Bhishma Long ago, a king named Shantanu ruled Hastinapura and treated his subjects with love and care, resulting in a prosperous kingdom. One day, while hunting in the forest, he became enchanted by an extraordinarily beautiful maiden. When he proposed to marry her, she imposed a condition: he must never question her identity or origins, or she would leave him. Agreeing to her terms, they married in a Gandharva manner and lived happily together. As time passed, the maiden became pregnant. However, upon the birth of their children, she mysteriously discarded each of them into the nearby river Ganga. Though Shantanu was furious, he restrained his anger upon remembering her condition. After seven such incidents, he confronted her about the eighth child, expressing his sorrow at her cruelty. She revealed that she was the river goddess Ganga and that the children were cursed. She had to return them to the river for their liberation. However, she indicated that the eighth child, if allowed to live, could bring them happiness. But since Shantanu broke his promise, she departed, taking the child with her. Years later, Shantanu encountered a young boy who could divert the river's flow with his arrows. Ganga then appeared and revealed that this boy was their eighth child, named Gangeya or Devavrata. She entrusted him to Shantanu, who raised him with great care, educating him in all sciences, and Devavrata grew up to be revered as a great warrior. Eventually, Shantanu wanted to marry again and proposed to a fisherwoman named Matsyagandhi. Her father agreed to the marriage on the condition that their son's heir would inherit the throne. Deeply disturbed by this condition, Shantanu returned home, and his son, Devavrata, learned of his father’s distress. He approached Matsyagandhi’s father, promising to relinquish his claim to the throne for her future child. Nevertheless, this didn't satisfy the father. In a moment of resolve, Devavrata vowed to remain celibate for life, earning him the title Bhishma. The gods blessed him, chanting his name. Bhishma helped his father marry again, and Shantanu had two children, Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. After Shantanu's death, Bhishma was tasked with finding wives for Vichitravirya. At a contest organized by the king of Kashi, Bhishma defeated all rivals and brought three princesses—Ambika, Ambalika, and Amba—back to Hastinapura. Amba, however, refused to marry Vichitravirya, having fallen for another king. Bhishma granted her wish to return although it caused her distress, leading her to seek revenge on Bhishma in her next life. Vichitravirya died without heirs, and Bhishma, raising Vichitravirya’s sons, Dhritarashtra and Pandu (the latter through Gandhari and Kunti, respectively), oversaw their education, teaching them the arts of warfare. The rivalry between the Kauravas (Dhritarashtra’s sons) and the Pandavas (Pandu’s sons) led to escalating tensions. Despite Bhishma’s efforts to mediate and uphold dharma, the conflict intensified, culminating in the Kurukshetra war. Reluctantly, Bhishma sided with the Kauravas, but he harbored affection for the Pandavas. On the tenth day of battle, Bhishma declared he would not fight Shikhandi, his past life’s reincarnation. In that moment, Arjuna, following Krishna’s advice, shot Bhishma down. Mortally wounded, Bhishma lay on the battlefield, offering wisdom to Dhritarashtra and urging him to embrace virtue. Requesting water to alleviate his thirst, he was granted a drink from the Patala Ganga by Arjuna. During the auspicious period of Uttarayana, Bhishma chose to leave his body, fulfilling his vow of ichha-marana (death by choice).