In the great war of Mahabharata, the name of Bhishma Pitamah is taken with reverence and dedication. He was not only the patron of Hastinapur, but is also considered a symbol of religion and truth. But do you know that Bhishma Pitamah’s life was not like that of an ordinary person, but was trapped in a cycle of curse and blessing. Today we will talk about the same mystery of Mahabharata, where a curse changed the direction of Bhishma’s life.
Who was Bhishma Pitamah?
Bhishma Pitamah is considered one of the greatest and most powerful warriors in the Mahabharata. His real name was Devavrata. He was the son of King Shantanu and Mother Ganga. Devavrata was very bright, brave and devout since childhood. He had mastered the Vedas, Shastras and the art of warfare. In Mahabharata, he was also blessed with the boon of voluntary death, that is, he could accept death only as per his wish.
How was the curse received?
According to the legend, Bhishma Pitamah was actually born due to the curse of eight Vasus. It is said that once eight Vasus were roaming on the earth with their wives. During that time, his eyes fell on Nandini, the divine cow of Maharishi Vashishtha. The wife of one of the brothers wanted to take that cow. To fulfill the wish of his wife, the Vasus together stole Nandini’s cow. When Maharishi Vashishtha came to know about this, he became very angry and cursed the eight Vasus to be born in human form.
How did one get freedom from the curse?
The Vasus sought forgiveness from Maharishi Vashishtha. Then the sage said that the seven Vasus would get salvation as soon as they were born, but the Vasu who had planned the theft would have to spend a long life on earth. For this reason, the eighth Vasu was born as Devavrata i.e. Bhishma Pitamah. After birth, their mother Ganga drowned the seven children in the river, which immediately freed them from the curse. But the eighth son Devavrata was kept alive, because he had to complete his life on earth.
How did the curse become a blessing?
This curse later proved to be a blessing. Devavrata did many great deeds in his life and became immortal in history. He took a vow of lifelong celibacy for his father’s happiness. Pleased with his difficult vow, the gods granted him the boon of voluntary death. Because of this promise he was named Bhishma.
Bhishma’s role in the Mahabharata war
In the Mahabharata war, Bhishma Pitamah had become the commander on behalf of the Kauravas. His warfare skills were so amazing that it was considered almost impossible to defeat him. It is said that as long as Bhishma Pitamah was in the battlefield, it was very difficult for the Pandava army to achieve victory.
Bhishma remained lying on the bed
During the Mahabharata war, after being injured by Arjun’s arrows, Bhishma Pitamah lay down on the bed of arrows. But due to the blessing of euthanasia, he did not sacrifice his life immediately. He waited till Uttarayan arrived and then left his body of his own free will.
Also read: When Arjuna’s life was in danger during the war with Karna, this is how Shri Krishna saved his life.
Disclaimer: The information given in this news is based on the information from the Mahabharata story. TV9 Bharatvarsha does not confirm this.