King Shantanu

Quick Facts

About King Shantanu

A great king of the Kuru dynasty. He married the river goddess Ganga and later the fisher-princess Satyavati. Father of Bhishma, Chitrangada, and Vichitravirya.

In Their Words

Without reason, I do not wish to have another wife.

King Shantanu

Traits

• Righteous
• Passionate
• Great Hunter

Stories Featuring King Shantanu

29 tales on this site name King Shantanu, in canonical reading order.

• Ancient BeginningsThe Earth's Plea, the Descent of the Gods, and the Sages Who Began the TellingAdi Parva ‧ 22 min
• The River and the IslandBirths of Satyavati and VyasaAdi Parva ‧ 17 min
• Shantanu and the River GoddessThe Marriage That Began the Kuru DynastyAdi Parva ‧ 24 min
• The Terrible VowTrue love is not possession but sacrifice. Devavrata gave up his kingdom, his future, and his chance at family - all so...Adi Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Terrible VowThe Sacrifice of DevavrataAdi Parva ‧ 23 min
• Bhishma's VowThe Terrible Oath of DevavrataAdi Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Niyoga of VyasaThe Birth of the KurusAdi Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Twins in the HeathIndra's dancer, a sage's dropped bow, and the children a king carried homeAdi Parva ‧ 17 min
• Ganga Beyond the RiverThe mother who shaped BhishmaAdi Parva
• Hastinapura, City of the ElephantThe capital that held the whole epicAdi Parva
• The Branch That LeftThe Kurus who moved away and died in the war anywayAdi Parva
• The Brother Who Should Have Been KingA lawful crown the rain refused to blessAdi Parva
• Ganga, River of the KurusThe goddess who carries the dynastyAdi Parva
• Mahabhisha's GlanceOne unguarded look in Brahma's court sets a dynasty movingAdi Parva
• Sakamvari and the Ford of GoldThe goddess who fed the sages on herbs, and the tirtha where Vishnu knelt to RudraVana Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Kings Who Were Passed OverDhritarashtra reads his son the family's own record of elder sons who never got the throneUdyoga Parva ‧ 13 min
• The Pillow of ArrowsBoth armies lay down their weapons for one eveningBhishma Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Herb in the Grandsire's HandA wounded Duryodhana asks Bhishma for reassurance and is given honesty, a pledge, and medicineBhishma Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Grandsire Chooses His HourBhishma remembers Santanu's boon and refuses to die in the wrong seasonBhishma Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Evening After Bhishma FellBoth armies stop the war for a night, and Arjuna gives the grandsire the only pillow he will accept.Bhishma Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Oath of a Bereaved FatherThe house of Bahlika ends in a single nightDrona Parva ‧ 18 min
• Karna Takes the FieldThe vow that kept him out of ten days of war, and the grief that brought him into itDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• What Gandhari SawThe blind queen, given sight for one afternoon, walks Kurukshetra naming the dead of both armiesStri Parva ‧ 21 min
• What Is Owed to Mother, Father and TeacherAsked which duty matters most of all, Bhishma names three people and calls them the three sacred firesShanti Parva ‧ 13 min
• Krishna's Gift to the Dying GrandsireThe Boon That Took Away Pain, Hunger and Thirst So Bhishma Could SpeakShanti Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Names That Cleanse SinAsked what destroys sin, Bhishma answers with a litany of gods, rivers, mountains, sages and kingsAnushasana Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Cow Born of NectarDaksha's gift, Mahadeva's third eye, and why cattle wear many coloursAnushasana Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Hand That Rose From the GrassBhishma's own memory of Shantanu's shraddha at the gate of GangaAnushasana Parva ‧ 16 min
• The King Asks Leave of His PeopleAn Assembly Absolves the Man Who Ruined ItAshramavasika Parva ‧ 17 min

Places in King Shantanu's Story

Drawn from the stories King Shantanu appears in.

• Hastinapurहस्तिनापुर
• Banks of the Gangaगङ्गा तट
• Yamunaयमुना
• Shuktimatiशुक्तिमती
• Banks of the Yamunaयमुना तट
• Gandharaगान्धार
• Brahmalokaब्रह्मलोक
• Naimisharanyaनैमिषारण्य
• Chediचेदि
• Bahlikaबाह्लीक
• Gangaगङ्गा
• Forest Hermitageवन आश्रम

Related Characters

Others counted among the Kuru Dynasty.

• ✦Pritha (Kunti)
• ✦King Dushyanta
• ✦Shakuntala
• ✦Emperor Bharata (Sarvadamana)
• ⚔︎Bhishma
• ∵Drona