It is essential to understand the story of Emperor Shantanu, the brother of Bahlikaraja and the progenitor of the Kuru and Pandava lineages.

Sri Madhvacharya, in his critical work "Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya," provides a detailed account of Shantanu, the third son of King Pratipa. He describes Shantanu's origin, incarnation reason, and life events. According to the sage’s analysis, Shantanu’s story is as follows:

Once, Brahma, seated on a lotus, was meditating on the western shore of the Eastern Ocean at the confluence of the Ganga and the sea during a festival period. On that full moon day, the sea, whipped by strong winds and massive waves, overflowed and drenched Brahma, who was in deep meditation. Annoyed by this, Brahma said, "Varuna, be calm." Instantly, the ocean became tranquil. Then Brahma cursed Varuna, saying, "Since you have disrupted my meditation, be born as a king on earth named Mahabhishek. After performing great penance, you will be called Shantanu in your next life. Ganga will be your wife."

Due to Brahma's curse, Varuna was born on earth as King Mahabhishek, ruled for a long time, and then returned to Brahma's court. Later, during a Brahma Sabha, when Ganga's clothes became disheveled, everyone lowered their heads in respect, but Varuna looked at her with lustful eyes. Observing this, Brahma cursed Varuna again, saying, "You will be born as a king named Shantanu on earth." This curse aligned with the previous curse. Thus, Varuna was born as Shantanu, the son of King Pratipa, and later married Ganga.

Shantanu and Ganga had seven sons who were the reincarnations of the Vasus. Ganga drowned each of them, fulfilling their curse. Their eighth son was Devavrata, known as Bhishma. Shantanu crowned Devavrata, skilled in all scriptures and weapons, at a grand ceremony.

In ancient times, a girl named "Ayyowa" was born from the thoughts of the Pitru Devatas (ancestral deities). Desiring to have Lord Vishnu as her son, she performed intense penance. Pleased with her devotion, Lord Vishnu granted her wish, promising her that she would have Him as her son in the future. This girl, now reborn as the daughter of the fisherman king Dasaraja, was named "Kali" and raised as his daughter.

One day, while ferrying the sage Parashara across the river, Kali was seduced by the sage, who transformed into Lord Veda Vyasa. After giving birth to Vyasa, Parashara restored her virginity and left with Vyasa. Kali, now extremely beautiful, continued to live in Dasaraja’s household.

When Emperor Shantanu saw Kali, he fell deeply in love with her and wished to marry her. Dasaraja agreed on the condition that her son would be the heir to the throne. Since Shantanu’s son Devavrata was already the crown prince, he was distressed and returned to his palace. Learning of his father’s dilemma, Devavrata approached Dasaraja and vowed to renounce his claim to the throne and remain a lifelong celibate. Impressed by his vow, the gods named him "Bhishma." Dasaraja's daughter, Kali, became Shantanu's wife and was known as Satyavati.

Shantanu and Satyavati had two sons: Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. After Shantanu's death, Bhishma made Chitrangada and Vichitravirya the crown princes. Chitrangada was later killed by a Gandharva of the same name. Bhishma then crowned Vichitravirya and arranged his marriage to Ambika and Ambalika, the daughters of the king of Kashi. After some time, Vichitravirya died of tuberculosis without an heir. The kingdom was left without a ruler.

Queen Satyavati then requested her son Vyasa to beget sons through Ambika and Ambalika. Vyasa’s intervention led to the birth of Dhritarashtra from Ambika, Pandu from Ambalika, and Vidura from a maid. Thus, Vyasa saved the Kuru dynasty by ensuring its continuation.

The greatness of Bahlikaraja, the elder brother of Shantanu, becomes evident through these events. Shantanu’s lineage continued through Bhishma, Dhritarashtra, and Pandu, leading to the famous Kauravas and Pandavas, central figures in the Mahabharata.