Story 2: The Arrival Of Bheeshma
Devvrata can not be the king!

As time passed, Shantanu forgot Ganga, and enjoyed the company of his remarkable son. One day, as he walked by a river again, he came across a most strange, and captivating smell. The fragnace was emanating from a beautiful , dark fisherwoman named Satya-vati.  “Will the king care to sit in my humble boat and cross the river?” , asked the fisherwoman with the musky fragnance. King Shanatanu could not say no, and took a ride on her boat. Satyavati was a beautiful and intelligent woman, blessed with a natural fragnance. The king fell in love with her, and asked her hand in marriage.

This was the start of the fall of the mighty kingdom, Hastinapur.

Satyavati and her father, the fisherman, asked Shantanu to promise that Satyavatis children would be crowned king after Shantanu. But then, what will happen to Devavrata?? Wasn’t he supposed to be the next king of Hastinapur? Shantanu could not accept this unfair condition of the fisherman, and broken hearted, returned to his palace.

Devavrata soon came to know of his father’s love for the fisherwoman, Satyavati, and the fisherman’s condition. Like a devoted son, all Devavrata wanted was that his father be happy. And he decided to take matters in his own hands.

Prince Devavrata went to meet the fisherman and his daughter. “I must obtain Satyavati for my father’s happiness”, he thought. But the fisherman wasn’t impressed. “You may be a prince, and Shantanu may be a king”, he said. “But my daughter is a mere fishergirl. You must promise me that her children will be the future kings of Hastinapur- not you or your children. Only then, will people of Hastinapur respect my daughter as their queen.”

Blinded by the love for his father, Devavrata made three great promises that night.

“I promise”, the crown prince Devavrata declared, “to never be the king of Hastinapur. Let Satyavatis children ascend the throne that was supposed to be mine till now.”

“I promise”, Devavrata further continued, “ to never marry, so that none of my children can ever challenge Satyavatis.”

“And”, he promised to the people of Hastinapur, “I’ll always help whoever becomes the king of Hastinapur, and will always take care of Hastinapur as the king’s aide.”

These were huge promises. These promises changed the life of Devavrata, and the fortunes of Hastinapur. People started calling Devavrata by another name – Bheeshma, which means terrible or huge (referring to his promise).