Shantanu seems to fall quite easily in love, having two different women within the first few pages of the book. The first he meets by the river and she agrees to marry him as long as he never questions her actions. They have 8 children whom she continually drowns one by one. On the 8th child Shantanu speaks up and the women informs him that she is the river Ganga reincarnated to punish these 8 children. The 8 children are actually gods who have been reincarnated in human form because of the theft of a cow. The 8th child is still drowned but is returned to Shantanu later on in life.
Shantanu then marries again with the help of Bhishma who renounces his claim to the throne. Shantanu then has two more sons Chitrangada and Vichitraviyra, the first who becomes king for a short period of time and then dies. Bhishma rules in his stead and acquires 3 wives for Vichitraviyra one of which who was already promised to another man. Vichitraviyra dies so Vyasa is brought in to sleep with his widows in hopes of fathering children. Two sons are born both having oddities to them because of their mothers reactions to Vyasa. He also sleeps with a maid who had no issue with his presence and their son is completely normal. Pandu cannot have sons because of a curse so he must summon the gods and have sons through them. Pandu has 5 sons knowns as the Pandavas. Drona trains the sons of both brothers. Draupadi will marry all 5 of the Pandavas because they share everything they have
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