Many years passed. 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 was playing, shooting arrows to build a dam across the river. Shantanu was quite fascinated with the boy’s skill. As he watched, Ganga emerged from the river and told him the boy was their eighth son, Devavrata. She had brought him up, placing him in the care of learned gurus like Vasishtha and Shukracharya. He was learned in the Vedas and Vedanta and skilled in the art of war. His gurus had also made him an expert in statecraft. King Shantanu was delighted to have his son back. Now, he would be able to have a suitable successor to his throne. He took Devavrata to the palace looking forward to the day he would become the Crown Prince.
Devavrata
