In those days, among the upper social classes, the Kshatriyas were the only ones allowed to hunt, but only certain animal species. They thus learned to kill to defend their territories.
One day, while Shantanu was chasing a deer, he perceived the aroma of forest flowers, so good and intense that he couldn’t resist it. Determined to take those flowers away with him, he followed the trail down to the river, where he saw a woman cleaning a boat. She was the one who gave off that celestial scent. He approached her and gently told her:
“I smelled a wonderful perfume and followed it, but I certainly didn’t expect it to come from a young lady. Who are you?”
“My name is Satyavati, and I am the adopted daughter of a fisherman,” she replied, embarrassed by the looks of desire the king gave her.
“You are so beautiful,” he said impetuously. “Your charm has bewitched me, and I would like to have you with me. I am king Shantanu, the lord of the land of Bharata. I want you as my wife. Come with me.”
“You know I can’t decide for myself,” Satyavati replied. “Ask my father. I accept your proposal, and if he does too, I will follow you without delay.”
This is a section of the book “Maha-Bharata As It Is vol. 1 of 2”.
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