(Painting depicting presentation by Ganga of her son Devavrata (Shantanu stops Ganga from drowning their eighth child,

(the future Bhishma) to his father, Shantanu) who later was known as Bhishma)

The guardian and patriarch of the Kauravas and Pandavas. Remarkable for his (Glossary for the Vahinis) wisdom and unflinching devotion to God. Trapped by his fate to fight on side of evil Kauravas; bled to death on a bed of arrows while thinking of God. See Mahabharata. (Glossary for the Vahinis)

(Bhishma)

The chapter relating to the teaching of dharma by Bhishma to the Pandavas was named ‘Shanti Parva’ in Mahabharata. It is clear from his teachings that the wealth accumulated through unjust, unrighteous, unprincipled and false means will push noble qualities like truth, righteousness, peace, love and non-violence, namely pathra dosha (impurity in the vessels used for cooking food), padartha dosha ( impurity in the food stuff) and paka dosha (impurity in the person cooking the food). Bhishma propagated to the world the truth that food is one of the factors that can develop unrighteous thoughts and feelings in a human being. As is the food, so are the thoughts and finally the deeds. Good or bad is the result of the deeds, a person undertakes. Bhishma finally laid down his mortal coil on the Ashtami (eighth) day in the first fortnight of the month Magha in the year Sobhkrith, as per the Hindu calendar. On that day, the flame of his life merged in the supreme soul. The day previous to that day was the festival of Sankranti on which day the Sun-God commences his journey towards the north. That was the day of Ratha-Sapthami (an important and sacred festival in the Hindu calendar) too! On that day, Bhishma asked all the Pandavas to come near him, offered oblations to his forefathers and finally prepared himself for the last journey. As soon as the Ashtami (eighth day) began, he left his mortal coil. (Beacons of Divine Wisdom Part 2, pp. 76-77)

(Death of Bhishma)

Today, people are under the impression that Bhishma died on the Ekadasi (eleventh day) day, based upon the calculations made in the Hindu Almanac. This is not correct. He died on the Ashtami day when the star ruling at that time was Rohini. In fact, Krishna’s birthday was also Ashtami and the star, Rohini, Thus, Bhishma died on the birth day of Krishna. The month was Magha. He chose that day as auspicious for laying down his life. Till then, ha spent his life in contemplation of Lord Krishna. In Bhishma’s opinion, death is a more important event than birth. He considered death at an auspicious time as more important and sacred than birth. In fact, that is the foundation for rebirth. (Beacons of Divine Wisdom Part 2, p. 77)

Exemplar of Shanta Bhakti

Bhishma was an unique example of Shanta Bhakti (treating all that happens as a gift of God’s grace). He took a severest vow for the sake of his father, sacrificing all his pleasures, which earned the name of Bhishma Prathijna. He was great renunciant, having sacrificed his physical and mental life and attach to divinity. Finally, he took up arms just, which was to show an example to the world and led the Kaurava army against Pandavas in the Mahabharata war. On the ninth day of the war, he tumbled down in the battlefield on account of the arrows released byArjuna. His entire body was filled with arrows which formed into a bed and supported him. His body did not fall on the ground. He told Arjuna then, ‘You have arranged a bed of arrows for me to lie down, but you did not give a pillow. Why? My head is dropping down.’ Arjuna then released some more arrows which arranged themselves as a pillow and supported his head. From then on, Bhishma lay down on that bed of arrows for 56 days, contemplating on God. He did not mind any amount of pain or inconvenience to the body. He taught ‘Rajaneeti’ (principles of royal polity), ‘Grihaneethi’ (morality in the family) and principles of peace during the period.

These teachings of Bhishma were termed Shanti Parva in the Mahabharata text. Bhishma was a great soul, with a tremendous amount of self-control, which was an outcome of his Shanta Bhakti. The same Krishna proceeded against Bhishma earlier in the war and declared that he would kill him. In fact, Krishna was not willing to strike him; but as Arjuna became weak and diffident to fight against Bhishma, Krishna did so in order to instill a sense of confidence in Arjuna. He told Arjuna, ‘You seem to be a coward, move aside; I will fight with Bhishma.’ So saying, Krishna took out his chakrayudha and proceeded against Bhishma. Even in that frightening moment, Bhishma continued to pray to Krishna saying, ‘May the same Krishna who is rushing towards me to fulfill His declaration that He would kill me, save me.’ What a great devotee! Bhishma had such unwavering and pure devotion. That is Shanta Bhakti. Bhishma treated even the impending death at the hands of Krishna as declared by Him, as an act of God’s grace! (Beacons of Divine Wisdom Part 2, pp. 77-79)