The Undefeated Warrior falls on the battlefield
Understanding the Background of the Rishi of VishnuSahasranama
Devavrata, popularly known as "Bheeshma", was the son of King Shantanu of the Kuru Clan and Goddess Ganga.
He, along with his seven brothers, is the reincarnation of the Ashta Vasus (A Class of demigods), namely Drona, Prana, Dhruva, Arka, Agni, Dosha, Vasu and Vibhavasu (aka Prabhasa, dyu). Bheeshma was the incarnation of the Last Vasu Vibhavasu.
Once, all of the Ashta Vasus and their Wives visited the Ashrama of Sage Vasishta, and after seeing the Divine Cow Nandini, which had the power of granting any wishes, they stole it from his Ashram.
When Sage Vasishta returned and got to know that Nandini had been stolen, he cursed all of the Ashta Vasus to be stripped from their divine ranks, be incarnated in human form and go through all the miseries that human beings go through. After hearing about the grave curse, the ashta vasus requested Sage Vasishta. He softened the curse, saying 7 of the ashta vasus will be liberated from the curse very soon, but Vibhavasu, who led this act, will live the longest life, filled with challenges and responsibilities.
King Shantanu (the reincarnation of Varuna, the Demi-God associated with the element water) of the Kuru Vamsha (or Clan) had sons with the River Goddess Ganga. But when each son was born, Goddess Ganga took all of them and drowned them in the Ganga, which was very shocking for Shantanu to see. Still, he couldn't question her because it was a covenant laid down by Ganga before she married Shantanu that he wouldn't question her actions, even if they seemed strange.
Truly speaking, the 7 sons were the ashta vasus who were previously cursed by Sage Vasishta, and Ganga (who is the remover of all sins) was actually liberating them from their curse. Their suffering was limited to Garbhavasa (As per the Shastras, the soul undergoes a very difficult stage inside the womb of the mother and is tormented inside because the soul is said to carry all the memories of previous lives, said to be conscious and will forget everything as soon as it is born).
But when the 8th son was born, Shantanu's patience broke down, and he asked the reason behind this. Ganga explained the divine intent behind her actions, and as Shantanu had broken his promise, Ganga left Shantanu.
Anyways, she took the 8th Son, Devavrata, to the Guru of the gods, Brishaspati and to Lord Parashurama, after 325 years of mastering all ShÄstras (Vedas, Vedanga, Smriti, Itihasa, Puranas, Pancharatra) and Shastras (Art of Warfare) under their tutelage, she presented him to Shantanu.
When Shantanu wanted to marry Satyavati, she agreed to marry him on the condition that only her sons and their progeny would inherit the throne of Hastinapura. Shantanu was hesitant to agree to this, as it would mean Devarata would not get the throne. Yet Devavrata, upon hearing this, took an oath of lifelong celibacy for his father to marry Satyavati, and to owe allegiance to their heirs who would become successors of the Kuru Clan and protect the Crown.
In recognition of his unwavering oath and sacrifice, his father granted him the boon of Ichhamarana (the power to choose the time of one's death) and bestowed upon him the name Bhishma.
Bheeshma, owing to his divine rank and rigorous training he received under Brihaspati and Parashurama, became an exceptionally skilled warrior. Renowned as Ajatashatru (one whose enemies are yet to be born), he was also deeply learned in the sacred scriptures and a devoted follower of Sri Krishna.
But Bheeshma, though being an enlightened being, had committed many grave mistakes throughout his lifetime.
Bheeshma's Mistakes
The Injustice Done to Amba
Shantanu married Satyavati and had a son called VichitraVeerya, who was severely ill by birth. For the clan to continue, VichitraVeerya had to marry and bear heirs who would become the successors of the Crown.
For royal princes, marriage was often determined through Swayamvaras, grand assemblies where kings and princes gathered before a Princess, who would choose her husband. Typically, the suitors were required to prove their worth through a contest, and the one who emerged victorious would earn the right to her hand in marriage.
Kashiraja had announced a Swayamvara for his three princesses, Amba, Ambika and Ambalika. Bheeshma sought this opportunity to marry them to his brother, VichitraVeerya, who went to compete in the Swayamvara on his stead.
When Bheeshma arrived in Kashi, he did not reveal that he was acting on behalf of his brother. Instead, he participated in the Swayamvara like the other assembled kings and princes and emerged victorious in the contest. Only after winning did he announce before the royal court that he had competed not for himself, but for his brother, who would be the one to marry the princesses.
However, Princess Amba had already developed deep feelings for Bheeshma upon seeing his valour and noble bearing. She refused to marry his brother and declared that she would accept none but Bheeshma as her husband. Bound by his solemn vow of lifelong celibacy, Bheeshma firmly declined her request and told her she was free to marry any prince of her choosing. Yet no prince was willing to accept her, for she had already been won by Bheeshma in the contest, and thus they believed it improper to claim her.
Having placed Amba in such a tragic predicament, Bheeshma nevertheless proceeded with his duty. Ambika and Ambalika were duly married to his brother, Vichitraveerya.
Amba, however, refused to accept her fate. Determined to seek justice, she approached Lord Parashurama, the revered guru of Bheeshma, and implored him to command Bheeshma to marry her. Parashurama summoned Bheeshma and instructed him to accept Ambaās hand, but Bheeshma remained steadfast, bound by his terrible vow of lifelong celibacy.
Seeing his command ignored and moved by Ambaās plight, Parashurama challenged Bheeshma: if he would not marry her, he must face him in combat. Thus, in a grave and extraordinary turn of events, Bheeshma took up arms against his own guru, engaging in a fierce duel without fully grasping the profound consequences that the situation had brought upon them all.
Nevertheless, Bheeshma fought with all his might against Parashurama and refused to yield. The battle between the guru and his disciple raged fiercely, with neither willing to retreat. Seeing Bheeshmaās unwavering resolve and recognising that he would not abandon his vow, Parashurama finally withdrew from the conflict. He declared that Bheeshma was free to act according to his own will and would bear the consequences of his choices.
Seeing this, Amba was grief-stricken and performed intense Tapas and obtained a wish from Lord Shiva to be born again as Shikhandi and be the cause of Bheeshma's death, and committed suicide by entering into a funeral pyre.
As Bheeshma swore allegiance to the heirs of the Kuru King, he was unable to control Duryodhana and his brothers during Dhritarashtra's rule because of his political correctness. Though he was a very learned person, he was unable to raise his voice against the evils the sons of Dhritarashtra were committing, by forgetting a bigger duty, i.e. ensuring dharma in the world.
Draupadi's Plea in the Court
During the Dyuta Sabha, the Pandavas were invited to a game of dice by Duryodhana and his brothers. Bound by the code of kings and his own weakness for gambling, Yudhishthira gradually lost his kingdom, his wealth, his brothers, and finally even himself.
Once the Pandavas had become slaves, the court, under the influence of Dhritarashtra and his sons, compelled Yudhishthira to stake his wife, Draupadi, in the game. When he lost yet again, Draupadi too was declared a slave.
But the humiliation did not end there. Draupadi was forcibly dragged into the royal assembly, an act that shocked even the elders present. In that moment of utter despair, she turned to the venerable Bheeshma and pleaded for justice.
Yet Bheeshma, torn between his loyalty to the throne and the principles of dharma, responded with uncertainty. He confessed that he could not determine whether Draupadiās treatment was correct or not.
Such indecisiveness and silence at a moment when he ought to have spoken with clarity and authority ultimately contributed to this grave moral tragedy.
Krishna had pointed out Bheeshma's mistake a few days before the war, when he had arrived as a messenger from the Pandavas side. Krishna did not accept anyone's invitation to stay for the night and went to Vidura's house. When Bheeshma and Dronacharya asked for the reason, Krishna pointed out their silence during the grave injustice against Draupadi, and Vidura was the only one in the court who protested and walked out.
Draupadi, being a great pativrata, the Kulavadhu of the Kuru clan and a great devotee of Lord Krishna, and injustice to his Devotees is a greater sin than the Lord himself{Bhagavata Apacharam}.
Vowing to break Sri Krishna's Oath
Before the great war of Kurukshetra commenced, Krishna made an offer to Duryodhana and Arjuna that either they could have the big Narayani Sena or have an unarmed Krishna on their side. Duryodhana chose the Narayani Sena, and Arjuna chose Krishna to be on his side, even though he was unarmed.
But Bheeshma knew very well that even when Krishna is unarmed, they would win just because of his presence. In a fit of arrogance, Bheeshma vowed he would make Krishna break his vow.
Bheeshma, to provoke Krishna, showered arrows towards him, in such a way that even Krishna's armour fell, and both Arjuna and Krishna were severely wounded. Which was another offence towards God.
The Lord Forgives Bheeshma
Bheeshma's life, in conclusion, was filled with the responsibilities of bearing the burden of Politics (being senapati of the Kurusena), saw three kings fall from their positions. First, his brother, Vichitraveerya, who died of illness, Pandu, who died because of an unfortunate curse and Dhritarashtra, because of his various blindnesses, blind affection towards his progeny, blindness caused by power, blindness of judgement and blindness by birth too.
Bheeshma, with all the capabilities and wisdom of being a just king, the valour of a great warrior, the foresight of a great administrator, couldn't be king; he served helplessly as an abiding assistant, yet forgot the main purpose of protecting Raja Dharma, that is Praja Hita and Praja Samrakshana (Peace and Protection of all Citizens).
Though he knew Dhritarashtra was doing injustice to the Pandavas, his whole kingdom was tormented by Duryodhana and his brothers, and power was being misused, his blind adherence to his lifelong oath, though a great sacrifice, did not benefit anyone and resulted in the great war.
He could have saved Amba's life from a great tragedy; he could have protected Draupadi and defended her in front of the royal court; he could have stopped the war from happening by supporting the Pandavas, but he was blinded by adhering to his oath at the cost of a greater good. He remained unmoved when it mattered the most, thereby allowing silence and duty to eclipse justice and compassion.
Yet, despite all these mistakes, Krishna knew the truth of Bheeshmaās inner being. Beneath his flawed choices lived a man of profound wisdomādeeply learned in the Shastras and unmatched in his understanding. Above all, he remained a sincere and unwavering devotee of Sri Krishna, whose grace ultimately saw beyond his actions and into the purity of his soul.
When the Pandavas performed the grand Rajasuya Yajna at Indraprastha, inviting kings and rulers from across many kingdoms, a question arose in the sabhaāwho among them was most worthy of receiving the first honour? In that moment of deliberation, Bheeshma, with unwavering conviction and clarity of judgment, rose and declared that the highest respect must be bestowed upon Sri Krishna, recognising him not merely as a king among kings, but as the Supreme Being worthy of all reverence. This singular act stood as a powerful testament to Bheeshmaās unwavering devotionāa moment that proclaimed, above all else, his recognition of the divine in Sri Krishna, and his readiness to honour it without hesitation, even in the presence of the mightiest kings.
Krishna held deep compassion for Bheeshma, who, even after vowing not to wield weapons in the war, chose to break His own promise. Provoked by Bheeshmaās relentless valour on the battlefield, Krishna leapt down, seized a broken chariot wheel, and charged forward, ready to strike.
In that moment, Bheeshma stood overwhelmedāhis heart filled not with fear, but with devotion. All his life, he had been a man bound by vows, unwavering and resolute. Yet here was Krishna, the Supreme Himself, setting aside His own oath, just to fulfil Bheeshmaās vow of compelling Him to take up arms.
Struck by this boundless grace, Bheeshma saw not an enemy before him, but the Divine responding to the love and devotion of His Devotee, where even God bends His own word to honour his sincerity.
After that profound moment, Bheeshmaās resolve began to shift. Recognizing the divine will at play and the course destiny had set, he chose not to resist it any longer. He willingly laid down his defences and accepted defeat at the hands of Shikhandi, who was none other than the reincarnation of Amba, born solely to avenge her past.
In doing so, Bheeshma did not fall in weakness, but in acceptanceāhonouring both the justice of fate and the consequences of his own past actions.
Bheeshma fell on the 10th day of the Mahabharata War, and on the 18th day, the Pandavas emerged victorious after Dushyasana was defeated by Bheemasena.
While Bheeshma was still alive, awaiting Uttarayana's arrival, Krishna did not wishĀ his immense wisdom to go to waste. He took Yudhishthira and his brothers to Bheeshma and sought his guidance on dharma, righteous governance, duties of a king, and the path to liberation.
Lying on the bed of arrows, Bheeshma imparted profound teachings on raja dharma (duties of a ruler), apad dharma (conduct during adversity), and moksha dharma (the path to spiritual liberation). In this sacred moment, he also revealed the Vishnu Sahasranama, explaining that chanting the thousand names of Lord Vishnu is the highest means to attain peace, righteousness, and ultimate liberation.
Thus, even in his final moments, Bheeshma became a guiding light for humanity, transforming the battlefield into a place of timeless wisdom, and gifting the world a priceless gem ā the Vishnu Sahasranama.
Disclaimer
The visual representations used in this blog, including AI-generated images depicting episodes such as Bhishma granting boons to the Ashta Vasus and other scenes from the Vishnu Sahasranama context, are intended solely for illustrative and devotional purposes.
While every effort has been made to align these visuals with the spirit of the narratives, AI-generated imagery may occasionally contain inaccuracies (for example, depicting an incorrect number of AshtaVasus, Bheeshma's bed of arrows, or variations in traditional iconography). These inconsistencies are unintentional and should not be interpreted as scriptural or historical inaccuracies.
You are requested to focus on the underlying meaning, philosophical depth, and devotional essence being conveyed, rather than the literal correctness of the visuals. The images are meant to enhance understanding and provide a contemplative experience, not to serve as authoritative representations.
Thank you for your understanding and for engaging with the content in its intended spirit.