A Story of Dvapar Yuga in Prose ( part-16 A)
By Lokanath Mishra
Bhishma: The Immortal Guardian of the Kuru Throne
Long ago, in the ancient city of Hastinapura, ruled a noble king named Shantanu of the Kuru dynasty. One day, while riding along the banks of the sacred River Ganga, he beheld a woman of unparalleled beauty standing amid the rippling waters. She was no mortal — she was Ganga, the river goddess herself. Enchanted by her grace, Shantanu asked her to be his queen.
Ganga smiled and agreed, but on one condition:
“You must never question my actions, whatever they may be. The day you do, I shall leave you forever.”
Blinded by love, Shantanu promised. For a time, their union was blissful, but soon strange events began to unfold. Each time Ganga bore a child, she would carry the newborn to the river and drown it in her waters. The king’s heart shattered with grief, but bound by his word, he dared not ask her why.
Seven sons were born — and seven sons vanished into the river’s depths. When the eighth child came, Shantanu could no longer bear the anguish. As Ganga stepped into the river once more, the king cried out,
“Stop! What sin have these innocent children committed?”
Hearing this, Ganga’s serene face grew solemn. She revealed her divine form and said,
“I am Ganga, daughter of Himavat. These sons of mine are the eight celestial Vasus. They were cursed by the sage Vashishtha to be born on earth because one of them, Dyu, stole his divine cow, Nandini. Out of compassion, I agreed to bear them and release them from the curse by returning them to the celestial realm immediately after birth. But the eighth one, Dyu himself, must live a full life on earth to atone for his sin.”
Sorrow and revelation filled Shantanu’s heart. Ganga handed the eighth child to him and disappeared, leaving the king with the boy who would come to be known as Devavrata — the immortal Bhishma.
The Education of a Divine Child
Ganga raised Devavrata in the realms of the gods, where he received training from the greatest teachers in existence.
• Brihaspati and Shukracharya taught him politics, law, and the duties of kings.
• Vashishtha and Chyavana taught him the Vedas and sacred knowledge.
• Sanatkumara, son of Brahma, imparted the secrets of the soul.
• Markandeya, the ageless sage, taught him the ways of ascetics.
• And Parashurama, the fierce warrior-saint, trained him in every art of war.
Blessed by Indra, Devavrata received celestial weapons and became invincible to ordinary attacks.
Years later, when Shantanu was walking by the river, he noticed the water’s flow was strangely dammed by a wall of arrows. Astonished, he saw a young warrior standing there — poised, radiant, and powerful. The moment their eyes met, father and son recognized one another. Ganga appeared once more, restoring their bond and presenting the boy to Shantanu. The child of divine promise had returned to earth — Devavrata, son of Ganga.
The Terrible Vow
Time passed, and Devavrata grew into a prince of unmatched wisdom, strength, and virtue. Shantanu, now aging, once again fell in love — this time with Satyavati, a fisher maiden of serene beauty and sharp intellect. But her father refused the king’s proposal, saying,
“My daughter’s children must inherit the throne. Can you promise that?”
Shantanu, bound by his love for Devavrata, could not. The king returned to his palace, heavy-hearted. Seeing his father’s sorrow, Devavrata went to Satyavati’s father himself.
Standing before the old fisherman, he declared:
“I renounce all claim to the throne of Hastinapura.”
But the fisherman hesitated — what if Devavrata’s sons later demanded the throne? Then, in a moment that would echo through eternity, Devavrata raised his hand to the heavens and took a vow so terrible and absolute that even the gods trembled:
“I shall never marry, nor will I ever be a father. I take a vow of lifelong celibacy, for the sake of my father’s happiness.”
Thunder rolled across the skies, and from that moment, Devavrata was no longer merely a prince. He became Bhishma — “the one of the terrible vow.”
The gods themselves blessed him with Ichcha Mrityu — the power to choose the moment of his own death.
The Guardian of the Kuru Throne
After Shantanu’s death, Bhishma became the pillar of the Kuru dynasty. He ruled not as a king, but as its guardian, guiding the young princes Chitrangada and Vichitravirya, the sons of Satyavati. When they too passed away without heirs, Bhishma took upon himself the duty of preserving the lineage.
He brought brides for Vichitravirya from the kingdom of Kashi — Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika. But when Amba revealed her love for another, Bhishma tried to send her back, leading to a fateful enmity. Amba, rejected and humiliated, sought revenge and was reborn as Shikhandi, destined to be the cause of Bhishma’s fall.
Through the decades, Bhishma served as the grand patriarch of Hastinapura, mentoring Pandu and Dhritarashtra, arranging their marriages, and overseeing the upbringing of both the Pandavas and Kauravas. His heart always leaned toward righteousness, but his loyalty to the throne bound him — even when he disagreed with Duryodhana’s actions.
The Kurukshetra War
When the great Kurukshetra War broke out, Bhishma, though sorrowful, took command of the Kaurava army, for his duty lay with the kingdom, not personal bias. For ten days, he led the war with unmatched brilliance. No warrior could stand before him — not even the mighty Arjuna.
But Bhishma knew that destiny had placed Shikhandi, the reincarnation of Amba, in this war for a reason. On the tenth day, seeing Shikhandi before him, he lowered his bow, unwilling to fight a woman, even one reborn as a man. Seizing the moment, Arjuna, with tears in his eyes, rained arrows upon his grandsire.
Each arrow pierced Bhishma’s flesh until his body was held aloft on a bed of arrows. Yet even in pain, his face shone with serenity.
The Final Teachings
Bhishma lay on that bed for fifty-one days, awaiting the arrival of Uttarayana, the sacred time when the sun turns northward — the most auspicious moment to die. During that time, he taught Yudhishthira the principles of dharma, the duties of kings, and the path of righteousness. He recited the Vishnu Sahasranama, the thousand names of Lord Vishnu, and imparted his final wisdom to the world.
When the time came, Bhishma smiled, closed his eyes, and let go of his mortal body — a warrior’s life complete, a guardian’s duty fulfilled.
Legacy
Revered as Bhishma Pitamaha — the Grandfather of the Kurus — he remains a symbol of sacrifice, truth, and devotion to duty. His vow shook the heavens, his wisdom guided kings, and his death sanctified the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
To this day, his memory is honored on Bhishma Ashtami, the eighth day of the bright half of the month of Magha, when devotees remember the man who lived and died for the sake of dharma.
⸻( to be continued)
The Divine Journey of Lokanath Mishra
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A Story of Dvapar Yuga in Prose (Part-20)