Bhishma

Quick Facts

About Bhishma

Born as Devavrata, he took a terrible vow of celibacy for his father's happiness, becoming immortal Bhishma. The greatest warrior trapped between duty and dharma.

In Their Words

I am bound by my oath to protect this throne, not its holder.

Bhishma

Traits

• Honorable
• Bound by Oath
• Tragic
• Invincible

Story Appearances

• The Terrible VowProtagonist - Makes the terrible vow❧ 20 min
• The Infinite SariSilent witness to injustice❧ 16 min
• The Eighteen DaysCommander of Kaurava forces❧ 24 min

Stories Featuring Bhishma

367 further tales on this site name Bhishma, in canonical reading order.

• The River and the IslandBirths of Satyavati and VyasaAdi Parva ‧ 17 min
• Shantanu and the River GoddessThe Marriage That Began the Kuru DynastyAdi Parva ‧ 24 min
• The Terrible VowThe Sacrifice of DevavrataAdi Parva ‧ 23 min
• Bhishma's VowThe Terrible Oath of DevavrataAdi Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Abduction at KashiThe Svayamvara and the Tragedy of AmbaAdi Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Niyoga of VyasaThe Birth of the KurusAdi Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Curse of the DeerPandu's Fatal Hunt and the End of a KingAdi Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Curse That Killed a KingPandu's Arrow, Kindama's Curse, and the Birth of the PandavasAdi Parva ‧ 23 min
• The Divine ChildKrishna's life is the Mahabharata's answer to the question: What does God look like when God walks among us? The answer...Adi Parva ‧ 28 min
• A Royal Childhood at HastinapuraPandavas, Kauravas, and the Lessons of DronaAdi Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Tournament of ChampionsThe Rise of Arjuna and the Arrival of KarnaAdi Parva ‧ 17 min
• Escape from the FlamesThe lac house episode teaches that evil, no matter how carefully planned, cannot triumph over righteousness...Adi Parva ‧ 18 min
• The House of Lac and the DemonsThe Pandavas' First ExileAdi Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Fire-Born and the Woman Who Became a ManDrupada's Children, Drona's Old Feud, and Amba's Vow Across LivesAdi Parva ‧ 29 min
• The Ascetics at the GateThe morning five orphans were handed to HastinapuraAdi Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Twins in the HeathIndra's dancer, a sage's dropped bow, and the children a king carried homeAdi Parva ‧ 17 min
• Kunti's SwayamvaraThe princess no king asked for chooses Pandu in a hall of monarchsAdi Parva ‧ 13 min
• Kunti Knows Her SonThe mother who recognised Karna in the arena and stayed silentAdi Parva ‧ 14 min
• Vidura's Embassy to PanchalaThe envoy sent to bring the Pandavas home from Drupada's courtAdi Parva ‧ 12 min
• The Weighing of the BharataThe gods put the epic in a balance against the four Vedas, and Sauti recites the eighteen booksAdi Parva ‧ 24 min
• The Lineages of Gods and DemonsVaishampayana recites the descent of every creature from Brahma and the daughters of DakshaAdi Parva ‧ 22 min
• The King Who Only BreathedKarna answers Drona with the tale of a minister who took everything but the throneAdi Parva ‧ 13 min
• Ganga Beyond the RiverThe mother who shaped BhishmaAdi Parva
• The Fisher Queen's BurdenSatyavati's regency and renunciationAdi Parva
• The King Who Fought His NameChitrangada and the gandharva's duelAdi Parva
• The Curse of the Eight VasusHeaven's theft, earth's long sentenceAdi Parva
• Hastinapura, City of the ElephantThe capital that held the whole epicAdi Parva
• Kurukshetra Before the WarWhy the field was already holyAdi Parva
• Pandu's ConquestThe pale king who filled the treasuryAdi Parva
• The Branch That LeftThe Kurus who moved away and died in the war anywayAdi Parva
• The Brother Who Should Have Been KingA lawful crown the rain refused to blessAdi Parva
• Ganga, River of the KurusThe goddess who carries the dynastyAdi Parva
• Kashi, the City of Light in the EpicThree princesses and a long revengeAdi Parva
• The Stranger at the WellHow the Kuru princes got their teacherAdi Parva
• The Blindfold of GandhariA vow read as devotion and as protestAdi Parva
• Half a KingdomOne sitting of the Kuru court decides everythingAdi Parva
• The Imperial SacrificeIndraprastha, Jarasandha, and the Rajasuya YagnaSabha Parva ‧ 26 min
• The Imperial CeremonyThe Rajasuya story contains a profound teaching about divine patience and justice. Krishna endured ninety-nine insults...Sabha Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Dice GameThe Game That Changed EverythingSabha Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Fateful GameAddiction blinds even the wisest of men. Yudhishthira, known for his righteousness, lost everything - his wealth, his...Sabha Parva ‧ 17 min
• Vikarna, the Kaurava Who SpokeOne Voice in the Dice HallSabha Parva
• The Fall of DharmaThe Fall of Dharma teaches the most terrifying lesson of the Mahabharata: that evil does not triumph through its own...Sabha Parva ‧ 24 min
• The Honey-Gatherer on the CliffVidura's last warnings, and the answer he gotSabha Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Second ThrowOne cast of the dice for thirteen yearsSabha Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Road Out of HastinapuraWhat Vidura read in the way they walkedSabha Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Errand Vidura Did Not WantCarrying the invitation to the dice game he had begged the king not to sendSabha Parva ‧ 13 min
• The Kingdom Given BackDhritarashtra releases the Pandavas and returns everything they lostSabha Parva ‧ 12 min
• The Vows Sworn Before ExileFour brothers name their killings on the way out of the dice hallSabha Parva ‧ 23 min
• Thirteen Years of FireThe exile teaches that suffering, accepted with dignity and used as a forge, transforms weakness into strength. The...Vana Parva ‧ 27 min
• The Ones Who Would Not Turn BackThe city walks out with its kings, and a sage answers the weepingVana Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Cow Who Wept for the Weaker CalfIndra learns why a mother's love is not divided equallyVana Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Curse on Duryodhana's ThighA sage asks politely once, and is answered with a scratched footVana Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Promise Made in the Kamyaka WoodsThe allies arrive, and Draupadi asks Krishna what her friendship is worthVana Parva ‧ 17 min
• When Forgiveness Is Not a VirtueAn angry queen quotes an asura grandfather at a patient kingVana Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Blind King Counts the OddsA father adds up his enemies and hears whose fault it wasVana Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Council at PrabhasaThe Yadavas find the exiles on the shore and argue about ending the exile by forceVana Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Golden PloughThe sacrifice a king held because the one he wanted was forbidden himVana Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Five Lakes of BloodParashurama's oblation to the fathers at SamantapanchakaVana Parva ‧ 19 min
• Sakamvari and the Ford of GoldThe goddess who fed the sages on herbs, and the tirtha where Vishnu knelt to RudraVana Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Year of MasksThe Virata Parva shows that even the mightiest must sometimes hide and endure. The Pandavas could have fought - but...Virata Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Year of DisguiseThe Pandavas Hidden at Virata's CourtVirata Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Northern Cattle RaidBrihannala Turns the ChariotVirata Parva
• The Pyre and the Uprooted TreeA hundred and five kinsmen and one bound womanVirata Parva ‧ 17 min
• Where a Good King Must Be LivingThe Kuru court tries to find five men by their weatherVirata Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Ten Names of ArjunaA frightened prince demands proof at the burning groundVirata Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Quarrel Before the CattleAshwatthama tells Duryodhana what his kingdom is made ofVirata Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Day Karna RanThe boast in the dice hall, answered at lastVirata Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Grandsire Under the Golden PalmCelestial weapons, and Indra dropping flowersVirata Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Sleep Weapon and the Robes for the DollsSix great warriors disarmed, and a promise kept to some girlsVirata Parva ‧ 17 min
• Five Men on the ThronesThe morning the servants stopped pretendingVirata Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Princess Who Became DeathAmba's story reveals how injustice, even unintentional injustice, creates cycles of suffering. Bhishma meant no harm -...Udyoga Parva ‧ 22 min
• The Messenger of PeaceThe Divine Revelation in HastinapuraUdyoga Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Eve of BattleLast Embassies Before KurukshetraUdyoga Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Choice at DwarakaTen crore soldiers on one side of the bed, one unarmed man on the otherUdyoga Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Net and the Mountain HoneyTwo birds who quarrelled in flight, and a cliff nobody came down fromUdyoga Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Braid She Refused to BindDraupadi answers Bhima's peace with her own hairUdyoga Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Meal He Chose to EatA king's banquet refused, a servant's supper acceptedUdyoga Parva ‧ 17 min
• Garuda's Map of the WorldThe four directions described from a bird's backUdyoga Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Ascetic Who Would Not Be CarriedA thought Garuda never spoke aloud costs him his wingsUdyoga Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Choosing of the GeneralissimoFive brothers name five different men, and Krishna names the sixthUdyoga Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Cities of TentsTwo capitals raised on Kurukshetra before a single arrowUdyoga Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Consecration of the GrandsireBhishma takes command on two conditions, and the sky rains bloodUdyoga Parva ‧ 16 min
• Twenty-Three Days on the SaraswatiBhishma fights his own preceptor and neither man can winUdyoga Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Yaksha Who Lent His ManhoodSthuna, Sikhandini, and the curse that made the loan permanentUdyoga Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Question of DaysEach commander prices the enemy army in morningsUdyoga Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Tree and the ForestKrishna answers Sanjaya at Upaplavya and decides to go to the Kurus himselfUdyoga Parva ‧ 18 min
• Arjuna's Message to the KurusSanjaya recites the message in open court, and names every man who will dieUdyoga Parva ‧ 21 min
• The March to KurukshetraDuryodhana walks out on the last counsel and orders the host to move that same dayUdyoga Parva ‧ 11 min
• The Sacrifice of BattleDuryodhana makes the coming war his own rite, and his father disowns him for itUdyoga Parva ‧ 23 min
• The Kings Who Were Passed OverDhritarashtra reads his son the family's own record of elder sons who never got the throneUdyoga Parva ‧ 13 min
• The King Who Challenged Two HermitsDambhodbhava, and a handful of grass bladesUdyoga Parva
• The First EnvoyDrupada's old priest carries the claim to HastinapuraUdyoga Parva
• The Reckoning of the WarriorsBhishma prices every man on the field, and Karna walks outUdyoga Parva
• The Song of GodThe Bhagavad Gita teaches that we must perform our duty without attachment to results. The soul is eternal and cannot...Bhishma Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Bhagavad GitaThe Song of GodBhishma Parva ‧ 20 min
• Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1: Arjuna's DespairArjuna Vishada Yoga - The Yoga of Arjuna's DejectionBhishma Parva
• Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2: The Yoga of KnowledgeSankhya Yoga - The Deathless Self and the Steady SageBhishma Parva
• Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11: The Universal FormVishvarupa Darshana Yoga - The Vision of the Cosmic FormBhishma Parva
• The Science of FormationsWhat a Vyuha IsBhishma Parva
• The Rules of the WarThe Covenant and Its BreakingBhishma Parva
• Eighteen Days of DestructionThe Kurukshetra War teaches that there is no such thing as a 'clean' war. Even a war fought for the most righteous...Bhishma Parva ‧ 31 min
• Kurukshetra Day 1: The Conches SoundThe First Royal DeadBhishma Parva
• Kurukshetra Day 2: The Pandavas RallyThe Krauncha ArrayBhishma Parva
• Kurukshetra Day 3: The Garuda and the CrescentKrishna's Patience FailsBhishma Parva
• Kurukshetra Day 4: Bhima UnboundEight Brothers Fall in a DayBhishma Parva
• Kurukshetra Day 5: The Grandsire's HarvestThe Makara ArrayBhishma Parva
• Kurukshetra Day 6: Into the FormationBhima Cut OffBhishma Parva
• Kurukshetra Day 7: Mandala and VajraThe Day of a Hundred DuelsBhishma Parva
• Kurukshetra Day 9: Krishna Takes Up the WheelThe Vow Almost BrokenBhishma Parva
• The Fall of Bhishma and the EarringsIndra's Gift, the Grandsire's Bed of ArrowsBhishma Parva ‧ 26 min
• The Hymn Before the ConchesKrishna sends Arjuna down from the chariot to praise the goddessBhishma Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Walk Across the FieldThe king who laid down his armour before the first arrowBhishma Parva ‧ 20 min
• Shveta Against the GrandsireThe Matsya prince who broke Bhishma's bow again and againBhishma Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Grandsire Names the GodDuryodhana asks why he keeps losing and gets a theology insteadBhishma Parva ‧ 18 min
• Kurukshetra Day 8: The Rakshasa's HourIravan falls and Ghatotkacha answers for himBhishma Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Son of RishyasringaAlambusha, the illusion-fighter the Kauravas kept for the Pandava sonsBhishma Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Pillow of ArrowsBoth armies lay down their weapons for one eveningBhishma Parva ‧ 18 min
• Karna at the Grandsire's FeetThe forgiveness that came too late to change anythingBhishma Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Herb in the Grandsire's HandA wounded Duryodhana asks Bhishma for reassurance and is given honesty, a pledge, and medicineBhishma Parva ‧ 16 min
• Omens and the Ten Kings Around BhimaDrona reads the signs of Bhishma's last day and sends his son to fightBhishma Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Grandsire Chooses His HourBhishma remembers Santanu's boon and refuses to die in the wrong seasonBhishma Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Ten Kinsmen Against the Ten SonsDay six: Dhrishtadyumna kills two princes, ten Pandavas duel ten Kauravas, and Bhima goes into the elephants on footBhishma Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Seventh Day After NoonBhima and Duryodhana wound each other twice, Sanjaya tells the blind king whose fault the war is, and Satanika kills DushkarnaBhishma Parva ‧ 23 min
• Six Duels on the Eighth DayShikhandi with a broken sword, Duryodhana on foot, and a mace that missedBhishma Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Three ColumnsAt midday on the eighth day the Pandava army splits into three attacking bodies, Arjuna's son Iravan is killed, and Bhishma sends twelve warriors to pull Duryodhana out of the fire.Bhishma Parva ‧ 21 min
• Ghatotkacha and the Javelin of BhagadattaDuryodhana asks to kill a Rakshasa, and a Rakshasa breaks a javelin on his kneeBhishma Parva ‧ 24 min
• The Shield Around BhishmaNinth day: Satyaki trades darts with the grandsire, Abhimanyu unhorses Chitrasena, and Duryodhana orders a wall of men built round BhishmaBhishma Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Wall Before BhishmaEvery Kaurava champion is given one Pandava to stop on the tenth dayBhishma Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Last Push on the Tenth DayTenth day: Bhishma asks Yudhishthira to kill him, and the champions of both armies pair off across the field while Dushasana alone stands between him and ArjunaBhishma Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Evening After Bhishma FellBoth armies stop the war for a night, and Arjuna gives the grandsire the only pillow he will accept.Bhishma Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Pairings of the Second DayArjuna goes at the grandsire, and the field breaks into nine duelsBhishma Parva ‧ 11 min
• Shikhandi's WarThe life after the purposeBhishma Parva
• Kurukshetra Day 11: The Teacher Takes CommandDrona's Vow to Take the King AliveDrona Parva
• The Elephant King of the EastBhagadatta, Supratika, and the Missile Krishna Took on His ChestDrona Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Banners and the BowsSanjaya names every standard on the fieldDrona Parva ‧ 18 min
• The King Counts His ArmyEvery soldier paid, examined and willing, and still losingDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Second Man SentBhima's crossing and the roar agreed on beforehandDrona Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Arrows He Did Not Want to ShootArjuna, Kripa, and a lesson in arms turned back on its teacherDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Oath of a Bereaved FatherThe house of Bahlika ends in a single nightDrona Parva ‧ 18 min
• Three Men and a Drawn SwordKarna boasts, Kripa answers, and Ashwatthama draws on his own sideDrona Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Dart That Was Never ThrownA blind king asks the only question that matteredDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• Held Back by Bhima's ArmsSatyaki and Dhrishtadyumna nearly finish the war for the KauravasDrona Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Sword That Broke on the ShieldAbhimanyu strips a king of everything, and Jayadratha comes down off his car to stop himDrona Parva ‧ 13 min
• The Dice That Turned Into ArrowsDrona rebukes the fleeing Dushasana, and then wakes with a sword over his neckDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• Karna Takes the FieldThe vow that kept him out of ten days of war, and the grief that brought him into itDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Consecration of DronaKarna names the Preceptor commander, and Drona names the man he cannot killDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The King Falls Out of His SeatDhritarashtra hears that Drona is dead, faints in his hall, and wakes to ask who was supposed to be guarding himDrona Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Mouth of the GarudaDrona draws his host as a bird and comes for Yudhishthira on the twelfth morningDrona Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Blind King Is AnsweredDhritarashtra laments the night after Abhimanyu's death, and his own messenger tells him whose fault it isDrona Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Brothers of AvantiTwo kings see Arjuna's horses tire, and one of them walks up to Krishna with a maceDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Field Krishna Showed HimArjuna is driven at a walk over the ground he has won, and Yudhishthira answers with a hymnDrona Parva ‧ 22 min
• The Night Falls on the Fourteenth DayAshwatthama breaks the Panchalas after dark, Drona looses the wind weapon, and Krishna pulls Yudhishthira out of a fight he is winningDrona Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Guard at Drona's Right WheelYudhishthira orders his whole army against Drona, and never gets past KritavarmaDrona Parva ‧ 15 min
• Kurukshetra Day 16: The Sun-Born CommanderKarna Keeps His Word to KuntiKarna Parva
• The Fallen SunKarna's story is the Mahabharata's deepest meditation on the cruelty of fate and the power of loyalty. He was denied...Karna Parva ‧ 28 min
• The Word Brought to HastinapuraSanjaya rides through the night with the news of KarnaKarna Parva ‧ 21 min
• Pandya of the Malaya HillsThe southern king who thought himself greater than BhishmaKarna Parva ‧ 16 min
• The King Against the KingYudhishthira brings Duryodhana down and Bhima stops the blowKarna Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Calf and the WheelKarna tells his charioteer the curse that will kill himKarna Parva ‧ 16 min
• Ashvatthama Asks for PeaceA hand on Duryodhana's wrist while the gods watchKarna Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Old Preceptor and the Slayer of DronaKripa freezes Dhrishtadyumna until his own driver turns the car and runsKarna Parva ‧ 11 min
• The Elephant Standard Comes DownDhrishtadyumna leaves Duryodhana without horses, driver, weapons or banner at noon on the seventeenth dayKarna Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Night After DronaThe sleepless camp, four men in a tent, and the thread tied round Karna's wristsKarna Parva ‧ 14 min
• Karna and Satyaki ClashOne Vrishni holds the Kaurava army, and the sixteenth day ends in dustKarna Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Price on Arjuna's HeadKarna offers everything he owns to any man who will point out ArjunaKarna Parva ‧ 13 min
• The Prince Who Went In for ShikhandiKripa strips Shikhandi on the seventeenth day, and a young ally buys him a way out with his lifeKarna Parva ‧ 12 min
• Satyaki Unhorses ShakuniThe seventeenth day breaks into single combats, and the gambler of Gandhara is carried off the field by his sonKarna Parva ‧ 14 min
• Arjuna Rides Out for KarnaThe car is yoked again, the omen birds go on ahead, and the field between Arjuna and Karna breaks into duelsKarna Parva ‧ 23 min
• Arjuna Cuts His Way to KarnaAn army ordered to tire one man before Karna kills himKarna Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Vows Before the Final DuelKarna, Shalya, Krishna and Arjuna each say what they will do when the other man diesKarna Parva ‧ 24 min
• Karna's Tales of the MadrakasThe abducted woman's curse, the rakshasa's ranking of dirt, and a driver who cannot get off the chariotKarna Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Fourth CommanderA nephew's water poured on an uncle's head at the foot of HimavatShalya Parva ‧ 18 min
• Shalya Alone Against FiveThe last commander's one unanswerable morningShalya Parva ‧ 20 min
• The King on the Mountain of FleshOne elephant breaks an army, and two men bring it downShalya Parva ‧ 16 min
• Where the Carnage Did Not CeaseArjuna counts every point at which the war should have stoppedShalya Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Last of the HundredBhima closes an eighteen-year account in a single afternoonShalya Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Oath Comes DueSusharman, his thirty-five sons, and the last of the sworn menShalya Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Duel on the Southern BankTwo pupils of one teacher settle a war with clubsShalya Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Verdict at the Fallen KingBalarama's plough, Duryodhana's indictment, and the flowers that fell from the skyShalya Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Errand Before the GriefKrishna drives to Hastinapura to reach a mother before her curse doesShalya Parva ‧ 16 min
• Duryodhana Rises from the LakeTaunted in the water, the last Kaurava comes up armed and asks for one man at a timeShalya Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Last Words of DuryodhanaBroken-thighed on the field, the Kuru king laments his dead, sends his last words home, and names a general with a dying man's hand.Shalya Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Eighteenth MorningChekitana takes a lance, Suratha takes a single arrow, and Duryodhana is carried off his own field by bolting horsesShalya Parva ‧ 22 min
• The Seventeen HundredShalya's followers charge against orders, and Duryodhana's army breaks twice before he turns it roundShalya Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Afternoon of the Eighteenth DaySatyaki takes Kritavarma's car again, Duryodhana holds the field alone, and the last elephants fallShalya Parva ‧ 22 min
• The Flight of the Royal LadiesThe last of the eleven armies dies, Duryodhana walks into a lake, and the Kaurava camp runs for HastinapuraShalya Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Plunder of the Kaurava CampThe victors ride into Duryodhana's empty tents, and Arjuna's chariot turns to ashShalya Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Muster of the Eighteenth DayAn oath never to fight alone, and the count of what was left of both armiesShalya Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Owl in the Banyan TreeWhat three beaten men argued about in the darkSauptika Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Last ReportThree men bring good news to a dying kingSauptika Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Gem on Ashwatthama's HeadDraupadi sits down to starve until the stone is brought to herSauptika Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Duel of the Brahmashira WeaponsAshwatthama and Arjuna loose the world-ending astra at Vyasa's hermitageSauptika Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Aftermath of WarThe Night Massacre, the Women's Lament, and a Curse on KrishnaStri Parva ‧ 25 min
• The Queens Who Came a Long WayWhat the Kuru quarrel cost the kingdoms that were only alliesStri Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Count of the DeadKrishna's blunt answer, and a king who could see where they had goneStri Parva ‧ 16 min
• Gandhari Shows Krishna the FieldWith the sight Vyasa gave her, the blindfolded queen walks Krishna through the dead of KurukshetraStri Parva ‧ 21 min
• What Gandhari SawThe blind queen, given sight for one afternoon, walks Kurukshetra naming the dead of both armiesStri Parva ‧ 21 min
• Bhishma on the Bed of ArrowsFifty-Eight Days of Teaching, and a King Crowned at His FeetShanti Parva ‧ 24 min
• The Dharma of KingsRajadharma - Bhishma on the Art of RuleShanti Parva
• The Sage and the Dog's HaunchApaddharma - Law in the Time of RuinShanti Parva
• The Song of MankiThe Rope of DesireShanti Parva
• Pingala's NightThe Courtesan Who Found PeaceShanti Parva
• The Python's WayThe Vow of What Comes UnsoughtShanti Parva
• Bhrigu and BharadvajaThe Sage's Questions About EverythingShanti Parva
• The Song of VritraThe Serenity of the DefeatedShanti Parva
• Bali and IndraThe Emperor in the Empty HouseShanti Parva
• Namuchi in ChainsThe Prisoner Who Slept at EaseShanti Parva
• Panchashikha and the KingLiberation Without Leaving the ThroneShanti Parva
• The ReciterThe Brahmin Who Refused HeavenShanti Parva
• The Song of AshmanJanaka's Question About GriefShanti Parva
• The Song of SampakaThe Freedom of the Poor BrahminShanti Parva
• The Song of HaritaThe Discipline of the RenunciateShanti Parva
• The Song of VichakhnuThe King Who Pitied the SacrificeShanti Parva
• The Cloud's GiftKundadhara and the Poor ManShanti Parva
• Muchukunda and the Lord of TreasureThe King Who Refused a Borrowed VictoryShanti Parva
• Indra Questions ShambaraHow the Enemy ProsperedShanti Parva
• Ushanas the BrightHow Shukra Became the Teacher of the AsurasShanti Parva
• The Jackal and the SageThe Worth of a Human BirthShanti Parva
• The Golden SwanWhat the Sadhyas Learned From a BirdShanti Parva
• Kapila and the CowThe Debate of the Two RoadsShanti Parva
• Karna at RajapuraA bride carried off, a hundred kings unhorsed, and the city a rival gave awayShanti Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Victory Nobody WantedFive brothers, a wife and a sage argue a king back onto his throneShanti Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Age Before KingsHow men who protected one another stopped, and what had to be writtenShanti Parva ‧ 18 min
• Mandhatri Asks to See GodThe emperor got an answer instead of a visionShanti Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Weapon Not Made of SteelKrishna tells Narada what his own kinsmen do to himShanti Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Day the Rod VanishedWhat happened to the world when Chastisement disappearedShanti Parva ‧ 20 min
• What the Brothers Wanted MostAn evening argument about virtue, wealth and desireShanti Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Two Who Argued Over a DebtDesire and Wrath come to court in ragsShanti Parva ‧ 21 min
• Prahlada in ChainsIndra asks a bound enemy why he does not grieveShanti Parva ‧ 16 min
• Bali in the Nooses of VarunaThe prisoner who would not be mocked, and the god who let him beShanti Parva ‧ 19 min
• Fortune Changes SidesWhy Sri deserted the asuras, told on a bank of the GangaShanti Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Deer Who Asked to Be KilledA poor brahmana's sacrifice and the neighbour who begged for the knifeShanti Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Four Shares of a SinWho agreed to carry a quarter of Indra's guilt, and what it cost themShanti Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Sweat That Became FeverA drop from Shiva's forehead, and the disease scattered through the worldShanti Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Sage Inside the GodHow Usanas robbed Kuvera and came out as ShukraShanti Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Yajus Taken From the SunA goddess entering a man's mouth, and the fee split in twoShanti Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Son Struck From the Fire SticksA hundred years of penance, a parrot on a branch, and a child born of frictionShanti Parva ‧ 18 min
• Three Doors and Fifty WomenThe son of Vyasa is made to walk, and then made to waitShanti Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Guest Nobody Could SeeBrihaspati throws down the ladle at a sacrifice where no animal was killedShanti Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Night Janaka Opened the SkyBefore the battle with Pratardana, the king of Mithila shows his army heaven and hellShanti Parva ‧ 14 min
• What Is Owed to Mother, Father and TeacherAsked which duty matters most of all, Bhishma names three people and calls them the three sacred firesShanti Parva ‧ 13 min
• The Root of All AccomplishmentBhishma teaches that the world, the Vedas and the rank of the gods were all bought with penanceShanti Parva ‧ 12 min
• The Rules of an Ordinary DayBhishma sets out the whole practice of good conduct, from the morning ablution to the last word spoken to an elderShanti Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Vow of BrahmacharyaBhishma on the rules of abstention, and the duct called ManovahaShanti Parva ‧ 12 min
• The Cheerful AsceticNarada asks Samanga why he is never sorry, and gets an answer about acts and their fruitsShanti Parva ‧ 16 min
• Arishtanemi and King SagaraA sage tells a reigning king when to let go of his house, and the king keeps his throneShanti Parva ‧ 15 min
• Krishna's Gift to the Dying GrandsireThe Boon That Took Away Pain, Hunger and Thirst So Bhishma Could SpeakShanti Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Fowler's CryBrihaspati teaches Indra how to subdue an enemy without fighting himShanti Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Sudra Who Gave a Hundred ThousandBhishma sets out the duties of the four orders, and names the servant whose sacrifice is still rememberedShanti Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Oath to Conquer or DieBhishma on marching, arraying and swearing in an army, and the men a soldier may never strikeShanti Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Practices That Overcome DifficultyBhishma on when a truthful man may lie, and the long list of habits that carry a person throughShanti Parva ‧ 22 min
• Kamandaka and the Sinning KingA king who repents asks a rishi by what acts a sin is destroyedShanti Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Debt Penance Could Not PayYama climbs the Paripatra hills, and Gotama asks him what is owed to a mother and a fatherShanti Parva ‧ 9 min
• The Legs of the SnakeBhishma on how to live through a lawless season, and why slander must never be heardShanti Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Marks of a True FriendBhishma lists the men a king may bind himself to, and the men he must keep at a distanceShanti Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Tribes Beyond the PaleBhishma names the peoples of the borders and dates them to the ending of the first ageShanti Parva ‧ 18 min
• On Dreams and SleepBhishma explains where dreams come from and who stays awake in dreamless sleepShanti Parva ‧ 15 min
• Narada as Krishna Praised HimUgrasena asks why everyone speaks well of one sage, and Krishna answers him item by itemShanti Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Road to EmancipationBhishma names, one by one, the tool that lifts each weightShanti Parva ‧ 12 min
• The Eighth Portion of VishnuSanatkumara tells the defeated Vritra what holds up the universe, and Bhishma tells Yudhishthira who Krishna isShanti Parva ‧ 23 min
• Galava Asks What Is BeneficialNarada answers a student who cannot tell which scripture to obeyShanti Parva ‧ 18 min
• Does Consciousness SurviveYudhishthira asks whether anyone is left awake in the emancipate state, and Bhishma answers out of the Sankhya of KapilaShanti Parva ‧ 22 min
• The Signs of Approaching DeathYajnavalkya tells the king of Mithila which door the soul leaves by, and how a man learns that his year has begunShanti Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Seven WindsVyasa halts a recitation on the Himavat and names the winds that move the worldsShanti Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Thousand Doors to HeavenA guest who cannot answer counts the ways men have got in, then names one serpent worth askingShanti Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Wife Who Cooled a Naga's AngerPadmanabha would not go out to a waiting guest, until his wife named the ends of Ravana and KartaviryaShanti Parva ‧ 13 min
• The King Who Declared War on HimselfAlarka finds the only enemy worth conqueringShanti Parva
• The Song of BodhyaSix teachers and no preceptorShanti Parva
• Manu Answers the Teacher of the GodsA dialogue on what the senses can and cannot reachShanti Parva
• The Song of ParasharaVyasa's father on birth, work and the fruit of actsShanti Parva
• What Left PrahladaIndra begs the one thing worth takingShanti Parva
• The Birth of the SwordNakula asks which weapon came firstShanti Parva
• The Parrot and the Poisoned TreeA bird that would not leave a dying hostShanti Parva
• The White IslandNarada and three sages at the edge of the worldShanti Parva
• The Word That Meant Two ThingsKing Vasu judges what aja means, and falls out of the skyShanti Parva
• Utathya Instructs the EmperorThe brahmana who told Mandhata what a crown is forShanti Parva
• Vamadeva and the King of KosalaThe counsel a young king asked for and gotShanti Parva
• Vasishtha and Karala JanakaThe count of what a person is made ofShanti Parva
• The Robber Who Kept the RulesKayavya, the Nishada who plundered by lawShanti Parva
• The Sage Who Carried a CrowKalakavrikshiya, and counsel for a king with nothing leftShanti Parva
• The Prince Who Argued Against the RodSatyavan and his father on whether men should be killedShanti Parva
• The Sage Who Grew ThinTanu, King Viradyumna, and the body that hope wears downShanti Parva
• The Son Who Would Not WaitMedhavin tells his father the days are being eatenShanti Parva
• The Ocean and the ReedWhy the rivers bring down the great trees and spare the slender oneShanti Parva
• The Tiger's Honest MinisterHow a court disposes of the one man it needsShanti Parva
• The Worm That Ran From the CartVyasa asks what such a life has to loseShanti Parva
• Ambarisha and His GeneralA tale of sacrifice remade, told to ease a king's war-griefShanti Parva
• The King Who AtonedJanamejaya, Indrota Shaunaka, and the Long Road BackShanti Parva
• The Naga Who Pulls the SunA seeker's wait by the Gomati, and what he learned from itShanti Parva
• The Hermit and the DogBhishma on royal appointments, and the creature a kind man made out of his own pityShanti Parva
• The King the Demon Could Not EatA rajadharma parable Bhishma tells YudhishthiraShanti Parva
• The Three FishesBhishma on the pond that shrank, and the only kind of failure a king is never forgivenShanti Parva
• Narada Questions the ApsaraPanchachuda is made to name the faults of women, and traces them back to their makerAnushasana Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Three Born of the FireBhrigu, Angiras and Kavi rise from a libation, and three gods claim themAnushasana Parva ‧ 17 min
• Righteousness, the Only FriendBrihaspati comes down from the sky to tell Yudhishthira what follows a man past deathAnushasana Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Savitri Mantra of SalutationsBhishma gives Yudhishthira the roll of names to be said at dawnAnushasana Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Names That Cleanse SinAsked what destroys sin, Bhishma answers with a litany of gods, rivers, mountains, sages and kingsAnushasana Parva ‧ 15 min
• Upamanyu's PenanceThe boy who refused every god but Shiva, and the god who came disguised as Indra to hear him do itAnushasana Parva ‧ 24 min
• Tandi and the Ten Thousand YearsA rishi meditates for a hundred centuries, sees Mahadeva, and hymns him as the end of all five roadsAnushasana Parva ‧ 20 min
• Bhrigu in Agastya's HairHow an unseen sage cursed the mortal king of heaven into a snakeAnushasana Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Guest Who LaughedVyasa and Maitreya argue over gift, penance and knowledge at BaranasiAnushasana Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Vow of Ten and Two YearsKrishna keeps a twelve year vow on the mountain and a fire walks out of his mouthAnushasana Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Three Sages Who Saved the GodsAgastya burns the Danavas, Vashishtha brings down the Sarayu, and Atri becomes the moon and the sunAnushasana Parva ‧ 13 min
• The Jackal and the ApeTwo friends meet again in a burning ground and account for their bodiesAnushasana Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Ten Sins of Body, Speech and MindBhishma answers the plainest question with a list of ten things not to doAnushasana Parva ‧ 16 min
• How Vishnu Got the DiscusUpamanyu tells Krishna where Sudarsana came from, and Krishna climbs Himavat to ask Mahadeva for a sonAnushasana Parva ‧ 23 min
• The Devotees of MahadevaKapila, Valmiki, Gritsamada and others tell Yudhishthira what a lifetime's devotion to Mahadeva bought them.Anushasana Parva ‧ 18 min
• What Sends a Man to Heaven or HellBhishma on gifts, the Sraddha, and the two lists of deedsAnushasana Parva ‧ 24 min
• The Brahmanas Who Deserve WorshipNarada tells Krishna whom he bows to, and Bhishma tells a king what it costs to forgetAnushasana Parva ‧ 24 min
• Why Men Cling to WomenYudhishthira asks the question that Panchachuda's answer left standingAnushasana Parva ‧ 13 min
• The Five Forms of MarriageBhishma on how a daughter is given, what a dower does not buy, and the honour owed to womenAnushasana Parva ‧ 24 min
• The Kinds of Sons and Their SharesBhishma divides a dead man's property, names the children of crossed orders, and settles who a son belongs toAnushasana Parva ‧ 24 min
• Gifts Under the Lunar MansionsNarada tells Devaki what to give under each star, and the gods ask Brahman for ground to stand onAnushasana Parva ‧ 23 min
• The Wrong Man Before YamaA crow-faced messenger seizes the neighbour instead of Sarmin, and Yama sends him home with a rule of lifeAnushasana Parva ‧ 13 min
• The Sraddhas Under the ConstellationsYama's calendar of offerings to the fathers, and the king who won the earth by itAnushasana Parva ‧ 13 min
• Flowers, Incense, and LampsThe goddess Earth tells Krishna what a household owes each day, and Shukra tells Bali which flowers belong to which beingsAnushasana Parva ‧ 18 min
• Rules for a Long LifeBhishma sets out the conduct of an ordinary day, and how brothers should hold togetherAnushasana Parva ‧ 24 min
• The Fourfold Religion of CompassionBhishma on abstaining from meat, and the kings who kept the vowAnushasana Parva ‧ 24 min
• The Mysteries of Religion, Part OneThe deities, the Pitris and the Rishis each give up a duty whose reason is secretAnushasana Parva ‧ 24 min
• The Mysteries of Religion, Part TwoLomasa, Arundhati, the night-wanderers and the elephants of the quarters give up the last of their secretsAnushasana Parva ‧ 18 min
• Whose Food May Be EatenBhishma on the tables a man may sit at, and the expiations for the restAnushasana Parva ‧ 14 min
• Whom One Should WorshipYudhishthira asks whom a man should bow to, and Bhishma answers with the brahmanasAnushasana Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Brahmanas and the KapasThe gods lose heaven and earth, and men on the ground win them backAnushasana Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Child Who Stopped Indra's ArmA boy on Uma's lap holds the thunderbolt in the airAnushasana Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Foundations of RighteousnessBhishma is asked whether the eye or the scripture decides, and answers with three foundations and a long list of small rulesAnushasana Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Price of a SageChyavana caught in the fishermen's netAnushasana Parva
• The Sage Who Shot at the SunHow the umbrella and the sandals came into the worldAnushasana Parva
• The Test in the NorthAshtavakra goes for a bride and is stopped by a womanAnushasana Parva
• The Praise That Cost a SageAtri, Gautama, and a quarrel in a sacrificial hallAnushasana Parva
• The Sage Who Drank the SeaUtathya, Bhadra, and the day Varuna came up on footAnushasana Parva
• The King Who Was Made a BrahmanaVitahavya, the Haihaya, and a word that changed a birthAnushasana Parva
• Why Gold Is the Highest GiftThe metal left behind by fireAnushasana Parva
• The Two Bowls of RiceHow a mother's swap made a brahmana of one line and a warrior of the otherAnushasana Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Man Who Was Not Allowed InA Sudra's hermitage, a sage's kindness, and two lives turned inside outAnushasana Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Cow Born of NectarDaksha's gift, Mahadeva's third eye, and why cattle wear many coloursAnushasana Parva ‧ 14 min
• Four Faces and a Blue ThroatUma asks her husband to account for himselfAnushasana Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Wind Answers the Thousand-Armed KingKartavirya boasts, and an invisible voice begins to argueAnushasana Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Thousand Names of VishnuVishnu Sahasranama - Bhishma's Last GiftAnushasana Parva
• The Thousand Names of ShivaShiva Sahasranama - Krishna's Own TeachingAnushasana Parva
• The Dharma of GiftsDanadharma - What Giving Actually IsAnushasana Parva
• Destiny and EffortThe Seed and the FieldAnushasana Parva
• The Guest at the DoorSudarshana's Vow of HospitalityAnushasana Parva
• Uma Questions ShivaThe Goddess and the Great God on DharmaAnushasana Parva
• Upamanyu and the Ocean of MilkThe Boy Who Cried for MilkAnushasana Parva
• The Gift of CowsWhy the Cow Is the First of GiftsAnushasana Parva
• Where Fortune DwellsLakshmi Among the CowsAnushasana Parva
• Chyavana Tests the KingTwenty-One Days of StillnessAnushasana Parva
• Baka Dalbhya and the King of HeavenThe Long-Lived Sage's LedgerAnushasana Parva
• The Dharma of FastingWhat Hunger TeachesAnushasana Parva
• The Feeding of the FathersHow the Shraddha BeganAnushasana Parva
• Matanga's AusterityThe Man Who Asked to Change His BirthAnushasana Parva
• The Merit of the FordsWhy the Waters WashAnushasana Parva
• The Theft of the Lotus StalksSeven Sages, a King's Gold, and an Oath That Blessed the ThiefAnushasana Parva
• The Hand That Rose From the GrassBhishma's own memory of Shantanu's shraddha at the gate of GangaAnushasana Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Man Who Remembered His BirthsA chandala brushing milk from his skinAnushasana Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Elephant the Sage Called SonGautama argues his way through every heaven for a stolen calfAnushasana Parva ‧ 20 min
• Why Are You Pale and LeanA man-eater asks a question instead of eatingAnushasana Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Departure of BhishmaThe sun turns north, and the grandsire lets goAnushasana Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Battle No One Else Can FightKrishna names the enemies still living in Yudhishthira's fleshAshvamedhika Parva ‧ 16 min
• The News Krishna Held BackA grandfather is spared until his daughter refuses itAshvamedhika Parva ‧ 16 min
• Arjuna's Hymn at PartingOn the road to Hastinapur, Arjuna praises Krishna and gives him leave to go homeAshvamedhika Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Wordy DartsFifteen Years of Bhima's UnforgivenessAshramavasika Parva ‧ 19 min
• The King Asks Leave of His PeopleAn Assembly Absolves the Man Who Ruined ItAshramavasika Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Gift SacrificeTen Days of Giving for the Enemy DeadAshramavasika Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Night the Dead ReturnedVyasa Calls the Fallen Out of the GangaAshramavasika Parva ‧ 20 min
• Balarama Returns to the SeaThe Serpent Leaves by the Mouth It Came FromMausala Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Return of the PortionsWho everybody turned out to have beenSvargarohana Parva ‧ 17 min

Character Arc

1. 1The SacrificeRenounces throne and marriage
2. 2The BlessingGranted death at will
3. 3The TragedyBound to fight against dharma

Key Relationships

• Grand-nephew & Opponent➝Arjuna
• Object of Devotion➝Krishna
• Grand-daughter-in-law➝Draupadi

Places in Bhishma's Story

Drawn from the stories Bhishma appears in.

• Hastinapurहस्तिनापुर
• Banks of the Gangaगङ्गा तट
• Yamunaयमुना
• Indraprasthaइंद्रप्रस्थ
• Kurukshetraकुरुक्षेत्र
• Varnavataवारणावत
• Gangaगङ्गा
• Kashiकाशी
• Shalvaशाल्व
• Gandhamadanaगन्धमादन
• Himavatहिमवत्
• Kampilyaकाम्पिल्य

Related Characters

Others counted among the Kuru Dynasty.

• ✦Pritha (Kunti)
• ✦King Dushyanta
• ✦Shakuntala
• ✦Emperor Bharata (Sarvadamana)
• ∵Drona
• ♛King Dhritarashtra