When the radiant king Pratipa was approached by a celestial woman, she urged him toward an act that, though dear, was not in accordance with righteousness as he understood it. With gentle firmness, Pratipa explained, “O beautiful-limbed lady, you have seated yourself upon my right thigh. Know, timid one, that this place is reserved for daughters-in-law and descendants. My left thigh is meant for the enjoyment of women, but you have avoided it. Therefore, O lovely one, I will not approach you with desire.” He then spoke with clarity, “Become my daughter-in-law, O slender-waisted one. I choose you for the sake of a son. By coming to me in this way, you have taken the side of the daughter-in-law.” The celestial lady, her hips graceful and her heart devoted, replied, “So be it, O knower of righteousness. Let me be united with your son. Through my devotion to you, I will honor the illustrious Bharata lineage. You are the refuge of all kings on earth; your virtues are beyond description, even in a hundred years. The renowned excellence and supreme virtue of your lineage is well known. I will act according to this agreement, O lord.” She added, “Let your son never doubt any of this at any time. Thus, dwelling here, I will foster affection for your son.” Having spoken these words, the celestial lady vanished from before Pratipa’s eyes, becoming invisible even as he watched. Holding these events in his heart, the king awaited the birth of a son. At that time, Pratipa, the bull among Kshatriyas, performed austerities with his wife for the sake of a son. In due course, a glorious embryo grew within his queen. Endowed with supreme splendor, like the moon in the bright half of autumn, a son was born in the tenth month, radiant as the sun. Pratipa’s queen gave birth to a son who seemed as if born of the gods—a great healer to his aged parents. Because he brought peace and prosperity to his lineage, he was named Shantanu. Upon his birth, Pratipa performed all the required rites, and the priests conducted the birth and naming ceremonies with great honor, as prescribed in the Vedas. Shantanu, protector of the earth, was then raised according to sacred rites. He grew to be righteous in conduct, attaining the highest excellence among upholders of dharma. In the science of archery and the Vedas, he reached the highest attainments. When Shantanu, best among speakers, reached his youth, he remembered the imperishable worlds attained by his own deeds. He became a doer of virtuous acts. At this time, Pratipa, seeing his son in the prime of youth, instructed him, saying, “Once, a woman approached me, O Shantanu, for your sake. If that beautiful, richly adorned celestial woman comes to you in private, do not ask her, ‘Who are you? Whose daughter are you, O lady?’ And whatever actions she may do, O sinless one, you must not question her. Accept her as she is, united with you.” Having thus instructed his son, Pratipa consecrated Shantanu as king in his own realm and then entered the forest for a life of renunciation. Shantanu, wise and radiant as the lord of the gods, became renowned among all people as one who always spoke the truth. Broad-shouldered and mighty-armed, with the strength of a maddened elephant, he possessed all the marks of a king and was endowed with every accomplishment. He was skilled in the qualities of a good minister and expert in the special duties of kshatriyas. Alone, he brought the earth under his control, conquering all other rulers. He ensured the Vedas were fully studied and all royal duties observed. He performed many sacrifices and rituals, giving abundant gifts. Learned brahmins, skilled in Vedic study, were satisfied with jewels, cows, villages, horses, and wealth. In age and beauty, manliness and strength, wealth and majesty, valor and riches, he excelled. Living in truth and expert in all dharma, the kings made him, the great ruler, king of kings. Free from sorrow, fear, and affliction, enjoying peaceful sleep and awakening, the kings of the earth became prosperous under his rule. By discipline, all the social orders followed the brahmins as supreme; kshatriyas looked to the brahmins, vaishyas to the kshatriyas, and the shudras served the brahmins and kshatriyas with devotion. Even among cattle, boars, deer, and birds, the same order prevailed. While Shantanu ruled, needless killing did not occur, even among the unhappy, the helpless, or those living in animal forms. That king became the father of all beings, delighting in the city of Hastinapura. In brilliance, he was like the sun; in strength, equal to the wind; in wrath, he resembled Death; and in patience, he was like the earth itself. Wise and true in valor, a benefactor of his people, he delighted in the beautiful forests and mountain streams. Shantanu, fond of hunting, roamed the forests, striking down deer and buffaloes. Alone, he wandered along the sacred Ganga, a place frequented by perfected beings and celestial wanderers. There, O king, he beheld an extraordinary woman—radiant in her form, as if she were the very embodiment of prosperity itself, flawless in every aspect, with beautiful teeth and adorned with divine ornaments.