Bhishma


Bhishma, also known as Pitāmaha, Gangāputra, and Devavrata, is a central figure in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He was a statesman and military commander of the ancient Kuru kingdom. Renowned for his wisdom, valor, skill in battle and unwavering principles, Bhishma served as the supreme commander of the Kaurava forces during the first ten days of the Kurukshetra War until his fall.
Born to King Shantanu and the river goddess Ganga, he was originally named Devavrata. He was designated the heir-apparent to the throne. However, he renounced his claim and took a vow of lifelong celibacy to facilitate his father's marriage to Satyavati. This sacrifice earned him the title Bhishma, meaning "the one who undertakes a severe vow," and he was blessed with Ichcha Mrityu—the boon of choosing his time of death.
Bhishma's life after his vow was marked by unwavering loyalty to the Kuru dynasty. He served as the chief advisor and regent to successive rulers of Hastinapura, including his stepbrothers Chitrangada and Vichitravirya, as well as their successors—Pandu and Dhritarashtra. During this period, he came into confrontation with his teacher in warfare, Parashurama, for abducting Amba—a princess he had taken for Vichitravirya’s marriage. Under Bhishma's guidance, the kingdom navigated complex political and familial challenges. He also played a pivotal role in arranging the marriages of Pandu and Dhritarashtra as well as in the upbringing of their children—the five Pandava brothers led by Yudhishthira, and the hundred Kauravas led by Duryodhana. Bhishma also mediated numerous conflicts within the royal family, including the division of the Kuru kingdom between Duryodhana and Yudhishthira. Despite his personal allegiance to dharma, Bhishma's loyalty to the throne bound him to side with the Kauravas during the Kurukshetra War.
In battle, Bhishma was unmatched in skill and strategy, holding off the Pandava forces for ten days. On the tenth day, however, the Pandava prince Arjuna, aided by Shikhandi, incapacitated him with a volley of arrows, leaving him lying on a bed of arrows. Bhishma spent fifty-one days in this state, offering counsel to the Pandavas and Kauravas alike. Before his death, timed to the auspicious Uttarayana, he imparted the Vishnu Sahasranama to Yudhishthira and shared his vast knowledge on governance, dharma, and the duties of a king.
Revered in Hindu tradition, Bhishma is extolled for his sacrifice and duty. His death anniversary, observed as Bhishma Ashtami, falls on the eighth lunar day of the bright half of the Magha month.

Etymology and epithets

According to Monier Monier-Williams, the word Bhishma means "extreme" or "fierce". The word is also used to describe Rudra, the fierce god, as well as the Rakshasa. In the epic, Devavrata received this as he undertook a fierce or terrible vow and fulfilled it. Bhishma was given the name Devavrata at his birth, meaning one who is devoted to Gods.
As Bhishma was the only surviving son of Ganga, he was given many epithets which mean "son of Ganga" Gangaputra, Gang, Gangasuta and Gangeya. The word Gangadatta means the gift of Ganga. Patronymics of Bhishma include Shantanava, Shantanuputra, Shantanusuta and Shantanuja. Bhishma was also referred as:
  • Gaurānga – the one with fair body
  • Shvetaveera – a white warrior or the one who is heroic white and has all weapons in white Colour
  • Bhārata – a descendant of Bharata
  • Mahāmahima – his excellency
  • Parashuramashishya – disciple of Parashurama
  • Pitāmaha – Grandfather

    Birth and early life

Bhishma's birth and youth are mainly narrated in the Adi Parva book of the epic. He was the only surviving son of Shantanu, a king belonging to the lunar dynasty, and his first wife Ganga, a river goddess. It is believed that he was the avatar of a Vasu named Dyu, alias Prabhasa.
According to the legend, Shantanu, the youngest son of the king Pratipa and the king of Kuru kingdom, was on a hunting trip, when he saw a beautiful woman on the banks of the river Ganga. He fell in love with her and asked for her hand in marriage. The lady agreed to his proposal but with one condition that he will never question her actions; and if this condition was broken, she would abandon him. Shantanu accepted it and lived a happy marital life with her. However, when a child was born, the queen used to drown him in the river Ganga. One by one, seven sons were born and drowned, while Shantanu remained silent because of his commitment. When she was about to throw the eighth child into the river, Shantanu, unable to control himself, stopped her and confronted her about her actions. After hearing Shantanu's harsh words, the woman revealed herself to be the goddess Ganga and justified her actions and narrated the following story.
Once the celestial Vasus and their wives were enjoying themselves in the forest when the wife of Dyu spotted an excellent cow and asked her husband to steal it. The cow was Nandini, daughter of the wish-fulfilling cow Surabhi, and was owned by the sage Vashishtha. With the help of his brothers, Dyu tried to steal it but Vashishtha caught them and cursed them to be born as mortals and suffer a miserable life. Upon their pleading, Vashishta showed mercy and told the other seven Vasus that they will be liberated soon after their birth. However, Dyu being the protagonist of the theft was cursed to endure a longer life on the earth. Before the birth of her sons, Ganga was requested to kill the seven children soon after their birth. Hearing this, Shantanu was filled with grief and regrets and Ganga decided to abandon him as her condition was broken. Before disappearing, she promised Shantanu to return his heir.
Ganga named her son Devavrata and took him to different loka, where he was brought up and trained by many eminent sages.
  • Brihaspati and Shukracharya taught Devavrata the duties of kings, or political science and other Shastras.
  • The sages Vashishtha and Chyavana taught the Vedas and Vedangas to Devavrata.
  • Sanatkumara: The eldest son of the god Brahma taught Devavrata the mental and spiritual sciences.
  • Markandeya: The immortal son of Mrikanda of Bhrigu's race who acquired everlasting youth from the god Shiva taught Devavrata in the duties of the Yatis.
  • Parashurama: The son of Jamadagni trained Bhishma in warfare.
  • Indra: The king of the Devas. He bestowed celestial weapons on Bhishma.
Bhishma possessed many esteemed divine weapons and was resistant against magical warfare. Weapons inducing stupor and mental clouding rendered no effect on him.
Years later, Shantanu was roaming on the banks of the Ganga and observed that the water of the river had turned shallow. He saw a young man blocking the water currents with a dam made up of arrows. Shantanu recognised his son because of the similarities and begged Ganga to return him. Ganga appeared in a youthful form and handed her son to Shantanu as per her promise. The young Devavrata was known as Gangadatta as he was handed over by Ganga.

The oath

Devavrata was made the heir-apparent, and the citizens loved him because of his divine background and eligibility. Meanwhile, Shantanu went to the forest and met a fisherwoman named Satyavati, who operated the boats crossing the Yamuna. He fell in love with her and asked for her hand in marriage from her father. However, the fisherman-chief told that he would only agree if Shantanu promised to put the son born to Satyavati as the heir. Shantanu rejected the offer as he had already promised the throne to Devavrata and returned to the palace. He started to avoid any company and spend his time in bed in grief and solitude. Devavrata noticed his father's sorrow and discovered the reason behind it from a minister.
Devavrata immediately rushed to the cottage of the fishermen-chief and begged him for Satyavati, but the fishermen-chief repeated his former condition. For his father's pleasure and happiness, Devavrata ceded his rights to the throne and promised to put the son of Satyavati on the throne of the kingdom. Satyavati's father was not assured as he claimed that disputes were likely to arise between Satyavati's son and Devavrata's children regarding the rights to the throne. To satisfy him, Devavrata took the vow of lifelong Brahmacharya, thus denying himself the pleasures of marital life.
The celestials showered flowers from heaven and he came to be known as "Bhishma" as he took a terrible vow. With the consent of the fisherman, Bhishma took Satyavati to his father on a chariot and informed him about his vows. A loving father Shantanu gave him a boon of Iccha Mrityu, the control over the time of his death. Shantanu and Satyavati soon married and two children – Chitrangada and Vichitravirya were born.

Affairs of Kuru Kingdom

After the death of his father, Bhishma played a major role in the affairs of the Kuru kingdom. He managed the kingdom when there were succession crises. He also arranged the marriage of his nephews and tried to bring peace between his grand-nephews, the Kauravas and the Pandavas.
The text Harivamsa mentions that during the mourning period after Shantanu's death, Bhishma killed Ugrayudha Paurava, a statesman of Panchala kingdom who lusted for Satyavati and tried to buy her with wealth. According to the Mahabharata, Chitrangada was crowned as the king, however, he was soon killed by a Gandharva. Bhishma performed Chitrangada's funeral rites. Vichitravirya, who was too young to rule, was crowned as the king by Bhishma but the actual control of the kingdom was under Satyavati until he reached adulthood. Bhishma aided Satyavati during that time.

Swayamvara of the Kashi princesses and battle with Parashurama

When Vichitravirya grew up, Bhishma decided to bring Amba, Ambika and Ambalikathe princesses of Kashi kingdomand get them married to him. Bhishma reached the kingdom and fought Shalva, easily defeating him and rightfully won over the princesses, who were choosing their spouse in a Swayamvara. Shalva, the ruler of Shalwa or Saubala Kingdom and the lover of Amba, attempted to stop Bhishma but failed. Upon reaching Hastinapura, Ambika and Ambalika consented to marry Vichitravirya, while Amba told Bhishma about her love for Shalva. Learning about her feelings, Bhishma sent Amba to Saubala Kingdom.
The Udyoga Parva further narrates about Amba as well as the battle between Bhishma and Parashurama. When Amba requested Shalva to marry her, he rejected her, claiming that he was already humiliated during the Svayamvara. He also told her that he could not accept a woman who was won by another man. A variant suggests that after Amba returned to Hastinapur, Bhishma then asked Vichitravirya to marry her, but he also refused to marry her as she loved another man. With no one to accept her, Amba blamed Bhishma for her misery and wanted revenge from him. She went to the kings of several kingdom and tried to convince them to slay Bhishma; but none of them agreed. After she was advised by some sages, she met Parasurama, Bhishma's teacher and successfully convinced him to vow to help her.
Parasurama went to Kurukshetra and sent a message to Bhishma to meet him. Bhishma arrived at the place and offered his service to his teacher. Wanting to solve the situation, Parasurama ordered him to marry Amba, telling him that it was his duty. However, Bhishma denied it, reminding him about his vow. This enraged Parashurama and he threatened Bhishma with death. Bhishma tried to calm him but it failed. An intense battle began with both protecting their words. They fought for twenty-three days, each using celestial weapons. Ganga tried to stop them but was unsuccessful. On the twenty-fourth day of battle, Bhishma attempted to use the Prashwapastra against Parashurama, but the divine sage Narada and the gods intervened and showed their concern over the use of powerful weapons which could destroy the world. Parashurama ended the conflict and the battle was declared a stalemate. After hearing about the event, Amba decided to take her revenge on her own and did severe austerities to please the god Shiva. Shiva appeared in front of her and assured that she would be reborn and become instrumental in Bhishma's death. Satisfied, she then made a funeral pyre of woods and killed herself. Years later, she was reborn as Shikhandini, daughter of King Drupada of Panchala kingdom.