Without mentioning Bhishma Pitamah, the Mahabharata and the renowned Kurukshetra War would not be complete. One of the most significant, energetic, and enigmatic is still Bhishma. Bhisma is admired for his fortitude, selflessness, and devotion to his people. Despite being regarded as a brilliant man, Bhisma did make some poor choices. Bhishma is also recognized for a couple of his contentious deeds. Today, we’ll discuss Bhishma, a brave and enigmatic figure from the Mahabharata.

Who is Bhishma?

King Shantanu and Ganga’s son is named Bhishma. Devavrata, their eighth child, was given the name Bhishma.Either he lived there or Vasu was cursed and reincarnated as Devavrata. He was a man of strength, courage, and force unmatched. He had defeated Parasurama, his guru, and won the gift of everlasting life. Bhishma, as he was called first and afterward as Bhishma Pitamah, was a powerful archer and possessed vast wisdom.

He was one of the Astavasus named Prabhasa who had taken the wish-granting cow Kamadhenu from Sage Vasistha. All of the Vasus were cursed by Vasistha for helping Prabhasa, but because they begged for mercy, they were immediately released from the curse. On the other hand, Prabhasa, who was the main sinner, was plagued with a long life full of challenging circumstances and will go down in history as one of the most enduring characters.

About Bhishma Pitamah

1. Bhishma Takes Celibacy Oath:

Although Devavrata was first in line for the crown, destiny had other plans for him. After a long time, Satyavati, a fisherwoman, caught Shantanu’s attention, and he proposed to her. Satyavati agreed to his plan but made his pledge that only her son, not Devavrata, would rule as king. To appease his father, Devavrata swore a pledge of celibacy after learning about Satyavati’s illness. The throne was open to Satyavati’s son because the oath of celibacy rendered him unsuitable for the position. He was given the gift of a Wish-Long Life, and Satyavati forced him to make an unconditional oath to serve the ruling monarch.

2. Bhishma kidnaps Amba Ambalika and Ambika:

Due to his reputation as a wise and Dharmic man, Bhishma was held in high regard by all. Satyavati gave Bhishma the assignment to utilise the Swayamvara to capture the princesses. In Kshatriya Kingdoms, it was common for Princesses to select their spouses based on their courage and ability, a tradition known as swayamvara. Although the Kashi King had three daughters, Amba already had Salya in her heart. Bhishma won the Swayamvara, but the men present objected when he declared he was speaking on behalf of his stepbrother VichitraVirya. Bhishma kidnapped the three daughters, but after learning of Amba’s choice, he released her. Amba was ridiculed and sent back when she arrived back in Salya. Amba, who felt degraded and angry, vowed to kill Bhishma. But because Bhishma was given eternal life, she was resurrected as Shikhandi and given to King Drupada, who ultimately killed Bhishma.

3. The Garland That Was Never Worn:

Bhishma was the one person whom Amba adored and wanted to marry. But when she was unable to make up her mind and was rejected by her uncle, Bhishma completely rejected her, which caused her to become extremely frustrated. She endured strict penance because she pledged to end Bhishma’s life. Lord Subrahmanya gave her a garland that will never wither. She was told to give the wreath to the person Bhishma would face off against. Because she was a nightmare to everyone, she was unable to convince anyone to wear the garland and join the fight against Bhishma.

4. The Incredible Warrior Whom the Guru Can’t Defeat:

Lord Parashurama, who was regarded as a Mahavishnu incarnation, taught Bhishma a lot about combat. Amba turned to Parashurama in a last-ditch effort to exact revenge for the demeaning disappointment she had experienced from Bhishma. The battle between the Guru and his pupil dragged on for a very long time and ended in a draw because Bhishma was unbeatable.

5. The One Who Choose When to Die:

Bhishma’s father had bestowed upon him the blessing of choosing the moment of his death. In the Mahabharata battlefield, Bhishma decided to take up the bed of arrows. He chose to wait until Uthrayana (northward movement of the sun), which arrived after 58 days because he died in the battle during Dakshinayana (southward movement of the sun), which was not a fortunate time to pass away.

6. Bhishma Taught Pandavas From the Bed of Arrows:

During the 58 days that Bhishma spent waiting to die on the bed of arrows, he spoke to the Pandavas about several significant topics. When asked who was the true rescuer of humanity, he responded that it was Vishnu Sahasranama, one of the thousand names of Vishnu that may grant all wealth to believers and banish all suffering.

7. The Exalted Status of Bhishma Before his Birth:

Bhishma Pitamah was a Vasu before his birth (celestial being). On a fun excursion with their wives, he and his brothers came and discovered a stunning cow named Nandini who was living in the hermitage of the sage Vasishta. One of the Vasus took it after being ordered to by the ladies, which infuriated the wise man. As a result of the sage’s curse, Bhishma was born on this planet.

8. The One Who Made the Lord Krishna Break his Promise:

Krishna had pledged that he wouldn’t use a weapon to participate in the Kurukshetra War before it started. Bhishma engaged in a fierce battle on the battlefield. The champion of battle threw arrows at Arjuna one after another, but he was unable to withstand them. When Bhishma was able to convince the Lord to break his word, Krishna stepped into the battle and caught a chariot wheel flung at Arjuna, saving him from certain death.