1st. “Bhishma Pitamah – The Eighth Son of Kuru King Shantanu” :-
2nd. Bhishma OR Bheeshma OR Devavrata OR Bhishma Pitamah (Total Age - 350 Years) was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu, who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king and grand uncle of both the Pandavas and the Kauravas.
3rd. Bhishma Pitamah Defeats his Guru (Teacher) Parasuram in 23 Days Battle. It is believed that Bhishma died after the age of 350 years. Considering that he was a true Yogi and lived a chaste, desciplined and honourable life, this age is not unbelievable.
4th. Being a human,he possessed powers equivalent to that of Gods & was a man of his words. if Bhishma was fight with arjun and other pandavas,the entire pandava army would have been detroyed by Bhishma single handely include pandavas.Arjun was very powerful and great archer, but he is not equal to Bhishma Pitamah grandfather of Arjun.
5th. On the Gurushetra war there is an intense battle between Bheesma and Arjun. Although Arjuna was very powerful, but he was no match to Bheesma. Bheesma soon shot arrows which cut his Armour and then also his Gandiva bow. Arjuna was helpless.
6th. As Bheesma was about to kill Arjuna with his arrows Lord Krishna could not tolerate his devotees plea and He immediately hoist the sudarshana chakra and advanced towards Bheesma. Arjuna tried to stopped Lord Krishna but the Lord says that in order to protect my devotee I must break my own promise.
7th. Then the Lord tells Arjuna to shoot arrows at Bheesma and finally Arjuna pierces the body of Bheesmadev with his arrows. Arjuna took Sikandy with him to fight Bhishma.Bhishma would not take arms against Sikandy who was a woman in previous incarnation.Arjuna and Sikandy both attacked and felled Bhishma.
8th. An unparalleled archer, he once fought the mighty Parasurama. He also handed down the Vishnu Sahasranama to Yudhisthira when he was on his death bed (of arrows) in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.He is the main character of the Mahabharata as it is his struggle to protect and bring unity between the Kauravas and the Pandavas.
9th. The legend behind Bhishma's birth is as follows — once the eight Vasus ("Ashtavasus") visited Vashishta's ashram accompanied by their wives. One of the wives took a fancy to Kamadhenu, Vashishta's wish-bearing cow and asked her husband Prabhasa to steal it from Vashishta.
10th. Prabhasa then stole the cow with the help of the others who were all consequently cursed by Vashishta to be born in the world of men. Upon the Vasus appealing to Vashishta's mercy, the seven Vasus who had assisted in stealing Kamadhenu had their curse mitigated such that they would be liberated from their human birth as soon as they were born.
11th. However, Prabhasa being protagonist of the theft, was cursed to endure a longer life on the earth. The curse, however is softened to the extent that he would be one of the most illustrious men of his time. It was this Prabhasa who took birth as Devavrata (Bhishma).
12th. Bhishma was born as the eighth son of the illustrious King Shantanu and Ganga. As per the Mahabharata, Shantanu saw Ganga on the banks of river Ganga (Ganges) and enamoured of her beauty, asked her to marry him.
13th. She agreed but with the condition that Shantanu would never question her, no matter what her actions — if he ever broke his promise, she would leave him, never to be a part of his life again. Shantanu readily agreed to this seemingly harmless condition and was thus married to Ganga.
14th. Eight children were born in this marriage, the eighth of which was Bhishma himself. The seven siblings born before him were drowned by their mother Ganga in order to break their curse — as they were incarnations of the aforementioned Vasus, who do not like to live the life of Humans.
15th. Shantanu silently bore the torture of watching his wife drown his offspring seven times. However, when Ganga was about to drown Bhishma, Shantanu could no longer contain his anguish and burst into protest.
16th. Ganga, aware of the eighth child's destiny to live a long life on earth, did not drown the child. However, since Shantanu had broken his promise given to her at marriage, she left Shantanu promising to return the child to him once he is grown up.
17th. During his childhood, Devavrata was taught political science and other subjects by Brihaspati and Sukracharya, gurus of the Devas and Asuras respectively; Vedas and religious scriptures by the sage Vasishtha; Sage Markandeya was his spiritual guru.
18th. On Ganga's persuasion, Devavrata was taught martial arts, military sciences and the use of weapons by Parashurama. His banner in battle was a golden palm tree. He was known as 'Bhishma Pitamaha' (Pitamaha meaning the grandfather or grandsire) among the Pandavas and the Kauravas.
19th. He was a well known person for his knowledge in politics and many other subjects. He was a very good archer and he won a battle with his Guru Parshurama, who is otherwise unbeatable (due to the influence of time and the relationship of God and devotee), after a battle which lasted 23 days.
20th. “Vow of Bhishma” :-
21st. Bhishma means He of the terrible oath, referring to his vow of lifelong celibacy. Originally named Devavratha, he became known as Bhishma after he took the bhishana pratigya ('terrible oath') — the vow of lifelong celibacy and of service to whoever sat on the throne of his father (the throne of Hastinapur).
22nd. He took this oath so that his father, Shantanu could marry a fisherwoman Satyavati — Satyvati's father had refused to give his daughter's hand to Shantanu on the grounds that his daughter's children would never be rulers as Shantanu already had a son (Devratha).
23rd. This made Shantanu despondent and upon discovering the reason for his father's despondency, Devavratha sought out the girl's father and promised him that he would never stake a claim to the throne, implying that the child born to Shantanu and Satyavati would become the ruler after Shantanu.
24th. At this, Satyavati's father retorted that even if Devavratha gave up his claim to the throne, his (Devavratha's) children would still claim the throne. Devavratha then took the vow of lifelong celibacy, thus sacrificing his 'crown-prince' title and denying himself the pleasures of conjugal love.
25th. This gave him immediate recognition among the gods and his father granted him the boon of Ichcha Mrityu (control over his own death — he could choose the time of his death, but he was not immortal, which would have been an even more severe curse and cause of suffering).
26th. There was a lot of criticism of King Shantanu from his subjects as to why he removed Bhishma from the title of the crown prince (kings didn't have the power to remove a prince from the throne just as Bhishma could not deprive his unborn son from the throne so he decided to never have one)as he was so capable, and if by any chance he did see some fault in him (Bhishma),what did he see in the prince who is not yet born (Satyavati's son).
27th. Hearing this, Bhishma said it was his decision and his father should not be blamed as Shantanu had never promised anything to Satyavati's father. The clan Guru then asked who would be held responsible if the future crown prince isn't capable enough. Bhishma then took another vow that he would always see his father's image in whoever sits on the King's throne and will serve him.
28th. In the process of finding a bride for his half-brother the young king Vichitravirya, Bhishma cleverly abducted princesses Amba, Ambika and Ambalika of Kashi (Varanasi) from the assemblage of suitors at their swayamvara. Salwa, the ruler of Saubala, and Amba (the eldest princess) were in love.
29th. Upon reaching Hastinapura, Amba confided in Bhishma that she wished to wed Salva. Bhishma then sent her back to Salva who turned her down as it was humiliating for a man to accept a woman who had been so long in the company of another man.
30th. Actually he had been embarrassed because Bhishma had defeated him very badly in the fight; he had been no match against the stronger Bhishma. She then naturally approached Bhishma for marriage who refused her, citing his oath. Amba, humiliated and enraged beyond measure, vowed to avenge herself against Bhishma even if it meant being reborn over and over again.
31st. Legend has it that at her maternal grandfather's suggestion Amba sought refuge with Parasurama who ordered Bhishma to marry Amba. Bhishma politely refused saying that he was ready to give up his life at the command of his teacher but not the promise that he had made.
32nd. Upon the refusal, Parasurama called him for a fight at Kurukshetra. At the battlegrounds, while Bhishma was on a chariot, Parasurama was on foot. Bhishma requested Parasurama to also take a chariot and armor so that Bhishma would not have an unfair advantage.
33rd. Parasurama blessed Bhishma with the power of divine vision and asked him to look again. When Bhishma looked at his guru with the divine eyesight, he saw the Earth as Parasurama's chariot, the four Vedas as the horses, the Upanishads as the reins, Vayu (wind) as the Charioteer and the Vedic goddesses Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati as the armor.
34th. Bhishma got down from the chariot and sought the blessings of Parashurama to protect his dharma, along with permission to battle against his teacher. Parasurama was pleased and said to Bhishma that if he had not behaved in this manner, Parasurama would have cursed him, for it is the duty of warriors who fight against elders not to abandon the traditions of humility and respect for elders.
35th. Parashurama blessed him and advised him to protect his dharma of brahmacharya as Parasurama himself must fight to fulfill his dharma of fighting to uphold his word as given to Amba. They fought for 23 days without conclusion — Parasurama was chiranjeevi (immortal) and Bhishma had a boon that let him choose the time of his death.
36th. One version is, that on the 22nd night, Bhishma prayed to his ancestors to help him end the battle. His ancestors gave him a weapon named Prashwapastra which he knew from his previous birth as Prabhasa (one of Ashta Vasus) but forgot it in his present birth as Bhishma. This weapon was not known to Parasurama. They told him that it would put Parasurama to sleep in the battlefield.
37th. A person who sleeps in the battlefield is considered to be dead as per Vedas. However the weapon was never used as devas warned him from the sky that "If He uses this weapon it would be a great insult towards his Guru." Pitrs then appeared and obstructed the chariot of Parashurama, forbidding him from fighting any longer. The spirit of Parashurama's father, Jamadagni and his grandfather, Rucheeka, spoke to him : -
38th. “O son, never again engage in battle with Bhishma or any other Kshatriya. Heroism and courage in battle are the qualities of a Kshatriya, and study of the Vedas and the practice of austerities are the wealth of the Brahmans. Previously you took up weapons to protect the Brahmans, but this is not the case now. Let this battle with Bhishma be your last. O son of the Bhrigu race, it is not possible to defeat Bhishma. —Mahabharata 188:5
39th. In the end, the Gods showered praise on Bhishma, and he sought the blessing of Parashurama as his guru. The avatar then acknowledged that his former student was truly invincible, telling Amba : -“Using even the very best of weapons I have not been able to obtain any advantage over Bhishma, that foremost of all wielders of weapons! I have exerted now to the best of my power and might. Seek the protection of Bhishma himself, thou hast no other refuge now”. —Mahabharata 189:1
40th. However, Amba refused to listen to Parashurama's advice and left angrily declaring that she will achieve her objective by asceticism. Her predicament unchanged, did severe penance to please Lord Shiva (as he is most easily pleased and could give anything to anyone). Lord Shiva assured her that she would be born as a woman named Shikandi in her next birth (and still she would recall her past) and could be instrumental in Bhishma's death, thus satisfying her vow.
41st. “Personality, Skills, Talents, and Achievements of Bhisma” :-
42nd. Bhishma had stature and personality that in those times were fit for kings. He was a true Kshatriya as well as a disciplined ascetic - a rare combination. Like a true Kshatriya, he never unnecessarily exhibited passion and anger. A symbol of truth and duty, the benevolent Bhishma was in all senses a true human.
43rd. It is unfortunate that a person as noble as Bhishma saw a life full of loneliness, frustration and sadness. But that was how Vashishta's curse was supposed to unfold. Bhishma's human birth was destined to be marked with suffering, and that was how his life transpired right till the last moment; even his death was very painful. But the strong as steel character, which he possessed ensured that he never shied away from his duty, and never stopped loving those dear to him.
44th. Bhishma was not only a good warrior, but also highly skilled in political science.He had all the qualities and abilities fit for an excellent king. His goodness and sacrifice made him one of the greatest devotees of Lord Krishna himself.
45th. He tried his best to bring reconciliation between Pandavas and Kauravas to prevent the war. Even in the Kurukshetra war while he was the general he tried his best to keep the war low key by minimising confrontation between the two camps.
46th. Even as he fell he tried to use the opportunity to persuade both camps to put an end to the war. After the war, while on his deathbed he gave deep and meaningful instructions to Yudhishthira on statesmanship and the duties of a king.
47th. “Mahabharata War” :-
48th. In the Mahābhārata WarBhishma is the one who witnessed the Mahābhārata completely from the beginning since the rule of Shantanu. In the great battle at Kurukshetra, Bhishma was the supreme commander of the Kaurava forces for ten days compared to Drona's five, Karna's two and Shalya's one-the last day.
49th. He fought reluctantly on the side of the Kauravas; nevertheless, he gave it his best effort. Each day he was killing around 10,000 soldiers of Pandavas. At one stage Arjuna's disinclination to fight him, nearly made Krishna break His vow not to raise a weapon in the war. Not even Arjuna was able to defeat Bhishma because in addition to being a peerless warrior he was blessed with choosing the moment of his death.
50th. In this war, Bhishma vowed not to kill any of the Pandavas, as he loved them, being their grandsire. Duryodhan often confronted Bhishma alleging that he was not actually fighting for the Kaurava camp as he wouldn't kill any Pandava but would let them kill Kauravas. But in fact, Bhishma was the strongest barrier that had protected the Kaurava camp from impending defeat. The war was thus locked in a stalemate.
51st. As the Pandavas mulled over this situation, Krishna advised them to visit Bhishma himself and request him to suggest a way out of this stalemate. Bhishma knew in his heart that the Pandavas were righteous and chaste, and that he stood as the greatest obstacle in their path to victory, so when they visited Bhishma, he told them that if faced by another gender that is a gender which has both features of a male and female in battle he would cease to fight and not lift weapons against her.
52nd. The Pandavas were initially not agreeable to such a ploy, as by bringing such a gender to the battleground they would disgrace themselves, but Krishna suggested a clever alternative. And thus, on the next day - the tenth day of battle - Shikhandi accompanied Arjuna on the latter's chariot and they faced Bhishma who put his bow and arrows down.
53rd. He was then felled in battle by a reluctant, ashamed and tearful Arjuna pierced by innumerable arrows. As Bhishma fell, his whole body was held above the ground by the shafts of Arjuna's arrows which protruded from his back, and through his arms and legs.
54th. Seeing Bhishma laid on such a bed of arrows humbled even the gods who watched from the heavens in reverence, silently blessing the mighty warrior. When the young princes of both armies gathered around him, inquiring if there was anything they could do, he told them that while his body lies on the bed of arrows above the ground, his head hangs unsupported.
55th. Hearing this, many of the princes, both the Kaurava and the Pandava brought him pillows of silk and velvet, but he refused them. He asked Arjuna to give him a pillow fit for a warrior. Arjuna then removed three arrows from his quiver and placed them underneath Bhishma's head, pointed side upwards. To quench the war veteran's thirst, Arjuna shot an arrow into the earth, and a jet stream of water rose up and into Bhishma's mouth. It is said that Ganga herself rose to quench her son's thirst.
56th. Bhishma was succeeded by Drona as the Commander-in-Chief. Bhishma lay on the 'bed of arrows' till the end of the battle for an interesting reason. Bhishma asked Krishna why he was suffering so much. Krishna told him it was a result of his reticence and silence towards Draupadi's cheer-haran which was a maha-papam (great Sin).
57th. Bhishma failed to act to protect Draupadi at a time of dire need. Krishna further told him that the immediate time was not an auspicious time to leave the world. Thus, Bhisma, who delayed his death by his own will, now waited for the auspicious time, when the sun turns northward, to depart from the world. One of his last acts was to impart his final instructions on administration and kingcraft to Yudhisthira.
58th. “Strategic Formations - The Vyuha” :-
1. Bhishma was well versed with tactical formations of the military in those days and only Drona, Krishna, Karna, & Arjuna could be compared to the vast knowledge that Bhishma possessed. A few formations mentioned in the epic Mahabharata are listed.
2. Krauncha Vyuha: the crane-shaped formation of an army; forces are distributed to form spanning wing-sides, with a formidable, penetrating center depicting the stork's head and break.
3. Padmavyuha or the Chakra Vyuha: a winding, ever-rotating circular formation; considered impenetrable during the Mahabharata age by all warriors except Arjuna, Bhisma, Karna, Drona, Krishna, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu, had learnt how to break into the formation (in the womb of Subhadra) but not how to break out of it and is trapped inside in the Mahabharata war.
4. Sarpa Vyuha - Winding Snake Formation.
5. Makara Vyuha - Crocodile Formation.
6. Sakata Vyuha - Cart Formation.
7. Shukar Vyuha - Pig Formation.
59th. “Death of Bhisma” :-
60th. The relation between Bhishma and Pandavas/Kauravas is described as that of a grandsire. Their descendence was in the following generations
1. Maharaj Hastin (founder of the Hastinapur empire)
2. (Many Generations)
3. Kuru.
4. Dushyant.
5. Bharat.
6. (Many Generations).
7. Shantanu.
8. Bheeshma, Chitrangada, Vichitraveerya.
9. Dhritarashtra & Pandu & Vidur.
10. Pandavas & Kauravas.
61st. But practically, Bhishma and the Pandavas would be four generations apart as Bhishma was himself a prince of marriageable age when his father Shantanu married Satyavati, so Chitrangad and Vichitravirya were more like sons than brothers to Bhishma.
62nd. When both Chitrangad and Vichitravirya died heirless, Maharshi Ved Vyas was called upon to revive the lineage. Then Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura were born. The Pandavas and Kauravas were the next generation, so although addressed as grandfather, Bhishma was equivalent to their Great-Grandfather.
63rd. When Bhishma died, he was the eldest living ancestor to the equivalent of 5 generations as the Pandavas themselves were grandparents. Their only living heir was Parikshit, Arjuna's grandson, the son of Abhimanyu and Matsya princess Uttara.
64th. As the Kauravas were losing the battle, Duryodhana approached Bhishma one night and accused him of not fighting the battle to his full strength because of his affection for the Pandavas. Bhishma, greatly angered, immediately picked up five golden arrows and chanted mantras declaring, "Tomorrow I will kill the Pandavas with these five golden arrows."
65th. Duryodhana, not having faith in Bhishma's words, asked Bhishma to give him custody of the five imbued golden arrows saying that he would keep them with him and return them the next morning. Long before, when Pandavas were in living in the forest.
66th. Duryodhana once came to the forest to flaunt his material opulence in contrast with the Pandavas who were living in exile due to his wicked usurption of their kingdom, thus displaying his venom and hubris. He placed his camp on the opposite side of a pond where the Pandavas used to stay. Once, while he was taking bath in that pond, the heavenly princes, named Gandharvas, came to take a bath.
67th. Duryodhana could not tolerate this; he had a fight in which the Gandharvas captured him. On the request of Yudhisthir, Arjuna saved Duryodhana and set him free. Duryodhana was ashamed, but being a kshatriya, he asked Arjuna what benediction or boon he would like. Arjuna replied that he would ask for the boon later when he needed it.
68th. It was during that night that Krishna reminded Arjuna of his unsatisfied boon and told him to go to Duryodhana and ask for the five golden arrows. When Arjuna came and asked for the five golden imbued arrows, Duryodhana was shocked, but knowing full well his honour and duty as a kshatriya declared, "I will give you the five golden arrows.
69th. But can you please tell me who told you the five golden imbued arrows existed in the first place?" Arjuna replied with a smile, "Who else other than Shri Krishna could have advised me?" Afterwards, Duryodhana honourably kept his word and gave the five golden arrows imbued with a lifetime of austerity and power by Bhishma.
70th. Later, Duryodhana broke his customary manner and conceded to himself privately, "All of the rishis say Krishna is the Supreme God, maybe they are right." Being shocked and convinced by Arjuna's knowledge of the very existence of the five golden arrows, Duryodhana secretly got on his knees and said a quick prayer to Krishna.
71st. Duryodhana again went to Bhishma, informing him of all that happened and requesting another five golden imbued arrows. To this Bhishma laughed and replied, "That is not possible, child. The will of the Lord is Supreme and undeniable. I have already spent the merits of my lifetime of celibacy and austerity in those five arrows, a potency strong enough to end all the five Pandavas.
72nd. However, Krishna, being the Supreme Lord has foreseen this, knowing past, present, and future as He alone can, and has thus arranged for you to voluntarily give up the five golden arrows, imbued with the power and potency of my lifelong austerities.
73rd. I cannot imbue another five arrows, having spent all of the merits of my austerities. However, tomorrow I shall fight like a lion, and this time, either I will kill Arjuna or I will make Lord Krishna break His promise of not picking up any weapons during the war."
74th. On the next day there was an intense battle between Bhishma and Arjuna. Although Arjuna was very powerful, he was no match for Bhishma. Bhishma soon shot arrows which cut Arjuna's armour and then also his Gandiva bow. Arjuna was helpless before the wrath of the grandsire.
75th. As Bhishma was about to kill Arjuna with his arrows, Lord Krishna threw down the chariot reins and jumped off the chariot onto the battlefield, lifted a chariot wheel and charged Bhishma. Arjuna tried to stop Lord Krishna, but the Lord said, "In order to protect my devotee, I must break my own promise."
76th. However, this is actually a double entendre. Krishna, one who was a perfect Yogi and in control of senses including anger, lifted the Chariot Wheel in order to respect and uphold Bhisma's promise and word, as the latter promised he would make Krishna yield weapons.
77th. Eventually, however, Arjuna convinced Krishna to return to the chariot and put down the wheel, promising to redouble his determination in the fight. All the while Bhishma stood with folded palms and tears in his eyes, awed by the beauty of the wrath of the Lord and the intense love that God bears for his friends, so great that
78th. He is willing to endure the censorship of ignorant foolish men. Later the Lord told Arjuna how he could bring down the old grandsire, through the help of Sikhandhi. Using Sikhandhi as a shield, Arjuna shot arrows at Bhishma, piercing his entire body. Thus, finally, Bhishma gave up the fight, focusing his life force and breath, sealing the wounds, and waiting for the auspicious moment to give up his body.
79th. Its said that once Bhishma fell down pierced with arrows he was feeling thirsty. Duryodhana went to fetch water, but Arjuna shot an arrow at the ground and water came pouring out directly into Bhishmas mouth. Its actually river goddess Ganga coming to satisfy the thirst of her son Bhishma.
80th. “Kuru King Shantanu – The Father of Bhishma Pitamah” :-
81st. Shantanu is a Kuru king of Hastinapura. He was a descendant of the Bharata race, of the lunar dynasty and the ancestor of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. He was the youngest son of King Pratipa of Hastinapura and had been born in the latter's old age.
82nd. The eldest son Devapi suffered from leprosy and abdicated his inheritance to become a hermit. The middle son Balhika devoted his life to conquer Balkh. Shantanu become the king of Hastinapura by default.
83rd. “Shantanu and Ganga” :-
84th. Shantanu saw a beautiful woman on the banks of the river Ganges (Ganga) and asked her to marry him. She agreed but with one condition: that Shantanu would not ask any questions about her actions. They married and she later gave birth to a son.
85th. But she drowned the child. Shantanu could not ask her the reason, because of his promise, lest she would leave him. One by one, six sons were born to them , and were drowned by Ganga. When Ganga was about to drown the seventh son, Shantanu, devastated, could not restrain himself and confronted her.
86th. Finally, Ganga explained to King Shantanu that she fell in love with him in the courts of Indra (King of the Gods.) The other gods didn’t approve so she was sent to earth to marry him. Then she told him that their seven children were Seven Vasus (Saptarishis) who were cursed to be born on earth.
87th. So she released them from this life by drowning them all. She told him that the Seven Vasu will live a long life and that she will take him to the heavens to train him properly for the King’s throne and status. With these words she disappeared while King Shantanu was struck with grief thinking about spending rest of his life without her.
88th. “Shantanu and Satyavati” :-
89th. When Shantanu's son Bhishma had grown into a young prince, Shantanu came across Satyavati, an adopted daughter of a ferryman on the Yamuna river, and fell in love with her. The ferryman agreed to the marriage on condition that the son Satyavati bore the king would inherit the throne.
90th. King Shantanu was unable to give his word on accession as his eldest son Bhishma was the heir to the throne. However, Bhishma came to know of this and for the sake of his father, gave his word to the ferryman that he would renounce all his claims to the throne, in favour of Satyavati's children.
91st. To reassure the skeptical ferryman, further he also vowed lifelong celibacy to ensure that future generations borne of Satyavati would also not be challenged by his offspring. Shantanu and Satyavati went on to have two sons, Chitrāngada and Vichitravirya. After Shantanu's death, Satyavati continued to rule the kingdom with her two sons, with help of Bhishma.
92nd. “Queen Satyavati – The Step Mother of Bhishma Pitamah” :-
93rd. Satyavati was the queen of the Kuru king Shantanu of Hastinapur and the great-grandmother of the Pandava and Kaurava princes (principal characters of the Mahabharata, one of the principal texts in Hindu mythology). She is also the mother of the seer Vyasa, author of the epic. Her story appears in the Mahabharata, the Harivamsa and the Devi Bhagavata Purana.
94th. Daughter of the Chedi king Vasu (also known as Uparichara Vasu) and a cursed apsara (celestial nymph)-turned-fish Adrika, Satyavati was brought up as a commoner – the adopted daughter of a fisherman-chieftain Dusharaj(who was also a ferryman) on the banks of the rivers Yamuna.
95th. Due to the smell emanating from her body she was known as Matsyagandha ("She who has the smell of fish"), and helped her father in his job as a ferryman. As a young woman Satyavati met the wandering rishi (sage) Parashara, who fathered her son Vyasa out of wedlock.
96th. The sage also gave her a musky fragrance, which earned her names like Yojanagandha ("She whose fragrance is spread for a yojana (8-9 miles)") and Gandhavati ("fragrant one"). Later King Shantanu, captivated by her fragrance and beauty, fell in love with Satyavati.
97th. She was allowed to marry the Emperor Shantanu; by her fisherman father on a condition that her children with the emperor will inherit the throne, denying the birthright of Shantanu's eldest son (and crown prince) Bhishma. Satyavati bore Shantanu two children, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya.
98th. After Shantanu's death, she and her prince sons with the help of Bhishma ruled the kingdom. Although both her sons died childless, she arranged for her first son Vyasa to father the children of the two widows of Vichitravirya through niyoga. The children (Dhritarashtra and Pandu) became fathers of the Kauravas and Pandavas, respectively. After Pandu's death, Satyavati went to the forest for penance and died there.
99th. “Literary Sources and Names” :-
100th. Little is said about Satyavati in the Mahabharata; however, later texts - the Harivamsa and the Devi Bhagavata Purana – elaborate her legend. Satyavati is known by numerous names in the Mahabharata, among them Daseyi, Gandhakali, Gandhavati, Kali, Matysyagandha, Satya, Vasavi and Yojanagandha.
101st. The name "Daseyi" – a term often used by her stepson Bhishma used to address her – means one of the Dasas (slaves), or a Dasa aboriginal princess. Vasavi means "daughter of king Vasu". Her birth name, Kali (the dark one), indicates her dark complexion.
102nd. Her other birth name, Satyavati, means "truthful"; satya means "veracity". As noted above, she was also known as Matsyagandha or Matsyagandhi in her earlier life – and Gandhakali ("fragrant dark one"), Gandhavati and Yojanagandha in later life.
103rd. “Birth and Early Life of Satyavati” :-
104th. According to the Harivamsa, Satyavati in her previous life was Achchhoda, daughter of the Pitrs (ancestors) and cursed to be born on earth. The Mahabharata, Harivamsa and Devi Bhagavata Purana assert that Satyavati was the daughter of a cursed apsara (celestial nymph) named Adrika. Adrika was transformed by a curse into a fish, and lived in the Yamuna river.
105th. When the Chedi king, Vasu (better-known as Uparicara-vasu), was on a hunting expedition he had a nocturnal emission while dreaming of his wife. He sent his semen to his queen with an eagle but, due to a fight with another eagle, the semen dropped into the river and was swallowed by the cursed Adrika-fish.
106th. Consequently, the fish became pregnant. The chief fisherman caught the fish, and cut it open. He found two babies in the womb of the fish: one male and one female. The fisherman presented the children to the king, who kept the male child. The boy grew up to become the founder of the Matsya Kingdom.
107th. The king gave the female child to the fisherman, naming her Matsya-gandhi or Matsya-gandha ("She who has the smell of fish") due to the fishy odor which came from the girl's body. The fisherman raised the girl as his daughter and named her Kali ("the dark one") because of her complexion.
108th. Over the course of time, Kali earned the name Satyavati ("truthful"). The fisherman was also a ferryman, ferrying people across the river in his boat. Satyavati helped her father in his job, and grew up into a beautiful maiden.
109th. “Encounter with Parashara and Birth of Vyasa” :-
110th. Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata and a great seer, was the son of Satyavati. Vyasa (right, red figure) is depicted in this Angkor Wat relief dictating the Mahabharata to Ganesha (left), the elephant-headed god of wisdom.
111th. The Devi Bhagavata Purana narrates that when Kali (Satyavati) was ferrying the rishi (sage) Parashara across the river Yamuna, the sage wanted Kali to satisfy his lust and held her right hand. She tried to dissuade Parashara, saying that a learned Brahmin of his stature should not desire a woman who stinks of fish.
112th. She finally gave in, realizing the desperation and persistence of the sage and fearing that if she did not heed to his request, he might topple the boat midstream. Kali agreed, and told Parashara to be patient until the boat reached the bank.
113th. On reaching the other side the sage grabbed her again, but she declared that her body stank and coitus should be delightful to them both. At these words, Matsyagandha was transformed (by the powers of the sage) into Yojanagandha ("she whose fragrance can be smelled from across a yojana").
114th. She now smelled of musk, and so was called Kasturi-gandhi ("musk-fragrant"). When Parashara, tormented with desire, approached her again she insisted that the act was not appropriate in broad daylight, as her father and others would see them from the other bank; they should wait till night. The sage, with his powers, shrouded the entire area in fog.
115th. Before Parashara could enjoy himself Satyavati again interrupted him to say that he would enjoy himself and depart, robbing her of her virginity and leaving her shamed in society. The sage then blessed her with virgo intacta.
116th. She asked Parashara to promise her that the coitus would be a secret and her virginity intact; the son born from their union would be as famous as the great sage; and her fragrance and youth would be eternal. Parashara granted her these wishes and was satiated by the beautiful Satyavati.
117th. After the act the sage bathed in the river and left, never to meet her again. The Mahabharata abridges the story, noting only two wishes for Satyavati: her virgo intacta and everlasting sweet fragrance. Ecstatic with her blessings, Satyavati gave birth to her baby the same day on an island in the Yamuna.
118th. The son immediately grew up as a youth and promised his mother that he would come to her aid every time she called on him; he then left to do penance in the forest. The son was called Krishna ("the dark one") due to his colour, or Dvaipayana ("one born on an island") and would later became known as Vyasa – compiler of the Vedas and author of the Puranas and the Mahabharata, fulfilling Parashara's prophecy. After this, Satyavati returned home to help her father.
119th. “Marriage with Shantanu” :-
120th. One day Shantanu, the Kuru king of Hastinapur, came to the forest on a hunting trip and was mesmerized by the musk-fragrance emanating from Satyavati. Allured by her sweet scent, Santanu reached Satyavati's house and, seeing her, fell in love at first sight.
121st. The king asked the fisherman-chief for his daughter's hand; the fisherman Dusharaj said his daughter would marry the king if – and only if – her sons would inherit the throne. The king, shocked and dejected, returned to the palace since he had already anointed his son, Devavrata, as heir apparent.
122nd. Devavrata was distressed by his father's condition; he learned about the promise asked by the fisherman-chief from a minister. Immediately, Devavrata rushed to the hut of the fisherman-chief and begged for Satyvati's hand on his father's behalf.
123rd. The fisherman repeated his condition and told Devavrata that only Shantanu was worthy of Satyavati; he had rejected marriage proposals from even Brahmarishis like Asita. Devavrata renounced his claim to the throne in favour of Satyavati's son, but the fisherman contended that Devavrata's children might dispute his grandson's claim.
124th. Intensely, Devavrata pledged the "terrible" vow of Brahmacharya - celibacy. The fisherman immediately gave Satyavati to Devavrata, who was henceforth called Bhishma ("the terrible"). Bhishma presented Satyavati to Santanu, who married her.
125th. In the Devi Bhagavata Purana, Satyavati's premarital first-born, Vyasa, laments that his mother abandoned him to fate immediately after birth. He returns to his birthplace in search of his mother who, he finds out, is now the queen of Hastinapur.
126th. “Birth of Children and Grandchildren” :-
127th. After their marriage, Satyavati bore Shantanu two sons - Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. The Harivamsa tells of Bhishma recalling events after Shantanu's death. During the period of mourning after Shantanu’s death, Ugrayudha Paurava (usurper of the throne of Panchala) demanded that Bhishma hand over Satyavati in return for wealth.
128th. Bhishma killed Ugrayudha Paurava, who had lost his powers because he lusted after another's wife. However, the Mahabharata does not include this event; it only describes Bhishma crowning Chitrangada as king under Satyavati's command. Chitrangada was later killed by a namesake gandharva (A Celestial Musician).
129th. After Chitrangada's death his young brother Vichitravirya was crowned king, while Bhishma ruled on his behalf (under Satyavati's command) until Vichitravirya grew up. Vichitravirya married the princesses of Kashi-Kosala: Ambika and Ambalika, who were won by Bhishma in a Swayamvara (marriage choice). The childless Vichitravirya met with an untimely death from tuberculosis.
130th. With no heir to the throne, Satyavati asked Bhishma to marry the widows of Vichitravirya (following the practice of niyoga in its narrower sense, as a levirate marriage) and rule as king. Bhishma refused, reminding Satyavati of the promise he made to her father and his vow of bachelorhood.
131st. He suggests that a Brahmin could be hired to bear children from the widows, thus preserving the dynasty. Revealing to Bhishma the tale of her encounter with Parashara, Satyavati well knew that this was the time to call her son Vyasa to aid her.
132nd. Satyavati coaxed Vyasa to have niyoga with his brother's widows, saying: "from affection for thy brother Vichitravirya, for the perpetuation of our dynasty, for the sake of this Bhishma's request and my command, for kindness to all creatures, for the protection of the people and from the liberality of thy heart, O sinless one, it behooveth thee to do what I say."
133rd. After convincing Vyasa, Satyavati managed (with great difficulty) to obtain the consent of her "virtuous" daughters-in-law. In the Mahabharata, Vyasa agreed immediately to the niyoga. In the Devi Bhagavata Purana version, Vyasa initially refused Satyavati's proposal.
134th. He argued that Vichitravirya's wives were like his daughters; having niyoga with them was a heinous sin, through which no good could come. As a master of "realpolitik", the hungry-for-grandsons Satyavati asserted that to preserve the dynasty, wrong directives by elders should be followed if they are going to reduce the sorrow of a mother.
135th. Vyasa finally agreed to that "disgusting task", but suggested that offspring of perversity cannot be a source of joy. During the menstrual period of the older queen, Ambika, Satyavati invited Vyasa to Ambika's bedchamber. However, during lovemaking with Vyasa, Ambika noticed his dark appearance and closed her eyes.
136th. Vyasa declared to Satyavati that due to Ambika's cruelty, her son would be blind (but strong) and have a hundred sons – later known as Kauravas (descendants of Kuru). Satyavati considered such an heir to be an unworthy king, so she asked Vyasa to have niyoga with her other daughter-in-law. During their niyoga, Ambalika fell pale due to Vyasa's grim appearance.
137th. As the result the child would be wan, Vyasa told his mother, who begged for another child. In due course, the blind Dhritarashtra and the pale Pandu were born. Satyavati again invited Vyasa to Ambika's bedchamber; she remembered Vyasa's grim appearance (and repulsive odour), and substituted a Shudra (lowest caste) maid in her place.
138th. The maid Parashrami respected the sage and was not afraid of him, and Vyasa thus blessed her; her son would be the most intelligent man, and she would no longer be a slave. Vyasa told Satyavati of the deception, and then disappeared; Vidura, an incarnation of the god Dharma, was born to the maid.
139th. “Last days of Satyavati” :-
140th. During her entire course of the luxurious life; Satyavati always respected Bhishma and always had the guilt that because of her; he had to take the pledge. Consequently, due to Dhritarashtra's blindness and Vidura's birth from a maid, Pandu was crowned king of Hastinapur. However, he was cursed (by sage), renounced the kingdom and went to the forest with his wives Kunti and Madri.
141st. There, his wives had children - the Pandavas, or "sons of Pandu" - for him through niyoga with the gods. Pandu died, due to the curse, in the forest; Madri died with him. Kunti returned to Hastinapur with the Pandavas. Satyavati was grief-stricken because of Pandu's death, and did not wish to live any longer.
142nd. After the funerary rites for Pandu were done, Vyasa warned Satyavati that happiness would end in the dynasty and devastating events would occur in the future (leading to the destruction of her kin), which she would not be able to bear in her old age. At Vyasa's suggestion, Satyavati left for the forest to do penance with her daughters-in-law Ambika and Ambalika. In the forest, she died and attained heaven.
143rd. “Kuru King Chitrāngada – The Step Brother of Bhishma Pitamah” :-
144th. In the epic Mahabharata, Chitrāngada, is the elder son of Shantanu and Satyavati. He ascended the throne of Hastinapura after his father's death, but was killed by a Gandharva namesake.
145th. Since Bhishma (son of Shantanu and Ganga) took a vow of not ascending the throne of Hastinapura, he crowned Chitrangada the king after Shantanu. Chitrangada was a great warrior and vanquished all kings.
146th. “Duel With Gandharva and Death of Kuru King Chitrāngada” :-
147th. Chitrangada's fame brought to his palace gates a Gandharva king also named Chitrangada, who challenged him for a duel. They fought a fierce and evenly matched battle for three years on the banks of river Saraswati, at the end of which the Gandharva emerged successful. The successful Gandharva later ascended to heaven. Chitrāngada's younger brother Vichitravirya then ascended the throne of Hastinapura.
148th. “Kuru King Vichitravirya – The Step Brother of Bhishma Pitamah” :-
149th. In the epic Mahabharata, Vichitravirya is the younger son of queen Satyavatī and king Śaṅtanu. His elder brother, Chitrāngada, had initially succeeded their father to the throne of Hastinapura, but when he died childless, Vichitravirya succeeded him.
150th. Vichitravirya was still a child when he was crowned king, hence Bhishma ruled as his regent. When the young king reached the proper age to marry, Bhishma searched for a suitable bride for him . He heard that the king of Kasi was holding a swayamvara for his three daughters.
151st. Since Vichitravirya himself was yet too young to stand any chance of being chosen by the young women, Bhishma himself went to the swayamvara. Bhishma won the swayamvara and brought the Princesses Amba, Ambika and Ambalika to marry Vichitravirya. But Amba had already given her heart to Salva, therefore Ambika and Ambalika were forcibly married to Vichitravirya.
152nd. Shortly after his marriage, Vichitravirya died of tuberculosis. As he had died without an heir, Bhishma was asked by Satyavatī to produce the next generation of Kurus through Vichitravirya's wives, Ambika and Ambalika.
153rd. But Bhishma declined this as he had already vowed to remain celibate for life. He instructed Satyavatī to instead summon Satyavatī's other son Vyasa to father grandchildren for her. Ambika subsequently gave birth to Dhritarashtra, while Ambalika bore Pandu.
154th. “Kuru King Dhritarashtra – The Step Son of Bhishma Pitamah” :-
155th. Dhritarashtra is the King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth and became father to a hundred sons (and one daughter) by his wife Gandhari.
156th. These children, including the eldest son Duryodhana, came to be known as the Kauravas. Dhritarashtra was half-brother of Pandu and Vidura, and was uncle to the five Pandavas, with whom his sons fought the Kurukshetra War.
157th. Throughout his reign as King of Hastinapur, Dhritarashtra was torn between the principles of dharma and his love for his son Duryodhana, and often ended up endorsing his son's actions merely out of fatherly love. Thus Dhritarashtra essentially presided over the fall of Hastinapur's kingdom.
158th. All of his sons perished in the war, with the exception of Yuyutsu, his son with a lady-in-waiting, who fought on the Pandava side. Dhritarashtra appears in Mahābhārata sections that have been circulated as separate scriptures, most notably the Bhagavad Gita, whose dialogue was narrated to him.
159th. Versions of the story generally portray Dhritarashtra across a spectrum, with one end him being a good king whose flaw is his blind love for his son, while the other end him being a cruel and adharmic king who, while saying that he only supports Duryodhana because he is too weak to reject him, actually desires for his line to have power at the expense of the Pandavas.
160th. After Vichitravirya's death, his mother Satyavati sent for her first born, Vyasa. According to his mother's wishes, he visited both the wives of Vichitravirya to grant them a son with his yogic powers. When Vyasa visited Ambika, she saw his dreadful and forbidding appearance with burning eyes. In her frightened state, she closed her eyes and dared not open them. Hence her son, Dhritarashtra, was born blind.
161st. He and his brother Pandu (the son of Vichitravirya's second wife Ambalika), along with their half-brother Vidura, learned and studied under Bhishma and various gurus. When Satyavati asked for a demonstration, Dhritarashtra was able to crush a stone with one hand. When time came for a crown prince to be chosen, no one wanted to address the elephant in the room of a blind person leading the military.
162nd. It was Vidura, in training to become the next prime minister, who brought up this issue to the relief of Hastinapur's council of Brahmins. Pandu was put forward as the obvious choice as king. Pandu protested, not wanting to disrespect his older brother's bloodright to the crown.
163rd. Knowing in his heart that Vidura had a point, and under pressure from everyone, Dhritarashtra gave Pandu his blessing to be king. So, Pandu assumed the throne, and undertook a military campaign where he subjugated large parts of India.
164th. Bhishma arranged Dhristarashtra's marriage to Gandhari. Her father, King Subala of Ghandar, was reluctant to pair his daughter to a blind man. However, he recognized Dhritarashtra pedigree, and Gandhar's status as Hastinapur's vassal, and consented to the match. Famously, Gandhari's blinded her own eyes with cloth, determined to see the world as her husband saw it, with darkness.
165th. After being cursed by Rishi Kindama to what would basically be a life of celibacy (or death), Pandu abdicated the throne, leaving for the forest with his wives Kunti and Madri. Dhritarashtra then became the king of Hastinapur. When Dhritarashtra heard of Pandu's death, he was very sad, but also a little happy, as it meant that his crown was secure.
166th. At the birth of his first son Duryodhana, Dhritarashtra was advised by Vidura, Bhishma, and the city elders to abandon the child due to bad omens during the birth. However Dhritarashtra's filial love stopped him. Dhritarashtra was advised by his elders to be fair to the Pandavas, who were returning from the forest with their mother, Kunti after the deaths of Pandu and Madri.
167th. During Gandhari's pregnancy complications, Dhritarashtra, fearing that he will never have an heir, had a son Yuyutsu, born to a lady-in-waiting of Gandhari's. In some versions, Yuyutsu was older than Duryodhana, in others, they were the exact age, and in even others, Yuyutsu was unspecifically younger than Duryodhana. There is the implication that Dhritarashtra was hoping to have a child before his brother had a child.
168th. “Special Note” > Further Historical facts may be read as following in the way of additional comments.
