Many years passed. King Shantanu was very sad because he had lost Ganga and all his sons. One day, he found a handsome youth by the riverside. The boy built a dam across the river with the help of his sharp-pointed arrows. King Shantanu was quite fascinated with the boy’s prowess.
As he watched, Ganga emerged from the river and told him that the boy was their eighth son, Devavrata. She had brought him up, placing him in the care of learned preceptors, like Sage Vasishtha and Brihaspati, preceptor of gods. He was learned in the Vedas and Vedanta and skilled in the art of warfare, like sage Parshurama. His preceptors had also made him an expert in statecraft. King Shantanu was delighted to have his son back.
Now, he came to have a suitable successor to his throne. He took Devavrata to the palace looking forward to the day when Devavrata would become the crown-prince.
Devavrata, Son of Ganga
