Names and Titles · Mahabharata Glossary
Pitamaha (pitāmaha)
पितामह
What Pitamaha Means in the Mahabharata
Pitamaha means grandfather, and in the Mahabharata it belongs above all to Bhishma, who is grandfather to neither side by blood but stands as the elder of the whole house. The title is a measure of the tragedy, since both armies call him by it and one of them has to kill him. The same word names Brahma as grandfather of the worlds, and the epic occasionally lets the two senses lean on each other when Bhishma is teaching.
Quick Facts
| Term | Pitamaha |
|---|---|
| Devanagari | पितामह |
| Transliteration | pitāmaha |
| Category | Names and Titles |
| Seen in | 3 stories on this site |
Pitamaha in the Stories
Tales where the word does real work.
- The Terrible VowTrue love is not possession but sacrifice. Devavrata gave up his kingdom, his future, and his chance at family - all so that his...
- The Fall of Bhishma and the EarringsIndra's Gift, the Grandsire's Bed of Arrows
- Bhishma on the Bed of ArrowsFifty-Eight Days of Teaching, and a King Crowned at His Feet