The Birth of Devavrata: The Secret of the Vasus' Curse (Mahabharata Series - 4)

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After Ganga departed, King Shantanu, driven by a desire to understand the divine mysteries she hinted at, asked her:

“O Jahnavi! You mentioned that the Vasus were cursed to be born as humans due to some offence. Could you elaborate on who these great sages were? What was the mistake committed by the Vasus? And why did only the last of them remain alive? Was it merely to make our union meaningful or did his curse remain unresolved?”

Ganga, with grace and calmness, answered all his questions in detail.

The Sage Āpava – Vasiṣṭha Muni

“O scion of the Bharatas,” she began, “The great sage known as Vasiṣṭha, the one born of Varuṇa’s lineage, is also called Āpava. He resided peacefully in a hermitage on the slopes of Mount Meru, surrounded by flowering trees and wildlife in all seasons.”

This great sage, always engaged in sacrificial rites and Vedic yajñas, owned a divine cow named Nandini, a gift from Indra. This kāmadhenū, capable of fulfilling all desires, was his homa-dhenu—his sacrificial cow, integral to his sacred duties. She resided peacefully in the hermitage, moving freely without fear.

The Vasus and Their Folly

One day, a group of eight Vasus, accompanied by their wives, came to that forest on a leisure outing. Among them was Dyau, whose wife was particularly struck by the beauty, strength, and divine presence of Nandini. Captivated by the celestial cow, she pleaded with her husband:

“This cow is wondrous! Her milk can grant youth for thousands of years. Please get her for me, so I can offer her milk to my friend Jitavati, the daughter of King Ushinara, who fears losing her youth.”

Moved by his wife's sorrow and forgetting the gravity of his actions, Dyau, with the aid of his brothers, stole Nandini from Vasiṣṭha’s hermitage.

The Sage’s Wrath

That very evening, when Vasiṣṭha returned from his rituals, he noticed that Nandini—who usually ran to him joyfully—was missing. Deeply distressed, he used his divine vision to perceive what had happened. Upon learning that the Vasus had stolen Nandini, he became enraged.

In his fury, he cursed all eight Vasus to be born as mortals on Earth.

Realizing their grave mistake, the Vasus rushed to the sage and pleaded for forgiveness.

Vasiṣṭha, in his calm state, replied:

“The curse must take effect. But since you were not all equally at fault, I grant you this: You will be freed from your mortal bodies within a year of birth. But Dyau, the one who led this act of theft, will remain on Earth for a long time. Though he will be a man of virtue, uphold dharma, and be celibate, he will live a long life as a human, and die childless.”

Ganga’s Role and the Eighth Vasu

Ganga then explained to Shantanu:

“It was the Vasus who requested me to be their mother. At their request, I immersed each one in the waters as soon as they were born, liberating them from the curse. But Dyau, the eighth Vasu, was destined to remain. It is he who was born as this son of ours. He shall become renowned as Devavrata, and I shall now take him with me, train him in all knowledge and skills, and return him to you in time.”

Saying this, Ganga departed from the Earth, taking the child Devavrata with her to the celestial realms.

The King’s Solitude

As Ganga and Devavrata disappeared from his sight, King Shantanu stood in silence. Heavy-hearted, he slowly made his way back to the palace—his mind filled with wonder and sorrow, and his heart echoing the divine secrets just revealed.

To be continued...