View source for Pratipa

{{Infobox deity
| type = Hindu
| image =
| caption =
| father = Bhimasena (according to Mahabharata) or Dilipa (according to puranas)
| mother = Sukumari
| dynasty = [[Chandravamsha]]
| texts = [[Mahabharata]], [[Puranas]]
| siblings =
| children = [[Shantanu]],  Devāpi, and Bālhīka
| spouse = Sunandā
}}{{short description|Kuru King}}
'''Pratipa''' ({{langx|sa|प्रतीप|translit=Pratīpa}}) is a legendary king in [[Hinduism]]. He is the king of [[Hastinapur|Hastinapura]] and a member of the [[Lunar dynasty]]. He is the father of [[Shantanu]] and the grandfather of [[Bhishma]],<ref>Monier Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (Oxford, 1899), p. 674.1</ref>[[Chitrangada (son of Shantanu)|Chitrangada]], and [[Vichitravirya]]. The king is mentioned in the Hindu epic [[Mahabharata]].
== Legend ==
=== Origin ===
According to the [[Puranas]], Pratipa was the great-grandson of Bhimasena and son of Dilipa.<ref>M.M.S. Shastri Chitrao, ''Bharatavarshiya Prachin Charitrakosha'' (Dictionary of Ancient Indian Biography, in Hindi), Pune 1964, p. 469</ref> However, according to the [[Mahabharata]], he was the son of king Bhimasena and princess Sukumari of the [[Kekaya|Kaikeyas]]. He married Sunanda of the Shibis, on whom he begot Devapi, [[Bahlika (Mahabharata)|Bahlika]], and [[Shantanu]].<ref>Mbhr. 1.90.45–46 (Pune Critical Edition)</ref>
=== Meeting with Ganga ===
Once, when King Pratipa was meditating on the banks of the river [[Ganges]] and chanting prayers to [[Surya]], the goddess [[Ganga (goddess)|Ganga]] appeared after receiving a curse from [[Brahma]] at [[Brahmaloka|Satyaloka]]. Ganga came and sat on the right lap of Pratipa, due to which his meditation broke. She requested Pratipa to marry her. Pratipa said that since Ganga had sat on his right lap, which was meant for a daughter or daughter-in-law, she would have to be till Pratipa begot a son. Therefore, he proposed to Ganga that she may marry his son and become his daughter-in-law. At this time, Pratipa and his wife were still without children, but after they had performed some acts of austerity, they begat three sons, [[Devapi]], [[Bahlika (Mahabharata)|Bahlika]] & Shantanu. The youngest son Shantanu inherited the Kingdom of Hastinapura. Shantanu later married Ganga and became the father of [[Bhishma|Devavrata]], better known as Bhishma.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2019-01-28 |title=Story of Gaṅgā |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/compilation/puranic-encyclopaedia/d/doc241588.html |access-date=2022-12-18 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>Mbhr. 1.92</ref>
== Literature ==
J.A.B. van Buitenen, ''Mahabharata'' Book 1, Chicago 1973, pp.&nbsp;214–220
== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Characters in the Mahabharata]]
[[Category:Lunar dynasty]]
[[Category:Mythological kings of Kuru]]