The sage, his heart full of compassion, addressed the mighty king Shantanu: “Take this son, O great king, whom I have raised with care; receive him, O mighty one, and bring him home.” He continued, praising the youth’s virtues: “He has learned the Vedas and all their branches from the sage Vasishtha, is accomplished in the science of weapons, a supreme archer, and in battle he is the equal of the king of the gods himself. “Among the gods and asuras alike, your son is always esteemed, O Bharata. All the knowledge of arms that the great Ushanas possesses, he too knows in its entirety. Likewise, whatever the son of Angiras—revered by gods and asuras—knows of the science of weaponry, all that is firmly established within him. In your son, mighty-armed and high-souled, rests complete and detailed knowledge; the energy of the sage Jamadagni, who is unconquered by others, is matched by your son. “Whatever weapon Rābha knows, that too is established in him. This great archer, O king, is also skilled in royal duties and the pursuit of wealth.” Having spoken thus, the illustrious sage vanished from sight. Permitted by her, Shantanu joyfully accepted his son. Radiant like the sun, he returned to his city. The descendant of Puru entered Hastinapura, a city as splendid as Indra’s own. Shantanu felt that all his desires for prosperity had been fulfilled. For the sake of the Paurava kingdom, he appointed his son as the protector and giver of safety. The illustrious son of Shantanu, endowed with every virtue and a great soul, installed his father as the crown prince among the Pauravas. O bull among the Bharatas, by his conduct the king delighted the kingdom, and enjoying himself with his son, the lord of the earth was well pleased. For four years, Shantanu ruled with restrained power. One day, he went to the forest near the river Yamuna. There, the king perceived an indescribable, excellent fragrance. Eager to discover its source, he wandered all around. Then he saw a maiden of the Dashas, divine in form. Seeing her, the dark-eyed maiden, he questioned her gently: “Whose are you? Who are you? And what do you intend, O timid one?” The maiden replied, “I am the daughter of a Dasha; I ferry people across the river for the sake of righteousness and my livelihood. By the command of my father, O blessed one, the great-souled king of the Dashas…” The maiden, endowed with beauty, sweetness, and a divine fragrance, stood before him. Seeing the Dasha maiden, King Shantanu was filled with desire for her. He went to her father and sought her hand in marriage. For the sake of his son, he questioned the maiden’s father, who replied thus: “My daughter, radiant as a celestial, is to be given to a suitor as soon as she is born; but, O lord of men, hear the desire that is in my heart. If you, O sinless one, seek this maiden as your lawful wife from me, who speak only the truth, then make a vow to me by truth. Only by a vow would I give you this maiden, O king, for no suitor equal to you will ever arise for her.” Shantanu replied, “Having heard your request, O Dasha, I will decide; if it is to be given, I will give, but it cannot be given otherwise.” The Dasha king then spoke: “The son who is born from her, O lord of the earth, must be anointed king after you; no other, O king.” Shantanu did not wish to grant that boon, O Bharata, even though he was burning intensely with desire. Thus, thinking constantly of the Dasha maiden, the king, his mind overcome, returned to Hastinapura. Once, as Shantanu sat grieving and lost in thought, his son Devavrata approached and gently addressed his father: “All the kings are obedient to you, and everywhere you are secure; so why do you grieve so deeply and lament again and again? O King, you seem lost in thought and do not speak a word to me. You do not ride out with your horse, your color is faded, and you have grown thin like a deer. I wish to know what afflicts you, so that I may act accordingly.” Shantanu, unable at first to reply, was thus addressed by his son, and finally spoke: “Without doubt, my child, I am absorbed in thought; listen as I tell you why. You alone are my child in this great lineage, O Bharata. You are always devoted to arms and steadfast in valor; but, my son, I grieve over the impermanence of the worlds. If, O son of Ganga, some misfortune should befall you, our lineage would be lost; without doubt, you alone are better than a hundred sons. “Nor am I able, in vain, to take another wife again; I desire the unbroken continuation of the line—may good befall you. The upholders of dharma say that to be childless or to have only one son is the same; ‘the eye and the son are one—sometimes present, sometimes not, O Bharata; when the eye is lost, the body perishes; when the son is lost, the lineage is destroyed.’ “The agnihotra, the threefold Veda, and sacrifices with gifts—all these do not equal even a sixteenth part of having a child. So it is among men, and so among all creatures; O wise one, I have no doubt about the value of offspring. By means of offspring, one is freed from the debt to the ancestors—of this there is no doubt; this is the eternal triad of the ancients and the gods: offspring, action, and knowledge—these are the three lights, O Bharata. “And you are brave, ever unyielding, and always devoted to arms, O Bharata; for you, there is no death anywhere except in battle.