Reading : Mahabarata Part A

There is a  goddess named Ganga of the Ganges. Eight vasus are cursed to be born as humans. Ganga willing to help tells them they must each sacrifice 1/8 of their power to her son and they agree. She meets and marries king Shantanu and asks him to never question her or she will leave. As the vasus' are born to her one by one she casts them into the river Ganges to die and return to celestial form. The eighth is born and the king attempts to stop her so she leaves, but before she goes she explains it all. She later returns with a son for the king and names him Devavrata. King Shantanu in his old age lusts after Satyavati, a girl born of a great bhramin and a fish, but is not blessed to marry her because the King will not denounce Devavrata as heir and refuses to give any son born unto Satyavati the throne. Devavrata renounces his claim so that his father may marry Satyavati. She gave birth to two sons who ruled in succession one after the other, the first dying in battle and the second helped by Bhishma (Devavrata) made regent.
Bhishma on a bed of arrows

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