Devavrata (devavrata)

Devavrata, meaning one whose vow is divine, is Bhishma's birth name, given to the son of Shantanu and the river goddess Ganga. He is also called Gangaputra, son of Ganga, and it is only after he renounces the throne and swears lifelong celibacy so that his father may marry a fisherman's daughter that the gods rain flowers and call him Bhishma, the terrible one. The name change marks the moment a young prince converts his entire future into a promise.