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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.

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