Shantanu Kund

Shantanu Kund / शांतनु कुंड / शान्तनु कुण्ड

Shantanu Kund is the place where Maharaja Shantanu performed austerities. Its present name is Satoha, and it is on the Govardhan road about three miles from Mathura.
Maharaja Shantanu worshipped Bhagvan here with the desire to beget a son. This son became famous as Grandsir Bhishma.
Bhishma's mother was Ganga, however, for a particular reason she left Shantanu Maharaja. The king then became attracted to Satyavati, who was called Matsyagandha or Matsyodari, and who possessed great beauty.
She was living in the house of a fisherman across the Yamuna opposite Mathura. Maharaja Shantanu desired to marry her, but the fisherman, Dasharaj, was unwilling to give the king his adopted daughter in marriage.
He said, "If you accept the condition that the son born from my daughter will be the successor to your kingdom, then you can marry her." Maharaja Shantanu refused this proposal for the sake of the crown prince Devvrat (Bhishma), yet his heart felt great sadness.
When Prince Devvrat came to know of this, he went to the house of the fisherman and vowed to remain a life-long brahmachari. He promised that the child born from Matsyodari would ascend the throne.
Thus, he was able to arrange for the fisherman's daughter to marry his father Maharaja Shantanu. It is believed that while Hastinapur was Maharaja Shantanu's capital, he also had a place of residence here at Shantanu Kund.
Women who desire a child bathe in this kund. Behind the temple there, they make a svastika out of cow dung and perform puja. In the middle of Shantanu-kund, on a raised hill, is the temple of Shantanu's worshipful deity, Shri Shantanu-Bihariji.

Shantanu Kund

Shantanu Kund / शांतनु कुंड / शान्तनु कुण्ड

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