A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature c5.270

c5.270

BHĪSHMA. ‘The terrible.’ Son of King Sāntanu by the holy river goddess Gangā, and hence called Sāntanava, Gāngeya, and Nadi-ja, ‘the river-born.’ When King Sāntanu was very old he desired to marry a young and beautiful wife. His son Sāntanava or Bhīshma found a suitable damsel, but her parents objected to the marriage because Bhīshma was heir to the throne, and if she bore sons they could not succeed. To gratify his father’s desires, he made a vow to the girl’s parents that he would never accept the throne, nor marry a wife, nor become the father of children. Sāntanu then married the damsel, whose name was Satyavatī, and she bore him two sons. At the death of his father, Bhīshma placed the elder son upon the throne, but he was headstrong and was soon killed in battle. The other son, named Vichitra-vīryya, then succeeded, and Bhīshma acted as his protector and adviser. By force of arms Bhīshma obtained two daughters of the king of Kāsī and married them to Vichitra-vīryya, and when that prince died young and childless, Bhīshma acted as guardian of his widows. By Bhīshma’s arrangement, Krishna Dwaipāyana, who was born of Satyavatī before her marriage, raised up seed to his half-brother. The two children were Pāndu and Dhrita-rāshtra. Bhīshma brought them up and acted for them as regent of Hastinā-pura. He also directed the training of their respective children, the Pāndavas and Kauravas. On the rupture taking place between the rival families, Bhīshma counselled moderation and peace. When the war began he took the side of the Kauravas, the sons of Dhrita-rāshtra, and he was made commander-in-chief of their army. He laid down some rules for mitigating the horrors of war, and he stipulated that he should not be called upon to fight against Arjuna. Goaded by the reproaches of Dur-yodhana, he attacked Arjuna on the tenth day of the battle. He was unfairly wounded by Sikhandin, and was pierced with innumerable arrows from the hands of Arjuna, so that there was not a space of two fingers’ breadth left unwounded in his whole body, and when he fell from his chariot he was upheld from the ground by the arrows and lay as on a couch of darts. He was mortally wounded, but he had obtained the power of fixing the period of his death, so he survived fifty-eight days, and delivered several long didactic discourses. Bhīshma exhibited throughout his life a self-denial, devotion, and fidelity which remained unsullied to the last. He is also known by the appellation Tarpanechchhu, and as Tāla-ketu, ‘palm banner.’ *See Mahābhārata.*