International Journal of Research e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 05 Issue 04 February 2018

Courage and Sacrifice of in the Nisha Research Scholar Department of English B.P.S.M.V., KhanpurKalan Sonepat (Haryana)

Abstract: The Mahabharata is not an redemption because he was compelled to interesting epic but also provides us many stay for very long years due to his sin. This teachings for life. Every character in the child came to be known as Devavrata. He epic has acertain role to play and serve a becomes a great warrior and receives the purpose. This paper explores the character knowledge of thebattle skill and all . of Bhishma in epic. He is like a jewel in the After leaving his son under the protection of treasure of memorable characters of , leaves. Shantanu returns Mahabharata. He was a strong and great back with Devavrata and announces him as personality. He sacrificed his whole life to his successor. But destiny had something fulfillhis promises. hidden in its womb. One day Shantanu gets infatuated with a fishergirl, . But Key Words: Sacrifice, strong, warrior, Satyavati‟s father puts a condition that the responsibilities future son born to Satyavati will be the king after Shantanu. Shantanu doesn‟t become Introduction:Character of Bhishma is ready for this and comes back. theembodiment of bravery, sacrifice and When Devavrata comes to know about selfless service. He was a but he this, he goes to the father of Satyavati. He descended on the earth along with other promiseshim that the son of Shantanu and seven due to a curse. For their Satyavati will become the king after redemption, Ganga became ready to become Shantanu. Further, he announces that he will their mother. She marries to king Shantanu never marry so that he nullifies all the future and gives birth to Vasus but as the child is possibilities of becoming his king. He takes born she drowns that baby in theriver so that this sever vow to remain celibate throughout he could be free from thecurse. But when the life so that his father renames him as eighth Vasu is born he couldn‟t get Bhishma.He also obtains a boon of, “Ichcha

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International Journal of Research e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 05 Issue 04 February 2018

Mrityu” from his father which gave him the Bhishma. She requests to Bhishma to let her power to choose the time for his death. This go. Bhishma agrees and goes to also made him invincible, as no one would kingSalva. King Salva refuses to marry her be able to kill him unless he chose the time because she has already won by Bhishma of his death. Bhishma was not only a after defeating him. Amba returns back to powerful warrior but was awise, skilled and Bhishma and tells him the whole situation. talented administrator. He had all the Now infuriated Amba asks Bhishma to qualities of becoming an excellent king. But marry her as he has not left any other option because of his sacrifice for the sake of his for her. In this stage, she can‟t go to her father he lost the chance to serve his father‟s kingdom and king Salva has already kingdom by this way. So the story takes a rejected her. Now Bhishma‟s of turn and course of events change. celibacy comes in between so he refuses to marry Amba.She even appealed to Satyavatigives birth to two sons , but he also failed to give Chitrangada and . Chitrangada justice to her. Neglected and insulted Amba had been killed by a , “… after decides to take her revenge. Bhisma‟s this Chitrangada was slain, his successor step settled the life of Vichitravirya but Vichitravirya being a minor, Bhishma ruled ruined the life of Amba. Perhaps his promise the kingdom, placing himself under the to give his selfless service to the throne of command of Satyavati” (Ganguli Adi Parva. motivated him to do this act. He 102.219). When Vichitravirya grows up; was so dedicated to his duties that he Bhishma takes the responsibility of finding sidelined every other aspect. Amba realizes brides for him. He reaches to the that Bhishma can‟t be conquered. She Swyamvara of the daughters of the king of considers Bhishma the root cause of her Kashi and abducted all his three daughters, misfortunes so she enters the forest and Amba, and , for starts severe austerities. After passing twelve Vichitravirya. He also defeated other years in severe penance she gets the boon assembled suitors of the princess. The eldest from Lord to kill Bhishma in her next princess Amba was in love with king Salva birth. Then she prepares her pyre and enters and she had decided to choose him as her in it. “…Upon this, that faultless maiden of husband but he was also defeated by

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International Journal of Research e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 05 Issue 04 February 2018

the fairest complexion, the eldest daughter attribute of exhibiting forms, air may of the king of Kasi, procuring wood from renounce its attribute of touch, the that forest in the very sight of those great sun may renounce his glory, fire, its , made a large funeral pyre on the heat, the moon, his cooling rays, banks of the , and having set fire to space, its capacity of generating it herself, entered that blazing fire, O great sound, the slayer of Vritra, his king, with a heart burning with wrath, and prowess, the god of justice, his uttering, O king, the words,--(I do so) for impartiality; but I cannot renounce Bhishma‟s destruction!” (GanguliSambhava truth.' (GanguliSambhava103.223) Parva.190.363) Hearing this Satyavati discloses the secret of Vichitravirya and Chitrangada die his son to Bhishma. Bhishma with without producing any heir to the throne joined palms says, 'That man is truly then Satyavati requests Bhishma to sire intelligent who fixes his eyes judiciously on children on her widowed daughters-in-law. virtue, profit, and pleasure, and who after But he refuses and says reflecting with patience, acteth in such a way that virtue may lead to future virtue, O mother, what thou sayest is profit to future profit and pleasure to future certainly sanctioned by virtue. But pleasure. Therefore, that which hath been thou knowest what my vow is in the said by thee and which, besides being matter of begetting children. Thou beneficial to us, is consistent with virtue is knowest also all that transpired in certainly the best advice and hath my full connection with thy dower. O approval.” (Ganguli Sambhava Satyavati, I repeat the pledge I once Parva.105.227) gave, viz., I would renounce three worlds, the empire of heaven, Vyasa thus fathers by anything that may be greater than the elder widow, by the younger one, that, but thetruth I would never and by a maid. Dhritarashtra renounce. The earth may renounce couldn‟t be the king because of his blindness its scent, water may renounce its so Pandu gets the throne. Bhishma selects moisture, light may renounce its for Dhritarashtra and for

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International Journal of Research e-ISSN: 2348-6848 p-ISSN: 2348-795X Available at https://edupediapublications.org/journals Volume 05 Issue 04 February 2018

Pandu. He is well aware that Dhritarashtra is would never hurt a woman or someone who blind but he is also well acquainted with this had once been a woman. was fact that Gandhari has received the boon of born a woman but later changed her sex. If hundred sons from Lord Shiva. Bhishma Shikhandi appears in front of Bhishma then does that whatever is beneficial to the throne he would not attack him then would of Hastinapur. After marrying Pandu to get a chance to kill Bhishma. The following Kunti, Bhishma searches another union for day, Arjuna places Shikhandi in front of him Pandu. He marries Pandu to and and pierces Bhishma with arrows. Bhishma makes another alliance. Bhishma was firmly falls from thechariot, not on earth but on a bound to the throne so that he never tried to bed of arrows. Arjuna notices that break his promise. That‟s why he fails to Bhishma‟s head was hanging down so he convince to stop the Dyuta shoots three arrows into the ground and lifts game. He couldn‟t stop the insult of his grandfather‟s head and places it on the in Kuru Sabha. He feels helpless pillow of arrows. Although he had been in stopping the war. Bhishma becomes the pierced through arrows, he didn‟t die. He commander-in-chief of because of lies upon the battlefield through the end of his loyalty towards thekingdom. His heart is the war and chose the moment of the winter always with the , but he feels duty solstice to pass away. bound to serve the Kauravas. He Conclusion: Bhishma devoted himself successfully leads the Kauravas army. Pandu completely to the welfare of the kingdom. realizes that if they want to win then they He pays his duties without any second will have to eliminate their grandfather thought that‟s why he had to face the anger „Bhishma.‟ So on the ninth day of the war, of Amba and she becomes the reason for his late that night the Pandavas and death. He is duty bound to his visit Bhishma‟s camp and asks responsibilities towards throne and the king the Bhishma to show the way for his of Hastinapur but by heart, he is with elimination. Bhishma tells the Pandavas that Pandavas because he knows that they are he is unconquerable in battle. He can only right and fighting to establish , that‟s be defeated when he lays down his bow and why he guides them to eliminate himself. He weapons. Once he had taken a vow that he suffers a lot in his life due to his nature of

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truthfulness and doing sacrifices. In war, he Bandlamudi, . Dialogics of Self, the Mahabharataand the Culture: The History tolerated the ultimate pain for the sake of of Understanding and Understanding Dharma.“What does one make of this of History.Anthem Press, 2010. extraordinary figure who lived his life for Das, Gurcharan. The Difficulty of Being the sake of others? He certainly managed to Good: On the Subtle Art of Dharma. Allen create a huge problem of succession. His Lane, 2009. vow of celibacy turned out to be a curse on Ganguli, Kisari Mohan, translator.The 12 vols., Munshiram the Bhārata dynasty that led eventually to a Mahabharata. Manoharlal, 2012. horrendous war of succession. Is the Mahabharata telling us that even selflessness has its limitations? ” (Das 123)

Work Cited:

Badrinath, Chaturvedi. Mahabharata-An Inquiry in the Human Condition. Orient Blackswan, 2006.

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