In the epic
Mahabharata, Santanu was the king of Hastinapura. He was the father of
Bhishma, born to him by the
Goddess Ganga (river). After the birth of Bhishma, Ganga leaves him. Later Santanu meets a ferry man’s daughter,
Satyavati, and falls in love with her. She agrees to marry him on a condition that the children she bears him will be crowned. He was then married to Satyavati and she gave birth to two sons,
Chitrangada and
Vichitravirya. After the death of Santanu, Satyavati continued to rule the kingdom with her three children.
