Bhishma Deva Life History – Diary (One of the 12 Mahajanas)!
–> Bhishma deva is One of the Key characters & a Powerful Warrior in the whole Mahabharatha episodes right from the beginning of Santhanu’s period.
–> He was the elder son of King Shantanu and Ganga Devi.
(King Janaka – History as a Mahajana in Diary form! READ HERE!)
–> He has other names such as Pitamaha, Gangaputra and Devavrata.
–> He was the son of Devi Ganga and hence he had enormous powers that made him difficult to be defeated by anyone.
–> He was also considered to be the one who followed dharma in his every activity as a kshatriya.
–> He was a reverred Guru for both Pandavas and Kauravas.
–> Bhisma Deva was the elder brother of the Grandfather of both the Pandavas and the Kauravas. So, he was also called as PITHAMAHA, ie, GRANDFATHER.
–> Though he was the legal heir to rule the Kuru dynasty, he sacrificed his rights to please his father Shantanu.
(SWAYAMBHUVA MANU – HISTORY AS A MAHAJANA – DIARY! READ HERE!)
–> Because of this decision, he also took the vow to live a life of Brahmachari with celebacy.
–> Considering such life of celebacy and sacrifice, he was called as BHISHMA that means FEARFUL.
–> The original name given to him at birth was DEVAVRATA that means DEVOTED TO GOD.
STORY OF THE BIRTH & SACRIFICE OF BHISHMA DEVA
When the King shantanu was going on hunting along the banks of Ganges river, he saw Ganga devi and fell in love with her.
He wanted to marry her.
(Prahlad Maharaja – History as One of the 12 Mahajanas! READ HERE!)
Ganga devi put a condition that the king should never question any of her actions.
The king Shantanu agreed and married.
Ganga devi killed all her first seven children one by one after birth that was not questioned by the king.
When she tried to kill the eighth son Bhishma, king stopped her.
Ganga then revealed her original position as a devatha of Ganga to Shantanu. She also narrated the promise she had given to kill the first seven children. She was actually liberating the seven Vasus soon after their birth as per the curses the vasus had received from Sage Vasishtha for stealing his sacred cow Surabhi. Vasishtha had given remedy that these seven vasus will be liberated by Ganga.
After hearing the justification for killing her first seven sons from Ganga devi, king Shantanu felt for it.
He then told Ganga to leave him as per the condition they had agreed earlier.
(HISTORY OF KAPILA MUNI or LORD KAPILA, AS A MAHAJANA! READ HERE!)
However, Ganga assured Shantanu that she will return this 8th son (Bhishma) after bringing up that son.
Years later, Ganga devi returned Devavrata (Bhishma) to his father king Shantanu as promised.
Thus, Bhishma deva had a glorious background of birth.
–> However, since Shantanu fell in love with a fisherman’s daughter Sathyavati, he wanted to marry her. The fisherman put a condition that the son of Sathyavati be made as the next king of Kuru dynasty. Shantanu refused because he had promised Bhishma to make him as the next heir.
So, Shantanu returned the palace but remained with grief of missing Satyavati.
Seeing the grief of father, Bhishma deva met the fisherman and promised that his daughter’s son will be made the next king and he will not claim the heir.
(HISTORY OF LORD SHIVA AS A MAHAJANA OUT OF 12 MAHAJANAS! READ HERE!)
When the fisherman questioned whether Bhishma’s sons may claim the heir, Bhishma again assured him that he will never marry and will follow brahmacharya.
Thus, Bhishma deva sacrificed his great opportunity to become the next king and made his father happy by marrying Satyavati.
Pleased with his son’s sacrifice for him, king shantanu gave Bhishma deva a boon to die whenever he decides.
Then, Shantanu and Satyavati married and gave birth to two children namely CHITRANGADHA and VISITHRAVEERYA.
Later, during Kurukshetra war, as per the plan of Kirshna, Bhishma deva was made to fall thru Shikandi, who took birth to Drupata, the king of Panchala, as a female and later turned male.
After falling, Bhishma deva was resting in the bed of nails for 58 nights till he chose the auspicious time of uttarayana to leave his body.
Thus Bhishma deva is the evergreen hero of Mahabharatha.
(BRAHMA DEVA – HISTORY AS ONE OF THE 12 MAHAJANAS! READ HERE!)