"Vaishampaayana said, 'There was a king known by the name of Mahabhisha born in Ikshvaku vamsha. He was the lord of all the earth, and was truthful (in speech) and of true bravery. By a thousand Ashwamedha (yagnas) and a hundred Rajasuyas (yagnas) he had satisfied the chief of Devas (Lord Indra) and ultimately attained to heaven.
"One day Devas had assembled together and were worshipping (Lord) Brahma. Many Rajarishis and king Mahabhisha also were present on the spot. Ganga, the queen of rivers, also came there to pay her adorations to the Pitamaha (Lord Brahma).
"Her (Ganga's) garments white as the beams of the moon was displaced by the action of the wind. As her person became exposed, Devas bent down their heads. But the Rajarishi Mahabhisha rudely stared at the queen of rivers. Mahabhisha was for this cursed by (Lord) Brahma, who said, 'Wretch, as you have forgotten yourself at the sight of Ganga, you shall be re-born on earth. But you shall again and again attain to these regions. She, too, shall be born in the world of men and shall do you injuries. But when your anger shall be provoked, you shall then be freed from my curse.'
"Vaishampaayana continued, 'King Mahabhisha then recollecting all the monarchs and Rishis on earth, wished to be born as son to Pratipa of great bravery. The queen of rivers (Ganga), too, seeing king Mahabhisha lose his firmness, went away, thinking of him wishfully. On her way, she saw those dwellers in heaven, the (eight) Vasus, also pursuing the same path.
"The queen of rivers (Ganga) seeing them (Vasus) in the difficult situation, asked them, 'Why you look so dejected? O dwellers in heaven (Vasus), is everything right with you?'
"Those celestials, the Vasus, answered her, saying, 'O queen of rivers, we have been cursed, for a excusable fault, by the illustrious (Rishi) Vasishtha in anger. The foremost of excellent Rishis, Vasishtha, had been engaged in his Sandyavandana and seated as he was, he could not be seen by us. We crossed him in ignorance. Therefore, in anger he has cursed us, saying, 'You be born among men!' It is beyond our power to frustrate what has been said by that utterance of Brahma. Therefore, O river, yourself becoming a human female make us the Vasus, your children. O friendly one, we are unwilling to enter the womb of any human female.'
"Thus addressed, the queen of rivers (Ganga) told them, 'Be it so' and asked them, 'On earth, who is that foremost of men whom you will make your father?'
"The Vasus replied, 'On earth, to (King) Pratipa shall be born a son, Shantanu, who will be a king of world-wide fame.'
"Ganga then said, 'O Vasus, that is exactly my wish which you sinless ones have expressed. I shall, indeed, do good to that Shantanu. That is also your desire as just expressed.'
"The Vasus then said, 'It is your duty to throw your children after birth, into the water, so that, O you of three courses (heaven, earth, and subterranean) we may be rescued soon without having to live on earth for any length of time.'
"Ganga then answered, 'I shall do what you desire. But in order that his (physical) intercourse with me may not be entirely fruitless, you provide that one son at least may live.'
"The Vasus then replied, 'We shall each contribute an eighth part of our respective energies. With the sum thereof, you shall have one son according to your and his wishes. But this son shall not father any children on earth. Therefore, that son of yours endued with great energy, shall be childless.'
"The Vasus, making this arrangement with Ganga, went away without waiting, to the place they liked.'"
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