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220px-Ravi Varma-Shantanu and Satyavati

Shantanu and Satyavati

Satyavati was the daughter of Vasu, king of Chedi. She was raised a commoner, adopted daughter of a fisherman. She was the second wife of the Kuru king Shantanu. She was the mother of Vyasa the sage from a previous relationship but, with Shantanu, had two sons; Vichitravirya and Chitrangada. She forced Bhishma, Shantanu's son by his first marriage (to Ganga) to take vows of celibacy and revoke claims to the kingdom thus ensuring her lineage.

After Vichitravirya married Ambika and Ambalika, he died without issue. Vyasa provided them both with children; Pandu and Dhritarashtra. Thus Satyavati was both legally and biologically great-grandmother of both the Kauravas and Pandavas, albeit through different sons.

After Pandu ascended the throne, Satyavati and her two daughters-in-law went to live in a forest retreat, where they eventually died.

Family[]

Kuru Genealogy in Hindu mythology Names in bold are kings of Hastinapura
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chandra
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Budha
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Seven generations
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Dushyant
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bharata
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bhumanyu
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Six generations
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kuru
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Viduratha
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bhimasena
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pratipa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ganga
 
Shantanu
 
 
 
Satyavati
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bhishma
 
 
Chitrangada
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Subala
 
Ambika
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vichitravirya
 
Ambalika
 
 
Shurasena
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shakuni
 
Gandhari
 
Dhritarashtra
 
Madri
 
Pandu
 
 
Kunti
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Duryodhana
 
Kauravas
 
Nakula
 
 
Sahadeva
 
 
 
Karṇa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Draupadi
 
 
 
Yudhisthira
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Bhima
 
 
Rohini
 
Vasudeva
 
Devaki
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Arjuna
 
Subhadra
 
Krishna
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Abhimanyu
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Parikshit
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Janamejaya
Preceded by:
Ganga
Queen of Hastinapura
Mythic
Succeeded by
Ambika and Ambalika)
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