Ganga

Leaving Brahma's assembly, Ganga encounters the eight Vasus — radiant gods now dark with despair, cursed to be born as mortals. They make her a terrible proposal: become a woman, marry a king, bear them as sons, and drown each one at birth. Ganga agrees, but demands a price.

In the assembly of the gods, the river-goddess Ganga's garments are blown away by the wind. While every other god lowers his gaze, King Mahabhisha, a mortal who earned heaven, stares unabashedly. For this single lapse in composure, Brahma pronounces a fateful curse.

The goddess Ganga, in human form, approaches the meditating King Pratipa and offers herself to him. Pratipa refuses, interpreting her choice of seat as a sign she is meant for his son, and accepts her as his future daughter-in-law on one condition.

While hunting, King Shantanu encounters a woman of impossible beauty by the Ganga and is instantly smitten. He proposes, but she will only agree on one terrifying condition: he must never question anything she does.

Ganga gives birth to eight sons and drowns each one at birth, claiming it is for their own good. When she moves to drown the eighth, a tormented Shantanu finally breaks his vow of silence, demanding to know why.

The divine vasus, led by Prithu, visit a forest hermitage. Dyou, persuaded by his wife, steals a wish-fulfilling cow from the sage Apava to give to a mortal friend. The sage discovers the theft and pronounces a terrible curse on all eight gods.

Ganga finishes her tale of the curse and its terms. Without another word, she vanishes from the riverbank, taking the young Devavrata with her. Shantanu is left alone with his sorrow, and a son who is now only a memory.

As his wife Ganga prepares to leave with their son, a heartbroken Shantanu stops her. He must know why the divine vasus were cursed to be born as humans, and what fate awaits the extraordinary boy who is his son.

While hunting, King Shantanu sees the mighty river Ganga's flow checked by arrows and discovers a divine youth performing the feat. The goddess Ganga appears, reveals the youth is their eighth son, Devavrata, and lists his supreme education before giving him to his father.