no power in all the fourteen worlds to stop the destruction. Ambaa’s tears of anguish started the downfall of ChandraVamsha ending in a great blood-shed, destroying every warrior who was alive.

If Bheeshma suffered his last days on a bed of sharp arrows, should one feel any sympathy for the great man? Did he not equally hurt the tender heart of a female? SHAKTI should never be insulted. Every female form is the manifestation of Supreme Empress Tripura.

Vichitraveerya was married to the two princesses Ambika and Ambaalika. He was interested only in pleasures and nine years passed in sheer sensuous pursuits. And, he died through consumption and left

the dynasty heirless. Satyavati was drowned in sorrow; but remembering her queenly duties, she approached her step-son Bheeshma and asked him to marry the widows of his brother and continue the progeny. Bheeshma was not to be moved by her pleadings. Hadn’t he renounced the marital bliss and the ruler hood, in his father’s presence?  He wouldn’t budge from his stand. But he suggested a way out. If the woman is a widow and has the duty of producing an heir, then there was a method suggested by the ethical scriptures- NIYOGA!

A well versed Brahmin could be allowed to put his seed in the ‘Ksethra’ [field] of a single female and produce a child. There was no sin involved in such a union. Satyavati agreed. Her thoughts went towards her own son Vyaasa. After all he was a brother of Vichitraveerya. Why not ask him to help in this situation! She remembered him. He appeared in front of her in no time. He heard his mother’s plea and agreed to deposit his ‘Veerya’ in the ‘Ksethra’ owned by the dead king.

Ritu kaala came. It was a suitable time for the prescribed ritual. The young widows were now physically ready for the union.

The first one to go through the unpleasant ritual was Ambika. She shivered. ‘How can this be happening? Are not the queens supposed to have any individual feelings? Were they merely the reproductive systems used by the royalties? How can she, a beloved of her dead husband allow any other man to intrude into her privacy? But, who would listen to her? Dynasty was important. Family-line was important. Individual opinions did not matter. She got ready. Trembling like a sheep to be slaughtered, she waited for the Sage. She had seen him once, when she was made to salute him before the ceremony. He was ugly; jet black; bony structured; old! His eyes had no feelings at all. He was like a ghost. The door opened. Vyaasa entered. His body was covered with oil, making him look more grotesque. Ambikaa closed her eyes in fear. Vyaasa did his work. But a blind child was born. He was named DHRITHA-RAASHTRA; the blind king who ruled the gigantic kingdom of Kuru. He was not only physically blind, but also blind to the Dharma. The Kuru Vamsha was destroyed beyond repairs.

The next sheep was ready for slaughter. Ambaalika got ready for the torture chamber. She did not close her eyes. She became pale and bloodless at the sight of the Sage. Vyaasa did his work. An unhealthy pale child was born; unfit to rule the kingdom; Pandu, the pale one; an impotent man, who had no power to produce any children. What more awaited the well-wishers of the Lunar-dynasty?

Disregarding the pitiable pleadings of the daughter-in-law, the elderly queen ordered her to again approach Vyaasa for progeny. Ambaalika was fed up. She requested her maid to take over her place. Vyaasa finished his duty. The maid acted with all reverence and due respect towards the Great Sage. An intelligent virtuous child was the result; VIDURA - the only wise man, who tried to save the dynasty from destruction. But he was not of royal blood. He was just a maid’s son. He had no authority. He was just a servant. He watched silently as the giant dynasty slowly crumbled into dust.

Is a female just a reproductive mechanism? Is SHAKTI a mere child- producing machine? Even if the scriptures have ordained the cruel system, is it right?

Whenever a SHAKTI is insulted; Wherever a SHAKTI is insulted; Dharma does not prevail.

That is a ‘Dharmic injunction’- where a SHAKTI is honored as a mother, a sister, a daughter, a wife, a widow, a lover; especially as a woman with feelings.

Wherever SHAKTI is honored, Bliss prevails. Otherwise destruction is imminent.