"Shantanu asked, 'What was the fault of the Vasus and who was Aapava, through whose curse the Vasus had to be born among men? What also has this child of yours, Gangadatta, done for which he shall have to live among men? Why also were the Vasus, the lords of the three worlds, condemned to be born amongst men? O daughter of Jahnu (Ganga), tell me all.'
"Vaishampaayana continued, 'Thus addressed, the divine daughter of Jahnu, Ganga, then replied to the monarch, her husband, that bull amongst men, saying, 'O best of Bharata's race, he who was obtained as son by Varuna was called Vasishtha, the Muni who afterwards came to be known as Aapava. He had his ashrama on the chest of the king of mountains called Meru. The spot was sacred and abounded with birds and animals. There bloomed at all times of the year flowers of every season. O best of Bharata's race, that foremost of men of Dharma (Rishi Vasishtha), the son of Varuna, practised his severe penances in those forest abounding with sweet roots and water.
"O bull of Bharata's race (Shantanu), (Prajapati) Daksha had a daughter known by the name of Surabhi, who for benefiting the world, brought forth, by her connection with (Maharishi) Kaashyapa, a daughter (Nandini) in the form of a cow. That foremost of all cows, Nandini, was the cow of plenty (capable of granting every desire). The Dharmic son of Varuna (Rishi Vasishtha) obtained Nandini for his Homa rites. Nandini, staying in that ashrama which was adored by Munis, roamed about fearlessly in those sacred and delightful forest.
"O bull of Bharata's race, one day there came into those forest adored by the Devas and Devarishis, the Vasus with Prithu at their head. Wandering there with their wives, they enjoyed themselves in those delightful woods and mountains. O you of the prowess of (Lord) Indra (i.e. Shantanu), as they wandered there, the slender-waisted wife of one of the Vasus, saw in those woods Nandini, the cow of plenty. Seeing that cow possessing the wealth of all accomplishments, large eyes, full (of milk in its) udders, fine tail, beautiful hoofs, and every other auspicious sign, and yielding much milk, she showed the animal to her husband Dyu.
"O you of the prowess of the first of elephants (Shantanu), when Dyu was shown that cow, he began to admire her several qualities and addressing his wife, said, 'O black-eyed girl of fair thighs, this excellent cow belongs to that Rishi (Vasishtha) whose is this delightful ashrama. O slender-waisted one, that mortal who drinks the sweet milk of this cow remains in unchanged youth for ten thousand years.'
"O best of monarchs (Shantanu), hearing this, the slender-waisted goddess of faultless features then addressed her lord (Dyu) of blazing splendour and said, 'There is on earth a friend of mine, Jinavati by name, possessed of great beauty and youth. She is the daughter of that god among men, the Rajarishi (King) Ushinara, endued with intelligence and devoted to truth. O illustrious one (Dyu), I desire to have this cow with her calf for that friend of mine. Therefore, O best of Vasus (Dyu), bring that cow so that my friend drinking of her milk may alone become on earth free from disease and old age. O illustrious and blameless one (Dyu), it is your duty to grant me this desire of mine. There is nothing that would be more agreeable to me.'
"On hearing these words of his wife, Dyu, moved by the desire of honouring her, stole that cow, aided by his brothers Prithu and the others. Indeed, Dyu, commanded by his lotus-eyed wife, did her bidding, forgetting at the moment the high merits of Dharma of the Rishi (Vasishtha) who owned her. He did not think at the time that he was going to fall by committing the sin of stealing the cow.
"When the son of Varuna (Rishi Vasishtha) returned to his ashrama in the evening with fruits he had collected, he did not see the cow with her calf there. He began to search for them in the forest, but when the Maharishi (Vasishtha) of superior intelligence found not his cow on search, he saw by his ascetic vision (Divya Darshana in Sanskrit) that she had been stolen by the Vasus. His anger was instantly kindled and he cursed the Vasus, saying, 'Because the Vasus have stolen my cow of sweet milk and beautiful tail, therefore, shall they certainly be born on earth!'
"O you bull of Bharata's race (Shantanu), the illustrious Rishi Aapava thus cursed the Vasus in anger. Having cursed them, the illustrious one (Rishi Vasishtha) set his heart once more on Tapas meditation. O king (Shantanu), after that Brahmarshi (Vasishtha) of great power and wealth of Tapas had thus in anger cursed the Vasus, the latter coming to know of it, speedily came into his ashrama. O bull among kings (Shantanu), addressing the Rishi (Vasishtha), they attempted to pacify him. O tiger among men (Shantanu), but they failed to obtain grace from Aapava -- that Rishi knowledgeable with all rules of Dharma. The Dharmic Aapava, however, said, 'O Vasus, with Dhara and others, you have been cursed by me. But you shall be freed from my curse within a year of your birth among men. But he for whose deed (deed of Dyu), you have been cursed by me he - Dyu, shall for his sinful act, have to stay on earth for a length of time. I shall not make fruitless the words I have uttered in anger. Dyu, though dwelling on Earth, shall not father children. He shall, however, be Dharmic and knowledgeable with Shastras. He shall be an obedient son to his father, but he shall have to abstain from the pleasure of female companionship.'
"Thus addressing the Vasus, the Maharishi (Vasishtha) went away. The Vasus then together came to me. O king (Shantanu), they (Vasus) begged of me the boon that as soon as they would be born, I should throw them into the water. O best of kings (Shantanu), I did as they desired, in order to free them from their earthly life. O best of kings (Shantanu), from the Rishi's curse, this one only - Dyu, himself, is to live on earth for some time.'
"Vaishampaayana continued, 'Having said this, the goddess (Ganga) disappeared then and there. Taking with her the child, she went away to the region she chose. That child of Shantanu was named both Gaangeya and Devavrata and excelled his father in all accomplishments.
"Shantanu, after the disappearance of his wife, returned to his capital with a sorrowful heart. I shall now narrate to you the many virtues and the great good fortune of the illustrious king Shantanu of the Bharata race. Indeed, it is this splendid history that is called the Mahabharata.'"
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