Ganga having left, a sorrowful solitude enveloped King Shantanu. Much time passed, and though the wound of his losing sons remained there, the comfort was there that one day he would reunite with his remaining child.
One day, wandering along the banks of the river Ganga, his thoughts broken into, his eyes fell upon a scene that took his breath away: a young boy, hardly in his teens, standing at the edge of the river and holding his bow stretched to its full extent with an ease practiced in years. Shantanu watched as he loosened his arrows, which flew home with wonderful marksmanship and proceeded to bar the mighty flow of the river.
Curious and astounded, Shantanu went near the boy. Then, just before he could speak anything, the goddess Ganga appeared; her sacred presence lit up the surroundings. Serenely she smiled at Shantanu.
"Do you remember me, Shantanu?" she asked softly.
"How could I forget?" replied Shantanu in a voice filled with reverence and longing. Then his eyes turned toward the boy. "Is this…?"
Ganga nodded. "Yes, this is your son, Devavrata. As promised, I have brought him up and now return him to you. He has learned the art of warfare and has maturity beyond his years. He is ready to stand by your side."
The boy, Devavrata, bowed his head to salute Shantanu. "Father, I am honored to meet you," he said in a strong yet respectful voice.
Embracing his son in his arms, Shantanu felt his heart swell with pride and joy. Devavrata brought back into the life of the king a renewed sense of purpose and happiness through his return. Under Shantanu's guiding hand, Devavrata kept growing on in strength and wisdom, developing into an almost invincible warrior and a very sage counselor.
While Shantanu again strolled by the river years later, he encountered a maiden, Satyavati, who was highly beautiful. Her beauty was stunning, and Shantanu's heart was stirred by love at first sight. He approached her, and they engaged in a conversation, feeling a great attraction to each other.
So Shantanu fell in love with Satyavati and came to her father's place, demanding her hand in marriage. Her father, the wise fisherman, enunciated a condition: "My daughter can marry you only if her children inherit the throne."
Shantanu was in a dilemma. He loved Satyavati so much, but his duty lay toward the son who was to succeed him, Devavrata. Shantanu was at a loss to do anything; he returned to his palace with a heavy heart, seeing the two sides of his dilemma sharply in conflict.
Feeling his father's distress, Devavrata asked him the reason. Thus, Shantanu told him his problem, and without any hesitation at all, Devavrata came before Satyavati's father to vow for the happiness of his father—a vow that would change his life forever.
"I, Devavrata, promise that I shall never marry and shall remain a celibate throughout my life," he declared. Such a selfless vow, out of love for his father and loyalty to his dynasty, shook all who listened to him. Thenceforth, he was called Bhishma—"he who took a terrible vow."
It was an unparalleled sacrifice he had made that made him present himself like admirable and respectable. Satyavati got married to King Shantanu, and Bhishma continued serving his father and the kingdom, becoming a great support to the Kuru dynasty.