In this episode of Mahabharata, Shantanu watches in horror as Ganga drowns two more babies, bringing the infanticide count to seven. As she is about to drown Baby #8, Shantanu finally confronts her. He demands to know why she is killing her babies. Ganga says that she is actually freeing these babies’ souls from a curse.
Ganga explains that both Shantanu and herself are here in this world of mortals, because they too are cursed. However, she says that baby #8 will not be drowned; he is “cursed” to live a long life. Ganga takes him away to raise and educate him.
After a few years, Ganga returns with a teenage boy, states that his name is Devavrat and hands him over to Shantanu’s care. Devavrat grows into an intelligent but fierce and skilled warrior.
Tropes found here
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Devavrat inflicts one upon Shalva Kumar’s invading army.
- Cycle of Revenge: Devavrat opines that Shalva Kumar be set free and returned to his father in the Shalva kingdom, to avoid starting this with the Shalva dynasty.
- Held Gaze: Shantanu was previously King Mirabhisheik and was in India’s court in Heaven. When Ganga dropped by, the two of them caught each other’s gaze and continued to stare at each other. However, Ganga suffered a Wardrobe Malfunction at the same time. Because Mirabhisheik didn’t avert his gaze, Brahma cursed him to be reborn once more as a human. Because Ganga didn’t avert her gaze to fix her clothes, she was cursed too.
- The Lost Lenore: Ganga becomes this for Shantanu after she leaves for good, presumably to return to a Heaven.
- Love Hurts: Shantanu gets very depressed if he cannot be with the woman he loves, be it Ganga.
- Wardrobe Malfunction: Occurred to Ganga when she was in India’s divine court. A gust of wind blew her sari aside causing her to momentarily expose a breast.
