Among the vast cast of characters in the Mahabharata, Bhishma stands apart. He spans the entire epic, from its origins in his father's reign to its climactic battle. He is the grand patriarch, the invincible warrior, the keeper of vows, and ultimately, a tragic figure caught between duty and conscience.
Born as Devavrata, the prince who would become Bhishma possessed everything: royal birth, divine lineage (his mother was the goddess Ganga), supreme martial skills, and wisdom admired by all. Yet he voluntarily renounced everything - the throne, marriage, progeny - for a single act of filial devotion.
His story illuminates the Bhagavad Gita's themes of duty (dharma), sacrifice, and the complexities that arise when duties conflict. Understanding Bhishma deepens our appreciation of both the epic and the Gita's teachings.
Devavrata was born of King Shantanu and the goddess Ganga, who had agreed to marry Shantanu on the condition that he never question her actions. When Ganga drowned seven of their newborn sons, Shantanu remained silent. Only when she was about to drown the eighth did he protest, breaking the condition. Ganga left, but returned years later with Devavrata, now a young man trained in all arts by celestial teachers.
Devavrata was everything a king could want in an heir:
Shantanu formally declared him crown prince, and the future seemed set. Then came an unexpected twist that would change everything.
Years after Ganga's departure, King Shantanu fell in love with Satyavati, a fisherman's daughter. But Satyavati's father set a condition: only her sons could inherit the throne. Shantanu, who had already declared Devavrata his heir, could not accept this condition and fell into despair.
When Devavrata learned of his father's sorrow, he went to Satyavati's father himself. There, he made a vow that stunned all who heard it:
"I renounce my claim to the throne forever. And to ensure that no son of mine can ever challenge Satyavati's descendants, I take a vow of lifelong celibacy. I will never marry, never father children."
At this terrible vow, the heavens showered flowers, celestial beings applauded, and Devavrata received the name by which he would forever be known: Bhishma - "one who has taken a terrible vow."
Overwhelmed by his son's sacrifice, Shantanu granted Bhishma a unique boon: ichha-mrityu - the ability to choose the time of his own death. Bhishma could not be killed unless he willed it. This boon would later become central to the Kurukshetra war's dynamics.
Consider what Bhishma gave up: the throne of one of the mightiest kingdoms, the joys of marriage and family, descendants to carry on his name. He did this not from weakness or inability but from overwhelming love for his father. Yet this very sacrifice set in motion the dynastic conflicts that would culminate in the great war.
After Shantanu's death, Bhishma became the protector and guide of the Kuru dynasty through multiple generations. His life became one of service:
Bhishma ruled as regent while Satyavati's sons were young
He abducted three princesses (Amba, Ambika, Ambali) for his step-brothers - an act that would later have fateful consequences
When Satyavati's sons died without heirs, Bhishma refused to break his vow even to save the dynasty. Vyasa fathered children through niyoga (levirate) instead.
Bhishma oversaw the upbringing and education of both Pandavas and Kauravas
He watched helplessly as Duryodhana's jealousy and Dhritarashtra's favoritism led toward disaster
Bhishma's greatest internal conflict was the clash between different aspects of dharma:
Bhishma had vowed to serve and protect whoever sat on the Hastinapura throne. When Duryodhana effectively controlled the kingdom through the blind Dhritarashtra, Bhishma found himself bound to serve an unjust ruler.
Bhishma was perhaps the wisest person in the kingdom. He knew the Pandavas were in the right. He counseled against the dice game, against the exile, against the refusal to return their kingdom. Yet his counsel was ignored.
"I understand what is right and what is wrong. But bound by my duty to the throne, I must fight alongside those who are in the wrong."
- Bhishma's lament
When war became inevitable, Bhishma found himself in an impossible situation:
Bhishma's situation raises profound questions. Is blind adherence to duty always right? When does commitment become complicity? The Gita's teaching on discrimination (viveka) suggests that wisdom must guide action, not rigid rule-following alone. Bhishma's tragedy may lie in prioritizing his vow over his conscience.
Bhishma appears at the very opening of the Gita, mentioned by Duryodhana in his anxiety:
"Our army, protected by Bhishma, is insufficient, whereas their army, protected by Bhima, is sufficient."
Despite having the invincible Bhishma, Duryodhana expresses insecurity - perhaps sensing that Bhishma's heart isn't fully in the fight.
"Then Bhishma, the grand old man of the Kuru dynasty, the grandfather of the warriors, roared like a lion and blew his conch very loudly, giving joy to Duryodhana."
Bhishma performs his duty, signaling the war's beginning. Yet there's pathos in this - the grandfather signaling the beginning of a conflict that will destroy his grandchildren on both sides.
When Arjuna lists those he cannot bring himself to kill, Bhishma is prominent:
"How can I attack Bhishma and Drona with arrows in battle? They are worthy of worship, O Madhusudana."
Bhishma's presence on the enemy side is a major component of Arjuna's moral crisis. How can he kill the grandfather who raised him with love?
Bhishma served as commander of the Kaurava forces for the first ten days of the eighteen-day war. His performance was remarkable yet restrained.
Before accepting command, Bhishma set a condition: he would not kill the Pandavas. He would fight, he would lead, but he would not actively seek their death. Duryodhana accepted, having no choice.
Bhishma was devastating in battle, killing thousands of soldiers daily. Yet he carefully avoided killing the Pandava brothers directly. This created a strange dynamic - the invincible commander who was not fighting to win.
According to tradition, every evening after battle, the Pandavas would secretly visit Bhishma's tent to pay respects. He would offer them strategic advice - telling them how to defeat him! This bizarre situation encapsulates the tragedy of dharma gone awry.
On the tenth day, the Pandavas employed Shikhandi, a warrior whom Bhishma would not fight because of a complex backstory (Shikhandi was the reincarnation of Amba, whom Bhishma had wronged). Protected by Shikhandi, Arjuna rained arrows upon Bhishma until the grand patriarch fell.
When Bhishma fell, pierced by countless arrows, his body did not touch the ground - he lay on a bed of arrows. Using his boon of ichha-mrityu, he chose not to die immediately but to wait until the sun entered Uttarayana (its northern course), considered auspicious for death.
For the remaining days of the war and beyond, Bhishma lay on his bed of arrows, fully conscious, a pillow of arrows supporting his head, waiting for the auspicious moment to leave his body. Warriors from both sides would visit him for blessing and counsel.
After the war, the victorious Yudhishthira, tormented by guilt over the deaths he had caused, came to Bhishma for counsel. What followed is one of the longest teaching sections in the Mahabharata - the Shanti Parva and Anushasana Parva - where Bhishma imparted wisdom on dharma, governance, philosophy, and life.
Among Bhishma's final teachings was the Vishnu Sahasranama - the thousand names of Vishnu - which remains one of the most important devotional hymns in Hinduism.
When the sun entered Uttarayana, Bhishma finally allowed his life-force to leave. His soul ascended to the heavens, his dharmic obligations fulfilled, his suffering ended.
"I have lived by dharma as I understood it. Where I was wrong, may the Lord forgive. Where I was right, may it guide those who come after."
Bhishma's vow was kept for his entire life - over a century. His example teaches that commitment, once made, should be honored. Yet it also raises the question of whether all commitments should be absolute.
Bhishma's sacrifice, intended to secure his father's happiness, set in motion the very conflicts that would destroy the dynasty. Our well-intentioned actions can have unforeseen effects.
Bhishma was the wisest in the kingdom, but his vows bound him to impotent watching as disaster unfolded. Power and wisdom must be united for effective action.
Bhishma's rigid adherence to his interpretation of duty led him to fight for the wrong side. The Gita's teaching on viveka (discrimination) suggests that wisdom, not rigidity, should guide action.
Bhishma's love for his father led him to sacrifice everything. Sometimes true love requires sacrifice - but sometimes it requires saying no. Discerning which is which is the challenge.
Bhishma, born as Devavrata, was the grand patriarch of the Kuru dynasty and one of the most revered characters in the Mahabharata. Son of King Shantanu and the goddess Ganga, he took a lifelong vow of celibacy and renounced his claim to the throne so his father could marry Satyavati. He was granted the boon of ichha-mrityu (death at will) and served as commander of the Kaurava forces for the first ten days of the Kurukshetra war.
The Bhishma Pratigya was a two-part vow: (1) to renounce his claim to the throne forever, and (2) to remain celibate for life, ensuring he would never have children who might challenge Satyavati's descendants. This "terrible vow" earned him the name Bhishma and the boon of choosing when to die.
Bhishma was bound by his vow to serve whoever sat on the Hastinapura throne. Even though he knew the Pandavas were in the right and counseled against the conflict, he felt duty-bound to fight for Duryodhana. This represents the tragic conflict between different aspects of dharma - a major theme the Bhagavad Gita addresses.
Bhishma's life teaches the power of keeping one's word, the complexity of dharma when duties conflict, the sacrifice that love may require, the importance of wisdom in advising the powerful, and the tragedy that can unfold when one remains bound to wrong causes. His character illustrates both the nobility of duty and its potential limitations.
Bhishma was pierced by countless arrows shot by Arjuna on the tenth day of the war, while Shikhandi shielded Arjuna (Bhishma wouldn't fight Shikhandi). Due to his boon of ichha-mrityu, he didn't die immediately but waited on his "bed of arrows" for the auspicious time of Uttarayana, during which he gave extensive teachings before peacefully departing.
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