Skip to main content

Bhisma

Episode#7

The eighth son of Shantanu and Ganga - Devavrata, who grew up to be a skilled warrior and when she sent him to his father as promised, people of Hastinapur loved the handsome prince and looked forward to the day when Devavrata would be crowned as the king of Hastinapur.

Ganga's forecast was now showing its true colors - after few years rolled by, Shantanu fell in love with a beautiful maiden, a fisher woman named Satyavati who ferried people across the river Ganga.

He proposed her but she also pledged Shantanu that only her son would be his heir! Shantanu was in great dilemma since Devavrata was already crowned as the prince of Hastinapur.

When Devavrata learned about his father's predicament, he went to Satyavati and promised her "I will not claim the throne of Hastinapur and allow your children to be the king of Hastinapur!"

He further vowed that whoever is the king he will respect him like his father and protect him, yet Satyavati and her father we're not satisfied and raised doubts "True! You might not claim but your children may claim the throne and who shall stop them in such an eventuality?"

Devavrata has no convincing answer to it, except sacrifice his own happiness for his father's happiness, he was well aware of the consequences that his decision will change the course of his family history!

He took an extraordinary oath "I shall never marry; I shall never have children from women or be a father of any child" after Devavrata pledge of life long celibacy, there was nothing to stop Shantanu now from entering wed-lock with Satyavati.

Devavrata's oath bewildered all the God's and Goddesses in the Galaxy; showered fragrant flowers on him with great admiration and fondly granted a boon whereby he could choose the day and the time of his own death - "Iccha Mrutyu"

Devavrata was renamed as 'Bhisma' which meant 'Bhisan Pratigya' (terrible oath) of neither marrying any woman nor begetting children from any woman; this unique pledge universally appreciated since it was for a selfless cause blended with extraordinary sacrifice that no son had ever accomplished until that time.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mahabharata war - Day 15 Fall of Acharya Drona.

Episode#69 On the fifteenth day, the war did not cease even after the sunset but continued as mentioned before in Torchlight. The Kurukshetra field presented strange sight with burning torches - the generals and soldiers on both the sides we're engaged in battle, thousands of torches burnt and were used as signals, devised for night time. Ghatotkacha and his troops of demons (who are stronger at night) found darkness an additional advantage and violently attacked Duryodhana army. Duryodhana heart sank when he saw thousands of his men destroyed by Ghatotkacha and his demon army moving in the air and attacking in strange and unexpected ways. The warriors begged to Karna "Kill this fellow at once, Karna, for otherwise, soon our whole army will cease to be. Finish him without delay!" Karna himself was angry and bewildered, having been wounded by one of the Asura arrows. He had with him the spear which Indra had bestowed to him, but as warned, it could be used only once, and...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gandhari: My son Duryodhana was invincible...!

Episode#81 Gandhari says "I do not envy the victory of Pandavas and ibagree that my intense grief has robbed me of my understanding! These Pandavas also are my sons. I know that Dusshasana and Sakuni brought about this destruction and that Arjuna and Bhima are not to be blamed! My sons deserve the fate they have met - only because of their flase pride and vanity I do not complain about it. But in Vasudev Krishna presence,  Bhima challenge Duryodhana to battle and knowing that Duryodhana was stronger and could not br defeat in a single combat, Bhima struck him below the naval and killed him! Vasudev Krishna continued to be an indifferent onlooker! This was against righteousness and it is this that I find it impossible to forgive." Bhima, who heard this, came near and said "Mother, I did this in self-defence, whether is was right or wrong, you should bear with me. Your son was invincible in combat a d I had to resort to self-defence what was undoubtedly wrong,  but then ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mahabharata war - Day 14 Fall of Jayadratha

Episode#68 News of Arjuna's oath reached the enemy. The spies informed Duryodhana that Arjuna, having learnt that Jayadratha was the cause of Abhimanyu death, had vowed to kill Jayadratha before sunset the next day. Vriddhakshatra, the illustrious King of Sindhi's was blessed with a son Jayadratha. During his breath, a voice was heard to say: "This prince will attain great glory in the happy regions above after being slain in the battle. One who, among the warriors of all ages, ranks among the most illustrious, will in the field of battle shall get his head severed from the body." All living beings must die but truth is always bitter! Vriddhakshatra was grieved to hear the voice declare his son's end. In his disturbed state of mind, he uttered a curse "He, who shall cause my son's head roll down on the ground, his head shall be burst at that very moment into fragments." When Jayadratha grew up to his manhood, Vriddhakshatra handed over the state ...
Post a Comment
Read more