BHISHMA BHARAT part 8

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BHISHMA BHARAT part 8

Q-4  Can the action of BHISHMA to abduct three daugthers of the Kashi Nareshn can be justified ?

A-4 BHISHMA abducted them at the instance of SATYVATI as the mother of the KIng of Hastinapur.HISHMA had committed himself to serve who so ever was on the throne. The king mother is nit the king and her need not have been taken as the order of the King.Abducting a woman to marrying her is not uncommon. But abducting for step brother has no parallel any where any time. That too not 1 or 2 but 3 of them to marry with a single man makes it uncivilized act not befitting a Kshatriya.Polygamy was prevailing at that time ( Not only for men but for women too ) but there is hardly any parallel instance of marrying three women at a time setting a bad example. Even today the practice of abducting girls and not marrying them is prevailing. Perhaps origin of such mind set goes to BHISHMA.

Q-5 How justified was his treatment to AMBA after abduction ?

A-5 AMBA was in love with the king SHALV. therefore was  set her free and sent to him. SHALV refused to accept her , called her polluted and adivised her to go back and marry the fellow who abducted her. She came back to BHISHMA and asked him to marry her which he refused under excuse of hi famous BHISHMA PRATIGYA. . After all he was not oath bound to abduct but was oath bound to marry !!! What a dual standard ! As a result AMBA cursed and vowed to destruct him. Who emerges as wrong in this sequence AMBA or BHISHMA ?

Q-6 How is the lack of action by BHISHMA at the time DRAUPADI was attempted to be disrobed justified ?

A-6 There were many seniors present in the court when the instance was taking place. ALL of them chose to be mute spectator of the event. BUT they were not PITAMAH like him. If all of them are to be blamed for the inaction BHISHMA has ti take biggest part of the blame. It wss DRAUPADI who argued i vain and not BHISHMA  and was eventually saved from disgrace by kRISHNA. 

to be Contd.

BHISHMA BHARAT PART 7

 BHISHMA BHARAT PART 7

Bhishma Pitamah is the longest living character of Mahabharat.and cause or reason for the many events in it. Some praiseworthy, some not so praiseworthy and some worthy of criticism. Let us try to examine and analyse his acts and deeds as told in Mahabharat in self raised question and answered format

Q-1 Was it not a duty of a crowned prince to be ready to take over rule of the kingdom as promised obligation ?

A-1 It was but he gave it up while his father Shantanu was alive, So it cant be said as running away from the duty.

Q-2 The oaths taken by him which became famous as BHISHMA PRATIGYA since then were really for a noble cause ?

A-2  The cause was to fulfill the desire of his father to marry for second time. The second marriage of father can not be said as a noble cause.  The desire of his father did not came from any duty as a King but purely personal one guided by the lust. The conditions laid down by SATYVATI drove him to a situation of choosing between the duty as a father of crowned son and his own lust. The brooding was too much or him to handle when his son came to the rescue . BHISHMA on his own took the oaths. When the cause is dubious the act also becomes dubious. 

At he end the calculative SATYVATI emerges as victorious for her two purely selfish objects a] making crowned prince to forgo his right to the throne and b] make him unfit ti produce another heir who could possibly make claim to the throne. Noting of great moral value in any of these acts and deeds.

Q 3 Was it not fit for BHISHMA to rethink of his oaths instead of allowing physically unfit step Brother VICHITRVEERYA  to ascend the throne after the death of Shantanu ?

 A 3 His thirst to prove greater than the lesser mortals ( LOKESHNA ) prevailed over what would have been normal  as the only other pure biological heir of SHANTANU. He succeeded in creating that special nitche for himself which proved to be thousand times better than a stint as a KING. 

VICHITRAVEERYA was at least biological son of dead king odf SHANTUNU. Thta was the case of DHRITRSASTRA and PANDU. Both were born to the widows of VICHITRVEERYA by so called NIYOG method of conceiving. In a way BHISHMA can be blamed for bringing end t the direct biological lineage of KURU wansh. It lacks terribly in ethics .

To be contid. 

BHISHMA NHARAT Part 6

BHISHMA BHARAT 

THE life of BHISHMA  between the death of his father SHANTANU and his own.

DEVAVARTA is the maiden name of BHISHMA born as the 8th son of GANGA and SHANTANU  All 8 were born as the result of the curse given to ASHTA-VASU  by Muni VASISHTH for the crime of stealing his holy COW KAMDHENU  Seven VASU's born earlier were drowned by their Mother Ganga as soon as they were born. The eight  VASU by name DYU was spared by interference of father SHANTANU and lived long life as human for estimated 186 years. 

SHANTANU died natural death due to old age. BHISHMA became self appointed guardian of the heirs of his father SHANTANU who left behind VICHITRA VEERYA as heir. . His elder brother CHITRANGAD was killed by an angel of the same name earlier. Vichitrveerya too died without bearing child to any of his two wives AMBIKA & AMBALIKA . Two sons were produced to the two widows by NIYOG practice that was prevailing then using =Maharahi VYASA. Ambika gave birth to DHRTITARASHTRA who was born blind and AMBKIA to PANDU who was born with pale complexion.  TWO kingdoms were carved out for two. The elder DHRITARSHTA was made king of old HASTNAPUR and new kingdom with the capitol INDRPRASTHA in Barren part of Khandav van was given to PANDU as king. Hundred sons of Dhritarashtra came to be called as  KAURAVSAs while five or PANCH sons of PANDU came to be called as PANDVAs. BHISHMA continued to be in HASTINAPUR. 

How Pandvas lost their KIngdom in DYUT their kingdom and DRAUADI , How attempt was made to disrobe, How they were sent on exile for 14 long years and one more year at unknown and unseen conealing themselves, How they came back to claim back  their lost KIngdom , How it was refused and How it led to MAHAYUDHH is better part of MAHABHARSAT. Point to note is BHISHMA continued  by the side of Kaurav and fought the war as SENAPATI (General) for 10 long days, He was almost killed by ARJUN by an arrow from behinnd SHIKHANDI. He continued on bed of arrows for many days and chose to die at the start of Uttarayan as per the boon of ICHHAMARAN given to him.

During this long life many acts of COMMISSIONS AND OMISSIONS were made by him which makes him KEY character of MAHABHARAT. This will be covered in next part of BHISHMA BHARAT 

BHISHMA BHARAT PART - 5

 TESTING OF BHISHMA PRATIGYA

Looks like even if not crowned as the King,BHISHMA was ruler de facto ruler  Hastinapur for generations. Satyavati gave birth to two sons Chitrangada and Vichotrzveerya. After the death pf their father SHANTUNU , SATYAVATI now step mother of BHISHMA put her two juvnile sons of to the throne one after other and ruled with the help of BHISHMA. he elder was killed before marrying by an Angle of same name. The younger VICHITRAVEERYA was put of the throne but was dummy King. The real ruler continued to e BHISHMA. SATYAVATI ordered him to get three daughters of King KASHI named AMBA, AMBIKA & AMBALIKA to marry VICHITRVEERYA.  It happened to be SVAYAMWAR declared by their father. BHISHMA fought with all Kings assembled to win them including SHALV with whom AMBIKA was secretly in love. Having discovered HISHMA send her to SHALV who refused to accept her having been won over by another person and prompted her to marry one who has abducted her. Insulted AMBA came back asked BHSHMA toi marry her and save her from disgrace .He refused citing his VOW as the reason.THIS WAS THE FIRST TEST OF HIS VOW.

Angry AMBA cursed BHISHMA and vouched to destroy him and left for forest for severe penance.Other two princesses were married to VICHITRAVEERY. He too died without bearing any child from any of them. STYAVATI wanted BHISHAto father sons for his widows by then established niyog method. He refused citing his second VOW as the reason. THIS WAS ANOTHER TESTING OF HIS VOW.  Mahabharat tells us how VYAS his half bother and her son ( born before marriage ) was used for the purpose. Thus VYAS becomes not only a story teller but part of story . Very Very rare distinction.

To be continued/

BHISHMA BHARAT Part 4

BHISHMA BHARAT Part 4

PHISHMA PRATIGYA

Let us look into what were those  vows that came to be known BHMSHA PRATIGYA and under what circumstances they were taken.-

BHISHMA was named DEVVRATA at his birth. The BHISHMA is a title conferred upon him by his father  pleased by the vows taken by him.Literally it means  something Terrific He describes them as [ na bhuto na bhavishyati] some thing never done before  nor will be done after in future. what wee those vows ?  There were two of them 1] GIVE UP THE CLAIM TO THE THRONE OF FATHER AS ELDEST SON AND  2 ]  NOT  TO MARRY FOR  THE REST OF LIFE . They were given for the sake of father SHANTANU who was sad and returned without marrying SATYAVATI due to condition of making her son to inherit  his throne. Not able to bear the grief of his father in love, he voluntarily came forward and approached SATYAVATI and her father too declare these two vows and pave way for their marriage  Pleased with the act of his son DEVAVRAT   Not only he comferred the title BHISJMA but also gave him the boon of  ICHHAMARAN. [ choosing the time f death ]..

Ironically SHANTANU was not the eldest son of his father PRATEEP and yet crowned as the king.  It is not isolated case . There are many who did not.. The BHISHMA himself has chosen other eldest to succeed when things were in his control. Yet he took the vows and adhered them for life. His age at the time of taking the Vows is estimated to be 32 years and his age at the time ofdeath is estimated to be 186 years..That makes over 150 years of adhering to the Vows. Is it not superhuman or BHISHMA as he was
called. He is also called as BHISHMA PITAMAH or Great grand father of Kaurava and Pandwa fighting the war.

MAHABHARAT is told in flash back form to JANAMEJAYA who was gret grandson of  ARJUNA who was great grandson of BHISHMA whom he killed in the war. That covers seven generations. It was narrated to him during SARPYA-YGNA first in short and then un detail..The heritage line runs like this SHANTANU -  VICHITRVEEERYA [ step brother of BHISHMA ] - PANDU - ARJUNA - ABHIMANYU - PARIKSHIT - JANAMEJAYA . all decendats of KURU VANSH named after the King KURU who himself was descendant of BHARAT VANSH . which can be traced to BRAHMAJI as per Puranas. Like KURU , King YADU started YADAY ANSH in which SJRIKRISHNA was born.
The estimated age of ARJUNA was 88 years when he killed his great grand father double of his age. People of MAHABHARAT sure knew how to stay young and keep fighting !!!

BHISHMA BHARAT - 3

BHISHMA BHARAT  Part 3

DUSHYANT  SHANKUNTALA Two point of views

As seen in part 2 , the name MAHA BHARAT  is derived from The Version presented by MAHARSHI VYAS, The Emperor Bharat, the son of King DUSHYANT AND SHANKUNTALA .. This comes in the frrst Chappter ADIPARVA of  it by MAHARSHI VYAS .

The story is also immortalized by MAHAKAVI KALIDAS in his most famous play ABHGYAN SHANKUTALAM...KALIDAS has presented it as a love story introducing MUNI DURVAS and his curse , waiver at the request of friends of SHANKUNTALA of using some ornament [Ring } being given by DUSHYANT to remind him of  his GANDHARV marriage with SHAKUNTALA., rhe ring given by DUSHYANT beiing dropped in water and eaten by  fish, She being turned away by the King , eventual  discovery from Fish belly and shown the KING and his memory revival, reunion and happy end.. The play has all NAVRASA's like love, pain etc. included and presented in the most poetic way earning him acceptance of the greatest Poet in any language any time. like Shakespeare or Wordswortpoint.

Unfortunately his version is different than the version presented by MAHARSHI VYAS. He does not present per as Love Lorn Demure Damsel but as a woman of wit and intelligence, capable of arguing and winning the argument. Both agree that she is adopted daughter of MINI KANV, seen by the king DUSHYANT while on a hunting spree, falling in love and asking her for GANDHATV style of marriage. This style  of marriage accepts a girl  as a wife but does not need the bride to be taken home immediately . SHANKUTLA as per MAHABHARAT put condition of making her son king after DUSHYANT to agree to GANDHARV marriage which is accepted and paved way to her son BHARAT. to inherit the  Kingdom as son of him.  Almost like a contract marriage in stark contrast to the love story  projected by KALIDAS..

In all probability, VYAS version is to be accepted on two grounds A] It is dated much earlier than the period of KALIDAS and B] The same contract type marriage takes place when SATYAVATI agrees to marry SHANTANU putting the same condition that her Son to become King after him. The hesitation of SHANTANU prompted for the greatest Vows ever taken by his son from earlier marriage with  GANGA named BHISHMA.. His vows and adherance to it for over hundred years has coined the word BHISHMA PARTIGYA..

BHISMA BHARAT oart 2

BHISMA BHARAT

Why Bhishma Bharat ? It could have been Krishna Bharat or Arjun Bharat or even Karn Bharat , The scope of Maha Bharat is so great and big that many charactters and their lives have become legendary for thousands of years. But there is no denying that all of them are but a part of Maha bharat.
Inersetingly enough The epic has over hundred thousand verse as known now. Many vsersions are available with minor differences . All of them Give Credit to Maharshi Vyas as teh author of it. Interestingly he was witness of the of the historical Mahayudhha. Yes it was a hostory. The war story and was written as reporting of it some three year after. It was called by name JAI then and had only half of the verses of Today Mahabharat. It was re written by his desciple Vaishmpayan and renamed as Bharat. ,amt add ons found there way into it. Many subjects were covered like Arthshastr, Niti shastr, Dharmshastr and so on. The Bhagvad Geeta which is as acceptable as BUBIBLE as religious book comes at the begining of the Bharatiy Mahayudhha as told by Shri Krishna to Arjun. Many stories javing no oennection with main story aslo to be found as AKHYAN of Nal Damayanti.

The PANINI who is the iirst known editor if SANSKRIT gramer recors it as story of the war between the descendants of the family of Bharat Vansh and over rule of the land called as Bharat Varsha over 3500 years back.
The name is derived from The Emperor Bharat, the son of Dishyant Shankutla.  The clan was already subvidied into KURU family, Uadav Family and so on. Their origin can be traced tp Bharat vansh and throight it to Ishwaku vanash of the SUN.

BHISMA BHARAT

BHISMA BHARAT
As the name suggest it is about Bhisma character from Mahabharat.
Two epics have come from India i.e. Bharat. The Ramayana and Mahabharat. There is no doubt as to who is the hero of Ramayan. He is Lord Ram and Ram and Ram alone. He was also the eldest amongst four siblings. and was gone into exile for forteen tears . So is the case of Dhrmaraj of Mahbhaart. the comparison stops there. Nobody calls Dharmraj as teh Hero of Mahabharat.
Then who is the hero of Mahabharat ? Shrikrishna ? Arjun ? No single person can be named as the Hero of Mahabharat. Whose story is it then ?
It is story of the Land called as BHARAT a name which is adopted by the Indian Constitution INDIA i.e. BHARAT. It was known as Jambudweep earlier and came to be known as Bharat after era of Mahabhharat.
This blog is an attempt to find what is Bharat and why the story of a family feud of several generations pertinent to it and what is the role of BHISMA in it.

To be continued.