Bhishma
As soon as this name gets into the ears, we all remember ‘Mahabharata’ and the ‘Battle of Kurukshetra’. For some TV lovers, it reminds the serial Mahabharat by B. R. Films and Mukesh Khanna that portrayed the character of Bhishma. Well I m nothing to write about this great person, but many things can be learnt from him and the way he led his life. To say in a line, his life is a pure example of selflessness and love for her Motherland. As everyone knows about Mahabharata, but I will be pleased to write in brief. Most of the contents are taken from wikipedia and hence if something somewhere I am wrong, apologies in advance.
The Mahābhārata (Devanagari: महाभारत) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Rāmāyaṇa. With more than 74,000 verses, long prose passages, and some 1.8 million words in total, it is the longest epic poem in the world.[1] Taken together with the Harivamsa, the Mahabharata has a total length of more than 90,000 verses.
It is of immense religious and philosophical importance in India and Nepal, a major text of Hinduism. Its discussion of human goals (artha or wealth, kama or pleasure, dharma or duty/harmony, and moksha or liberation) takes place within a long-standing mythological tradition, attempting to explain the relationship of the individual to society and the world (the nature of the 'Self') and the workings of karma.
Now the purpose of writing this is because I have watched both Ramayana and Mahabharata on television during my childhood and always fascinated by the legends, Gods and Goddesses, the battle fields, the war against evil and the various kinds of magic (Maya) they do. But Mahabharata remains always my favorites and specially Bhishma and Vasudev Krishna. Krishna being the incarnation of Lord Vishnu no doubt needs to be great, but his childhood shown in the serial was awesome. Also Bhishma, son of Ganga and Shantanu, given the vardaan from his Father that he will continue to live as long as he can and controls his death. But to my point, the God didn’t do justice to him and he just gave his life for his country and to the king of Hastinapur. If his life didn’t get that turn because of his step mother, then might be he wont be remembered as what we know him, or probably the greatest king ever the history would have seen. But I think its no point to discuss this as he was born only to give his everything to others and he did that in style and didn’t gave his life until he was sure to see that his motherland was in safe hands. Ok now just a brief description of his life so as to brush your memory. This is taken from Wikipedia.
Janamejaya's ancestor Shantanu, the king of Hastinapura has a short-lived marriage with the goddess Ganga and has a heroic son, Devavrata (later to be called Bhishma).He was trained by Parashurama. Devavrata, a young man already with a reputation as a fearsome warrior, is the heir apparent to the throne.
Many years later, when the king goes hunting, he spots Satyavati, the daughter of a fisherman, and wants to marry her. Eager to secure his daughter's and her children's future happiness, the fisherman refuses to consent to the marriage unless Shantanu promises to make the future son of Satyavati the king upon his death, instead of Devavrata. To solve the king's dilemma, Devavrata agrees to that. Finding that the fisherman, though convinced of Devavrata's commitment, is not sure about the prince's children honouring the promise, Devavrata makes a severe vow of lifelong celibacy to guarantee his father's promise. Hearing such a vow, unheard of amongst warriors, the heavens bestow Devavrata with the name Bhishma, 'the person of the terrible oath'. Shantanu has two sons by Satyavati, Chitrangat and Vichitravirya(Vichitraveer). Upon Shantanu's death, the young Chitrangat becomes king with his elder brother Bhishma at his side, serving as a guardian and regent of sorts to the young king. After his death Vichitravirya rules Hastinapura, again with Bhishma his elder brother at his side. To have his younger brother married, Bhishma goes to Kashi for Swayamwara to get the three beautiful daughters of Kashiraj. Their names are Amba, Ambika and Ambalika. Amba is in love with Salvaraj. Bhishma, on the way to Hastinapur; with the girls, had a combat with Salvaraj and other princes. He wins and goes to Hastinapura. Amba, tells about her love to Satyavati, Bhishma's step-mother. She allows her to go back to Salvaraj, who does not accept her; as it was against Kshatriya Dharma. Insulted Amba comes back to Hastinapura and asks Bhishma to marry her. Being vouched for celibacy, Bhishma rejects her, on which she curses him that she would be the cause of his Death. When King Shantanu is on his deathbed, his concern for his children and the stability of the kingdom delays his death. To ease the king's pains Bhishma promises to stay alive until the kingdom is safe and secure. Again, an awesome promise as all kingdoms is under constant threat. This promise was to cost him dearly, giving him a long life with constant tribulations and battles. Later, though seriously wounded, Bhishma could not give up his soul until the final battle resulted in the rule of the righteous Pandavas.
Why I have written this article is just to let you all know that we are very fortunate that we have born in a land where legends like Bhishma lived and gave an opportunity to take there example and live a life which may led you to the death bed in peace. He symbolizes courage, sacrifice, faith, responsibility, selflessness, and love to Motherland and to keep promise. There is no end to praise the way he lived and served his land and people, not even a single pleasure in life, first gave sacrifice for his father, then mother, then for his land, for himself. A motivational factor for everyone. Sometime I feel how can a person gives everything without thinking anything, as everyone is so selfish that they do everything keeping there benefit first. Today nobody practically cares for others and why for, everyone needs to grow and the way they do is to step over another, it’s a human tendency and nobody denies the fact. I feel this is the reason why you can’t find many Bhishma in today’s world and never can we find many. Hence to have this example we can try to live a life that atleast wont be on cost for another person happiness and it should serve the purpose of giving happiness to all you are responsible for.
As soon as this name gets into the ears, we all remember ‘Mahabharata’ and the ‘Battle of Kurukshetra’. For some TV lovers, it reminds the serial Mahabharat by B. R. Films and Mukesh Khanna that portrayed the character of Bhishma. Well I m nothing to write about this great person, but many things can be learnt from him and the way he led his life. To say in a line, his life is a pure example of selflessness and love for her Motherland. As everyone knows about Mahabharata, but I will be pleased to write in brief. Most of the contents are taken from wikipedia and hence if something somewhere I am wrong, apologies in advance.
The Mahābhārata (Devanagari: महाभारत) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Rāmāyaṇa. With more than 74,000 verses, long prose passages, and some 1.8 million words in total, it is the longest epic poem in the world.[1] Taken together with the Harivamsa, the Mahabharata has a total length of more than 90,000 verses.
It is of immense religious and philosophical importance in India and Nepal, a major text of Hinduism. Its discussion of human goals (artha or wealth, kama or pleasure, dharma or duty/harmony, and moksha or liberation) takes place within a long-standing mythological tradition, attempting to explain the relationship of the individual to society and the world (the nature of the 'Self') and the workings of karma.
Now the purpose of writing this is because I have watched both Ramayana and Mahabharata on television during my childhood and always fascinated by the legends, Gods and Goddesses, the battle fields, the war against evil and the various kinds of magic (Maya) they do. But Mahabharata remains always my favorites and specially Bhishma and Vasudev Krishna. Krishna being the incarnation of Lord Vishnu no doubt needs to be great, but his childhood shown in the serial was awesome. Also Bhishma, son of Ganga and Shantanu, given the vardaan from his Father that he will continue to live as long as he can and controls his death. But to my point, the God didn’t do justice to him and he just gave his life for his country and to the king of Hastinapur. If his life didn’t get that turn because of his step mother, then might be he wont be remembered as what we know him, or probably the greatest king ever the history would have seen. But I think its no point to discuss this as he was born only to give his everything to others and he did that in style and didn’t gave his life until he was sure to see that his motherland was in safe hands. Ok now just a brief description of his life so as to brush your memory. This is taken from Wikipedia.
Janamejaya's ancestor Shantanu, the king of Hastinapura has a short-lived marriage with the goddess Ganga and has a heroic son, Devavrata (later to be called Bhishma).He was trained by Parashurama. Devavrata, a young man already with a reputation as a fearsome warrior, is the heir apparent to the throne.
Many years later, when the king goes hunting, he spots Satyavati, the daughter of a fisherman, and wants to marry her. Eager to secure his daughter's and her children's future happiness, the fisherman refuses to consent to the marriage unless Shantanu promises to make the future son of Satyavati the king upon his death, instead of Devavrata. To solve the king's dilemma, Devavrata agrees to that. Finding that the fisherman, though convinced of Devavrata's commitment, is not sure about the prince's children honouring the promise, Devavrata makes a severe vow of lifelong celibacy to guarantee his father's promise. Hearing such a vow, unheard of amongst warriors, the heavens bestow Devavrata with the name Bhishma, 'the person of the terrible oath'. Shantanu has two sons by Satyavati, Chitrangat and Vichitravirya(Vichitraveer). Upon Shantanu's death, the young Chitrangat becomes king with his elder brother Bhishma at his side, serving as a guardian and regent of sorts to the young king. After his death Vichitravirya rules Hastinapura, again with Bhishma his elder brother at his side. To have his younger brother married, Bhishma goes to Kashi for Swayamwara to get the three beautiful daughters of Kashiraj. Their names are Amba, Ambika and Ambalika. Amba is in love with Salvaraj. Bhishma, on the way to Hastinapur; with the girls, had a combat with Salvaraj and other princes. He wins and goes to Hastinapura. Amba, tells about her love to Satyavati, Bhishma's step-mother. She allows her to go back to Salvaraj, who does not accept her; as it was against Kshatriya Dharma. Insulted Amba comes back to Hastinapura and asks Bhishma to marry her. Being vouched for celibacy, Bhishma rejects her, on which she curses him that she would be the cause of his Death. When King Shantanu is on his deathbed, his concern for his children and the stability of the kingdom delays his death. To ease the king's pains Bhishma promises to stay alive until the kingdom is safe and secure. Again, an awesome promise as all kingdoms is under constant threat. This promise was to cost him dearly, giving him a long life with constant tribulations and battles. Later, though seriously wounded, Bhishma could not give up his soul until the final battle resulted in the rule of the righteous Pandavas.
Why I have written this article is just to let you all know that we are very fortunate that we have born in a land where legends like Bhishma lived and gave an opportunity to take there example and live a life which may led you to the death bed in peace. He symbolizes courage, sacrifice, faith, responsibility, selflessness, and love to Motherland and to keep promise. There is no end to praise the way he lived and served his land and people, not even a single pleasure in life, first gave sacrifice for his father, then mother, then for his land, for himself. A motivational factor for everyone. Sometime I feel how can a person gives everything without thinking anything, as everyone is so selfish that they do everything keeping there benefit first. Today nobody practically cares for others and why for, everyone needs to grow and the way they do is to step over another, it’s a human tendency and nobody denies the fact. I feel this is the reason why you can’t find many Bhishma in today’s world and never can we find many. Hence to have this example we can try to live a life that atleast wont be on cost for another person happiness and it should serve the purpose of giving happiness to all you are responsible for.
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