She took him home, and Shantanu asked the fisherman to give him Satyavati as his wife. The fisherman thanked the gods for the good fortune his daughter had, but asked that certain conditions be respected.
“This marriage is a great thing for my daughter,” he said, “but I also want my grandchild to become the king after you leave the throne; if you agree to this, you can have her as a wife.”
Shantanu was flabbergasted.
“This is all absurd,” he said. “You know very well that I already have a son, Devavrata, who is the crown prince, and I certainly cannot deprive him of his birthright. Ask me what you want: riches, honors, but not this.”
It was all in vain; the fisherman would accept nothing except the promise that Satyavati’s sons would reign on the throne of Hastinapura.
Shantanu was in love with that young woman, but he couldn’t do that harm to his son. So, he returned to the city heartbroken, aware that he could never forget Satyavati.
This is a section of the book “Maha-Bharata As It Is vol. 1 of 2”.
To buy the complete book, click here
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