Epics in Imprints-1.pdf - Vivekananda Kendra Prakashan

VIVEKANANDA KENDRA PATRIKA
Bhishma is indeed a Pithamaha. He
was born to sacred Ganga which
flows in the three worlds. The
waters of Ganga are considered sacred by
one and all; it is everyone’s wish to have
his ashes immersed in the sacred Ganga.
No wonder her son is hailed as Pitamaha
by one and all who have even a scant
knowledge of Mahabharata. He is the son
of Shantanu. His father enamoured of the
beauty of Ganga lived with her for years
and produced many children, but threw
them all out into the Ganga the moment
they were born. The last one was Devavrata
and the king believing that this son of his
was to achieve greatness in life and was
to play an important and significant role
in the events in Kurukshetra, begged of
Ganga to spare him. Ganga Mata, as
ordained by the gods trained him in all
shastras and then left him to the care of
his father.
When his father fell in love with a fisher
woman Satyawati and wanted to marry
her, he agreed to all the conditions put up
by the bride’s father and relinquished his
right to the kingdom. Further he promised
to remain a bachelor and celebate all his
life. He kept this promise, in spite of the
many allurements before him, unlike Sage
Viswamitra who fell to the charms of apsara
Menaka. As a result of his refusing the
favours of Amba he had to suffer her curse
and lay down arms when confronted by
her in war in the form of a eunuch. He
upheld his vow that he would never fight
a eunuch. Perhaps had he not laid down
arms, the future of the Pandava dynasty
would have been different.
BHISHMA
V.RAMANATHAN
10
Apart from his steadfastness and
adherence to truth, he had acquired vast
knowledge of administration and political
acumen. He had promised his father in
his deathbed, that he will look after the
progeny in times of good and bad and
advise them in all matters personal or
political. With this he remained as the
Pitamaha and loyal to the blind King
Dhritharastra. (whom he ordained as the
ruler when Pandu passed away).
The one character in this epic
standing tall, witnessing from beginning
to end all the intrigues, travails and the
final disintegration of both Pandavas and
Kauravas, is Bhishma. Sometimes he
keeps silent, at others he advises both the
warring cousins. But what he does not
loose sight of, is the ultimate good of the
country he is born in.
Moving away from established norms,
he brought in the sage Vedavyasa to bring
progeny to the ruling family.
It is in recognition of his knowledge
and his high standard of morality in
personal and public life, that Lord Krishna
requests him (lying on a bed of arrows) to
teach the laws of dharmic administration
to Yudhishtira. Bhishma, in all humility,
suggests that such advice should come
from Sri Krishna himself. But the Lord says
that he is cow a shepherd and Bhishma is
a royal to the manor born and words from
his lips would have authority and would
be accepted by one and all. How one
wishes that rulers of today read and
understand the gems of administrative
norms stated by this puranic character
and follow them: if they do that India