10. Those eighteen days – Bhishma falls as he predicted – Two signs of greatness – Mahabharata wisdom

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Welcome to the narration of the Mahabharata war those 18 days and today we are on the 10th day where one of the most momentous events happened many had thought that this was impossible but it did turn out to be inevitable it was the fall of grandfather Bhishma on the 9th day the war was severe and we know how Krishna intervened to protect Bhishma protect Arjuna from Bhishma but still the danger of Bhishma remained how was he to be defeated so the only solution the Pandavas realized was that only if Bhishma himself chose to stop fighting Bhishma was undefeatable on seeing how much havoc Bhishma had caused on that day and how without Krishna’s intervention even Arjuna would have succumbed Yudhishthira started lamenting maybe this war is futile maybe we should call off this war something similar to what happened after day one but Krishna assured him said that you are fighting for a virtuous cause and you need to approach Bhishma and ask him how we can be defeated before the start of the Kurukshetra war Yudhishthira had earlier approached his elders seeking their blessings and also asking them how they could be defeated at that time Bhishma had said the time for my fall hasn’t yet come when the time is right approach me again and I will tell you so reminding reminding Yudhishthira of this conversation Krishna said to Yudhishthira now is the time to go the Pandavas with heavy hearts went to Bhishma now how do you ask a person how can we kill you that to a person whom we greatly respect so Yudhishthira offered his respects to Bhishma and offered words of praise for all that their grandfather had done for him and then he acknowledged his apprehension he said the way you are fighting oh grandfather there is no one who can counter you my forces are being destroyed the way leaves are scattered in the storm I see no hope for victory as long as you are fighting Bhishma nodded and said that yes prince what you say is true as long as I am fighting victory will be impossible for me the Pandavas were perplexed he said but I will always fight according to the codes of warfare and these are my codes I will not fight anyone who is without armor or chariot I will not fight anyone who is fleeing anyone who is seeking surrender anyone who is a woman and he gave a list of those who will not fight and he fell silent then he put his hand on Yudhishthir’s shoulder and he said I will tell you what this means Shikhandi I know was a woman in his previous life he was a princess Amba who somehow had got stranded because Bhishma had got her to marry Dhritarashtra sorry to marry Pandu to marry the Kuru prince Kuru to be rulers at that time but somehow she had not wanted to marry anyone not the generation of Yudhishthir and Pandu but the previous generation before that that is Vijitravirya so she had given her heart to Shalya and she had been she said I don’t want to marry marry anybody else Bhishma said ok but when she went back to Shalya she said you have already been abducted by another man one by another man lived in their place I appreciate your affection but I am a king I have to set an example like a man and she said Bhishma because of you all this happened so you should marry me and Bhishma refused I have taken a vow of celibacy so she felt devastated her whole life was in ruins and she considered Bhishma responsible for this she said that Bhishma should be punished she besieged the sage Parashuram who took pity on her what can I do for you he said that Bhishma you please kill Bhishma and Parashuram was reluctant but then her grandfather had become a sage and her grandfather requested Parashuram and Parashuram couldn’t refuse the request of a Brahmana so then Parashuram fought against Bhishma and they fought fiercely but Parashuram was unable to defeat Bhishma when Parashuram was wounded and eventually before Bhishma could kill the celestial intervened and said he is a Brahmana do not attack him do not kill him like this so then Bhishma desisted and Parashuram told Amba that I did what I can and now I cannot help you anymore then Amba performed severe austerities to propitiate the Gods with one purpose in mind she said I want to destroy Bhishma I want his destruction so then she was reborn as Shikhandi the son of Drupada and she was stunned to kill Bhishma now how was this killing to happen although she had the destiny but she didn’t have the prowess to defeat Bhishma but Bhishma knew this and Bhishma said I see her as who the creator I see Shikhandi as who the creator had made him earlier I see non different because that same purpose is there so I will not attack play Shikhandi in front and let Arjuna attack me from behind and I will not attack Shikhandi and thus you will be able to fail me the Pandavas departed with a heavy heart they knew what to do which they hadn’t known earlier but still doing it was extremely difficult Arjuna said that how can I kill my grandfather when I used to come after playing and I used to climb on his lap and say father father and I would play with his beard and he would play with me ruffle my hair lovingly and he would say oh child I am not your father I am the father of your father how can I kill this grandfather who loved me as like his own children after our father departed from this world Krishna was great he said oh Jishnu that was another name of Arjuna you took a vow at the start of the battle that you will kill Bhishma Bhishma has chosen his destiny by siding with the vicious Kauravas will you now Pandava flinch from your duty and attain infinity toughen yourself and do what is required Arjuna reluctantly knew that the time had come the next day the Pandavas placed Shikandi at the front of their army Bhima and Arjuna flanked him surrounding him were other warriors now the Kauravas had also got the news the Pandavas going to the Kaurava camp was not something which could be hidden even if it was to meet Bhishma Pandavas hadn’t tried to hide that also they knew and Duryodhana planned that all his prominent warriors should be by the side of Bhishma and they should protect Bhishma, he tried as far as possible to prevent Shikandi from even Shikandi and Arjuna from even reaching Bhishma but what was inevitable, what was destined had to happen initially Dushasan showed great heroism in holding Arjuna back, preventing him from reaching Bhishma Arjuna fought furiously Dushasan fought furiously and eventually after a great fight when Dushasan resisted Arjuna for a long time Arjuna eventually lost patience Arjuna was holding back because he didn’t want to kill Dushasan, he wanted to let Bhima do that but eventually Arjuna lost patience and he attacked Dushasan so fiercely Dushasan became wounded and fell back other warriors came to assist Bhishma Shikandi kept challenging Bhishma to fight but Bhishma neglected him Shikandi shot arrow after arrow, the arrow pierced Bhishma, Bhishma turned and glared at Shikandi as if to burn him with his own eyes his eyes alone but he didn’t attack Arjuna from behind he started shooting arrows at Bhishma and Bhishma started countering those arrows, as the Kauravas, soldiers tried to stop Arjuna and Shikandi from targeting Bhishma, Arjuna tore their soldiers apart just broke them down and started destroying them seeing this Duryodhana who was trying to keep Bhishma away from Arjuna said oh Grandsire please protect us otherwise Arjuna will destroy our entire army today Bhishma looked straight ahead and then turned to Duryodhana and said the debt I owe to you because of having lived in your kingdom, today I will liquidate that I will fight like never before the vow that I had taken to destroy 10,000 Indian soldiers every day, I have kept that unflinching today I promise, either I will kill Arjuna or he will be Duryodhana felt jubilant on hearing this and again he told his warriors that protect Bhishma as he destroys Arjuna again Shikandi and Arjuna confronted Bhishma and Bhishma was shot with many arrows now Bhishma countered the arrows that Arjuna was shooting but he let Shikandi’s arrows hit him, he didn’t counter those arrows and he didn’t counter attack Shikandi but Shikandi was just not so powerful, Bhishma had armour, so his arrows were not having much effect but still seeing the Grandsire not countering Shikandi Duryodhana sent several of his warriors he sent Bhagadatta, formidable elephant warrior, he sent Shalya he sent several other warriors to assist Bhishma, that time Bhima intervened and Bhima stopped all of them seeing this Drona turned towards his son Ashwatthama and said I feel an auspicious amends all around me I feel an auspicious quivering in my body is it that the Grandsire’s end has come oh Ashwatthama now is not the time to be afraid of one’s own safety, now is the time to discharge one’s obligations, to fulfil one’s debts to one’s elders go and stop Partha before he destroys the Grandsire going to his father, in ascent Ashwatthama charged towards Arjuna the place where Arjuna was attacking Bhishma, but Bhima stood like a wall over there Bhima single handedly held back all the warriors no one, no one at all could penetrate beyond him finally approaching from another way Dushasan having recovered from his previous defeat and still smarting at the defeat charged forward again attacked Arjuna and Arjuna by this time had woken himself into a rage meanwhile Bhishma was not passive, he was fighting like never before, he seemed like Rudra doing this final dance of universal devastation, it seemed the way Bhishma was dancing on his chariot swinging his bow shooting arrows he seemed unstoppable and when Dushasan came towards Arjuna, he fought fiercely but Arjuna was furious and Arjuna soon hit Dushasan with such an arrow that Dushasan was hurled off his chariot and fell to the ground in fear he ran off climbed another chariot and fled away when various armies various generals fought with each other intensely slowly the sheer ferocity of the fight between Bhishma on one side and Arjuna and Shikhandi on the other side that was so severe that everybody else fell back, all the supporting warriors on either side were devastated and killed Shikhandi’s arrows kept hitting Bhishma and Bhishma nonchalantly shrugged them off Arjuna’s arrows thundered into his body earlier Bhishma had told Dushasan, when Dushasan was near him trying to assist him, he said the arrows of Shikhandi do not injure me but Arjuna’s arrows are such that even the celestials will not be able to survive it is only those arrows which can ever destroy me, which can defeat me, which can kill me earlier Yudhishthir had compared Bhishma to a celestial and he said that even Indra or Shiva in battle will not be able to defeat you Bhishma, so how are we going to be defeated Bhishma was reflecting that point by saying that actually he could sustain the arrows of even the celestials but not the arrows of Arjuna especially when he was not countering them and Shikhandi charged forward and as the arrows started hitting him one after another after another Bhishma fought back fiercely but Arjuna’s arrows kept thundering into his body wounding him severely Arjuna broke Bhishma’s bow Bhishma took another bow Arjuna broke that, Bhishma took another Arjuna broke that, Bhishma took a lance and tried to hurl it at Arjuna Arjuna broke that lance also seeing all his efforts thwarted Bhishma looked at Krishna who was expertly guiding Arjuna’s chariot, moving him quickly from here to there, dodging various attacks Bhishma realized that he could not win where Krishna was there would be victory, thinking thus he lowered his bow at that time suddenly a fresh breeze started blowing on the battlefield and the celestials appeared in the sky, Bhishma was one of the Vasus Ashta Vasus and those Vasus appeared in the sky and they said Oh Bhishma, now is the time to end this war, stop fighting Bhishma felt a deep sense of peace in his body, meanwhile the attacks on him were coming, he had lowered his bow but the arrows were shooting, thundering into his body as Arjuna shot dozens and dozens of arrows which pierced his body, wounding him severely Bhishma was jolted in his chariot and he looked up he resolved he would go down fighting there was no other way for a warrior to die Bhishma picked up his bow and started shooting arrows but the combined attack of Shikhandi and Arjuna with Bhishma unable to attack Arjuna effectively Arjuna would come out from behind Shikhandi while shooting arrows and again go back again come out and again go back and there was of course an opportunity for Bhishma to counter attack but by this time he was already wounded, Arjuna’s attack was becoming furious and finally Arjuna’s arrows broke through his armor wounding severely and as all the stunned and shocked onlookers on the battlefield froze while fighting and watched Arjuna’s arrows hit Bhishma with such force that they knocked him off his chariot and he fell on the ground but there were so many arrows that had already pierced his body not a limb of his body touched the ground he fell on a bed of arrows the word bed is used here but it was quite the opposite of any bed yet scarcely imagined the excruciating pain that he must have been experiencing at that time yet he remained conscious the warriors on the earth and the celestial in the sky were shocked he is such a great soul how can he die when the celestial bodies the sun, the moon are not in auspicious position Bhishma calmly replied I still live Bhishma had the benediction of Iccha Mrityu although he was too wounded to fight he was not yet dead all the warriors stopped fighting and Arjuna came respectfully before Bhishma and he said Oh Grandsire what can I do for you please come on and your wish will be fulfilled he said Oh Arjuna just see how my head is hanging here please provide me a cushion Duryodhana thought of rushing to get some comfortable cushions from the tent Arjuna shot arrows into the earth and they came positioned exactly below Bhishma’s head and thus Bhishma got an arrow and Bhishma although he was severely wounded he raised his hand and said this is the cushion that a Kshatriya deserves thank you Arjuna and Duryodhana was devastated he was he approached Bhishma hesitantly shame faced he had failed to protect his commander his foremost warrior was wounded and about to die Bhishma solaced Duryodhana and said Oh Prince this is the end death is the end that comes upon everyone and a warrior deserves desires to die heroically on the battlefield I prefer no other end and yet as Bhishma lay there physicians came to attend to his wounds and Bhishma said my time is over I offer gifts to these physicians they were all Brahmin priests who were also physicians he said send them on their way I have no need for them Bhishma gracefully accepted the end although he still waited and the next morning when the on the battlefield itself he was lying on the arrow bed that part became a safe zone where no one would go and no one would fight over there he arranged for some some guards were arranged by Duryodhana to be around Bhishma so that jackals and vultures who might come on the battlefield to feast on the corpses would not trouble Bhishma the next morning both sides warriors came to offer their respects to Bhishma and Bhishma made one fervent appeal to Duryodhana O prince let the hostilities end with my death you know what my fall means you will not be able to defeat the Pandavas give them their half of the kingdom accept the proposal that Krishna had come with and stop the destruction of the Kuru dynasty Duryodhana remained silent and then he walked away he was too stubborn although Bhishma had fallen and he had been shocked stunned and devastated by that but now Karna was there he thought that Karna would do what Bhishma had not done and now he had seen how furiously Bhishma had been fighting but now he attributed Bhishma’s fall to his soft heartedness in fighting with Arjuna thus he continued the war and Bhishma calmly accepted what was happening knowing that it was the will of destiny so here in Bhishma’s remarkable life where he had fought so many wars, always remained undefeated he had learned so many subjects and guided the ruler of the Kuru dynasty for so long, lived a life of sacrifice and now it came to an end, he accepted it as his fate and that is remarkable Bhishma’s death is the ideal death although he died eventually in Krishna’s presence but here itself when he accepted his destiny, that shows his greatness the world often tells us that those people are successful who fight against all odds, when the world says no they fight against it and then they persevere and they succeed and they become great and yes that is one parameter of greatness to persist through obstacles and go on but another parameter of greatness is also, sometimes when the world says no, it is a irrevocable no so greatness is seen also in gracefully accepting when the world says no it is not just pushing through reversals but it is also accepting that certain reversals may close certain doors so doing one’s duty requires greatness persisting in one’s purpose requires greatness or manifest greatness and accepting one’s destiny also manifests greatness and Bhishma through his life manifests greatness in both these realms such was the glorious life and fall of Bhishma thank you