Bheeshma, son of Shantanu and Ganga, was the grand-uncle of both Pandavas and Kauravas and the embodiment of duty and sacrifice. Renowned for his vow of celibacy and loyalty to the throne of Hastinapura, he was an unparalleled warrior, blessed with the boon of choosing his moment of death. As commander of the Kaurava forces in the Kurukshetra War, Bheeshma fought fiercely but with reluctance, refusing to kill the Pandavas outright. Ultimately, Arjuna, guided by Shikhandi, pierced him with countless arrows, and Bheeshma lay on a bed of arrows until the war’s end, imparting wisdom to Yudhishthira in the Shanti Parva. His legacy is one of devotion, sacrifice, and tragic entanglement in the struggles of dharma.
