Ep 1. Shantanu the Unfortunate

The Mahabharata is a classic Indian epic that tells the story of a great war between two families, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, for the throne of Hastinapur. Season 1, episode 1 is titled "Shantanu the Unfortunate," and it begins with the backstory of the main protagonist, King Shantanu.

The episode opens with the gods granting Shantanu immortality, but he must give up his right to the throne for this blessing. Shantanu agrees, but the gods tell him that he will have one son who will succeed him as king. Time passes, and Shantanu falls in love with a beautiful woman named Ganga. He asks for her hand in marriage, and she agrees on the condition that he never question her actions.

Shantanu and Ganga have a son named Devavrata, but soon after his birth, Ganga drowns the child in the river. Shantanu is devastated, but Ganga explains that this was necessary to maintain her divine powers. She then offers to give him seven more sons, but after each son's birth, she drowns the child in the river. Shantanu is grief-stricken and powerless to stop her.

Eventually, Shantanu becomes fed up with Ganga's actions and confronts her. She reveals that the sons were actually the eight gods of the Vasus, who had been cursed by the sage Vasishtha. They were born on earth as punishment for their misdeeds and were promised that they would be freed from the curse after their birth. However, Ganga could not bear to part with them and chose to stay with them on earth until their curse was lifted.

Shantanu is horrified that he has unknowingly been a part of this tragic cycle and begs Ganga to spare their next child. She agrees but tells him that their eighth son will be a great warrior and will avenge his brothers' deaths.

The episode ends with Shantanu meeting Satyavati, a beautiful fisherwoman, and falling in love with her. Satyavati tells him that she will only marry him if their children have the right to the throne. Shantanu hesitates, knowing that this would mean going back on his promise to Ganga, but he is unable to resist Satyavati's charms.

Overall, "Shantanu the Unfortunate" is a tragic tale of love, loss, and divine intervention. It sets the stage for the rest of the series by introducing the main characters and their complicated relationships. Viewers are left wondering what will happen next and how this intricate web of fate will play out in the end.