Monday, June 25, 2012

How does Bhishma got his name?

                                     How does Bhishma got his name?


In Mahabharat, Bhishma is the grandfather of both Kouravas and Pandavas. The real name of Bhishma is Devavruta.
He is the son of first wife of King Shantanu. His mother was Ganga. It is believed that Bhishma is one of the Ashtavasu. Ganga had them as her children. She married Shantanu on a condition that Shantanu must not object for anything she does.
Shantanu had agreed for that and married Ganga. But as she got her first child, Ganga went and immersed the child in water and killed it. Shantanu was horrified but he didnt ask anything with his wife fearing that she may leave him. Ganga continued same story for the next 6 children.
But when she was about to kill her 8 th child, i.e. Devavruta , Shantanu forbidden her from doing so. Ganga spared that baby and told Shantanu that she is leaving him since he objected her work. Then it is learnt that Ashtavasu i.e. 8 of them had got the curse and because of that they had born as humans and Ganga was letting them to get rid of curse by killing them as soon as they born.
But Devavruta was spared. Shantanu made Devavruta as prince. Shantanu was attracted by a woman called Matsya Gandhi. He wanted to marry her. But she had put a condition that her eldest son should be the next heir after Shantanu.
But Shantanu didnt agree for that. Devavruta came to know what had happened and went near Matsya Gandhi. He assured her that he will not get marry and her child will be the next heir to throne. To make her believe, he vowed about that and fulfilled his promise too. Hence he got the name of Bhishma.

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