Week 7 Story: Shantanu and the Deceiving Moksha

Shantanu trying to prevent the drowning of their 8th child. Source: Wikipedia

Shantanu stared at the woman he called his wife and couldn't be happier. He wondered how lucky he was to call her his wife. She didn't really have a name, so Shantanu decided to call her Moksha because when he was with her, he felt like he had reached moksha, or at the level with the gods that mean the cycle or rebirth would be broken and was so content with the life he was living.

Moksha agreed to the marriage only if Shantanu never questioned what Moksha did, no matter how questionable. Shantanu was so compelled and in love with her, he agreed without a second thought.

Many months passed by and Moksha became pregnant with their first child and he was elated. He wanted children of his own so badly and now the time had come.

When it was time for the birth of their child, Moksha went away without warning Shantanu, which made him a little irate. When she returned a few days later, the child was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is our child I have been longing for ages?" asked Shantanu.

"Sadly, he did not make it through the birth," replied Moksha, teary-eyed.

"Oh, I am so sorry!" cried Shantanu. He ran over to Moksha and fell to his feet, in tears.

They spent the day with each other and vowed to try for another child.

Soon Moksha was expecting another child. Shantanu promised to keep Moksha safe and take care of her during pregnancy so that another death wouldn't occur. For the duration of the pregnancy, Shantanu obeyed every request, no matter how strange they were.

Once he was asked to kill three birds and conduct a sacrifice ritual. Another time he was told to drown a baby deer in the river. Soon, Shantanu began to fear Moksha because every time she asked him to do something, he physically could not say no. He was compelled by her and he began to doubt their relationship and love for each other.

When it came time for the birth of their second child, Shantanu begged for Moksha to stay so that he could help her.

"Please stay here so that I am able to help you with the birth. I have longed for a child for ages and I cannot bear to lose another," begged Shantanu.

"Fear not, my love. I will be back in no time," reassured Moksha and she left into the forest.

Shantanu decided to follow Moksha into the forest to see what she was doing since he began having doubts about her.

After trekking miles into the forest, he finally saw Moksha. He stayed out of sight and saw that she had already given birth to a healthy baby. As she was cradling it in her arms, Shantanu was imagining their child playing in their cabin by the riverbank and instantly fell in love.

All of a sudden he broke out of his trance with the sight of Moksha drowning their child in the river. She committed such heinous act with not an ounce of emotion. Shantanu was appalled by such action that he ran back to his home, heartbroken.

Shantanu could not sleep that night and confirmed the doubts he was having. Moksha was not the person he thought she was.

When Moksha returned the next morning, there was no child. Again, she stated that the child had passed during birth.

 Shantanu knew that was no the case because he watched his wife murder their child. Still, he did not say a word.

5 other pregnancies passed in this manner, with Moksha drowning their child. However, the 8th pregnancy was where Shantanu planned to save the baby, even if it meant fighting off his wife and taking the baby with him.

For the duration of the pregnancy, Shantanu planned to escape Moksha with his baby so that he can raise it and give it a good life. He was willing to do anything.

When Moksha left to birth the baby, Shantanu followed. After the child was born, he ran and took the baby from her.

"Why are you killing our children and lying to me saying they died during childbirth? They are alive and well! JUST LOOK FOR YOURSELF!" Screamed Shantanu, protecting the child.

Just then, Moksha transformed into a godly form, glimmering in the sunlight.

"Because I am not Moksha, but the goddess Ganga. I am goddess that is this river."

"These children that we bore were reincarnations of humans that needed to be punished for something they had done in their past lives. I do not expect you to understand but I needed to do this," explained goddess Ganga.

"I don't care!" replied Shantanu. " You have destroyed me with each death of our child. I will not take it anymore!"

Shantanu ran as fast as his body could and he would do anything to protect this child. However, Ganga struck him with a bolt of lightning that came from the palm of her hand. He was knocked down and was writhing in pain all over his body.

Ganga walked up to Shantanu and kissed his cheek.

"I apologize for all the pain I have caused you but I must do this," she said apologetically.

She took the child from his arms and they both disappeared. At that moment, Shantanu became unconscious.

When he woke, it was the middle of the night. Hours later, he made his way back to his cabin and thought about the events that occurred that day. He vowed to never marry again, fearing that all women are deceiving after such experience.

Shantanu spent years living alone. He lived day by day, not expecting much. Eighteen years passed like this. Shantanu did the bare minimum to survive.

On the 18th anniversary of the disappearance, there was a flash of light and goddess Ganga appeared to him. She had not aged a day. Suddenly, he was overcome by all of the memories of her killings. He looked at her in disgust.

"What brings you here?" he asked.

"I am not here to bother you, my love. I am here to do you a favor. No strings attached I promise. I have watched you for the past 18 years and I see the person you have become," stated goddess Ganga.

Ganga continued, "I come to return your child to you. I could not get myself to kill our child because you had instilled a piece of humanity in me that I still cannot get rid of, even after all these years."

A few second later, another bright light formed and a boy appeared in front of Shantanu. Today was the 18th birthday of the child Shantanu had only seen once but had such a vivid memory of.

"I hope you can forgive me," Ganga said before vanishing.

The boy walked up to his father, touched his feet for respect and said, "Hello father, I am Davavrata."

"My son," Shantanu said, weeping," I will call you, Bhishma."

Bibliography: Narayan's Mahabharata. R. K. Narayan

Author's Note: In the original story of the Mahabharata, Shantanu married a woman he meets by the river. She drowns all but the 8th child they have together. She turns out to be goddess Ganga and tells Shantanu that the children are reincarnations of people who had stolen Vashishtha's cow during their past lives. Ganga disappears with their child and returns later to return him to the father.