When Shantanu broke his promise and stopped Ganga, she told him she would have to return to the river. Then he asked her the reason for her actions. Then Ganga told him about the incident when the eight Vasus went with their families to the forest. They enraged the great sage Vasishtha by stealing his pet cow, Nandini, from his ashrama. He cursed the Vasus to be born as human beings, but the one who stole Nandini would have to live in the world of men for a long time. Frightened of the curse, the Vasus requested Ganga, the river goddess, to marry a suitable man and be their mother. As soon as they were born, she must throw them into the river thus freeing them from the curse. Ganga had sent seven of them to their original home. When Shantanu stopped her, Ganga disappeared with the eighth child.
Ganga’s Sons
