The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 101

Section CI.

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Section CI. *( Sambhava Parva continued. )* Vaisampayana said, "O monarch, after the nuptials were over, king Shantanu established his beautiful bride in his household. Soon after was born of Satyavati an intelligent and heroic son of Shantanu named Chittrangada. He was endued with great energy and became the foremost of men. The lord Shantanu of great prowess also begat in Satyavati another son named Vichittra-virya who became a mighty bowman and who became king after his father. And before that bull among men, Vichittra-virya, had attained to majority, the wise king Shantanu realised the inevitable influence of Time. And after Shantanu had ascended to heaven, Bhisma, placing himself under the command of Satyavati, installed that suppressor of the foe, Chittrangada, on the throne. Chittrangada soon vanquished by his prowess all monarchs. He considered not any man as his equal. And beholding that he could vanquish men, Asuras, and the very gods, the powerful king of the Gandharvas bearing the same name, approached him for an encounter. And between that Gandharva and the foremost of the Kurus, who were both very powerful, there occurred on the field of Kurukshetra a fierce combat. And the combat lasted for full three years on the banks of the Saraswati. And in that terrible encounter characterised by thick showers of weapons and in which the combatants prinded each other fiercely, the Gandharva who had greater prowess of strategic deception slew the Kuru prince. And having slain Chittrangada—that first of men and oppressor of the foe—the Gandharva ascended to heaven. And when that tiger among men endued with great prowess was slain, Bhisma the son of Shantanu performed, O king, all his obsequial rites. And he then installed the boy Vichittra-virya of mighty arms, yet in his minority, on the throne of the Kurus. And Vichittra-virya placing himself under the commands of Bhisma ruled his ancestral kingdom. And he adored Shantanu's son Bhisma who was conversant with all the rules of religion and law, as, indeed, Bhisma also protected him who was so obedient to the dictates of duty.'" Thus ends the hundred and first Section in the Shambhava of the Adi parva.