Bhishma Pratigya

Dadi: "Beta Guddu, have you ever made a promise so big that it changed your entire life?"

Guddu: "Hmm... I once promised to clean my room every day, but I forgot after a week!"

Dadi: "*chuckles* Let me tell you about a man who made a promise so powerful that it shook heaven and earth - and he kept it for his entire life, even when it caused him unimaginable pain."

Guddu: "Who was he?"

Dadi: "His name was Devavrata, and he was the crown prince of Hastinapura. He was the most talented, beloved, and rightful heir to the throne. Everything was perfect - until his father fell in love."

Guddu: "Fell in love? With whom?"

Dadi: "With a beautiful fisherwoman named Satyavati, who rowed boats across the river Yamuna. King Shantanu was so enchanted that he went to her father to ask for her hand in marriage."

Guddu: "What did her father say?"

Dadi: "The fisherman was clever, beta. He said, "I will only give my daughter to the king if you promise that HER sons will become king after you - not Devavrata.""

Guddu: "But Devavrata was already supposed to be king!"

Dadi: "Exactly! The king couldn't make such a promise. It wasn't fair to his son. Heartbroken, Shantanu returned to the palace and fell into deep depression. He stopped eating, stopped talking, stopped living."

Guddu: "What did Devavrata do?"

Dadi: "When the young prince noticed his father's condition, he asked the ministers what was wrong. When he learned the truth, he did something extraordinary."

Guddu: "What?"

Dadi: "He went straight to the fisherman's hut and announced: "I, Devavrata, renounce my claim to the throne of Hastinapura forever. Satyavati's sons will rule.""

Guddu: "He gave up being king? For his father's happiness?"

Dadi: "But the fisherman wasn't satisfied. He said, "Even if you step aside, your children might fight for the throne against Satyavati's grandchildren.""

Guddu: "What did Devavrata do?"

Dadi: "Without hesitation, he made a second, even more terrible vow. He raised his hand to the heavens and declared: "I take a vow of lifelong celibacy. I will never marry. I will never have children. There will be no descendants from me to challenge the throne.""

Guddu: "He gave up having a family? Forever?"

Dadi: "Forever. Beta, at that moment, something miraculous happened. The sky thundered. Lightning flashed. The gods themselves were watching. Flowers rained from heaven. All of nature witnessed this incredible sacrifice."

Guddu: "Why did the gods react?"

Dadi: "Because a vow so terrible, so selfless, so complete had never been taken before. The gods named him "Bhishma" - meaning "the terrible vow" or "he who takes the fearsome oath.""

Guddu: "Did his father give him anything in return?"

Dadi: "His father, overcome with gratitude and sorrow, blessed him with a divine boon: Bhishma could choose the time of his own death. No weapon, no warrior, nothing could kill him until he wished it."

Guddu: "So he became immortal?"

Dadi: "In a way, yes. But beta, here's where the story becomes tragic. Because of his vow, Bhishma had to watch his family tear itself apart. He could never be king himself. He could never stop the terrible things that happened."

Guddu: "What terrible things?"

Dadi: "When Satyavati's sons died without proper heirs, there was chaos. The children who eventually came - Dhritarashtra, Pandu, and their sons, the Kauravas and Pandavas - ended up fighting a war that destroyed nearly everyone."

Guddu: "And Bhishma couldn't stop it?"

Dadi: "His vow bound him to protect whoever sat on the throne. So even though he knew the Kauravas were wrong, even though he loved the Pandavas more, he was forced to fight against justice because of his promise."

Guddu: "That's so unfair!"

Dadi: "Before the war, Bhishma told Krishna: "I know the Pandavas are right. But I cannot break my vow. I must fight for whoever rules Hastinapura - even if that means fighting for evil. I made an absolute promise, and I must keep it absolutely - even into hell.""

Guddu: "How did his life end?"

Dadi: "During the great war, Bhishma fought with such skill that no one could defeat him. Finally, the Pandavas brought Shikhandi to the front lines - Shikhandi had been born a woman, and Bhishma had vowed never to fight someone born female. With his defenses down, Arjuna shot him with so many arrows that his body was held above the ground by the shafts themselves."

Guddu: "But he didn't die?"

Dadi: "His boon held. He lay on that bed of arrows for 58 days, choosing to die only when the sun turned north - the auspicious time. During those 58 days, even though he was in agony, he taught wisdom to everyone who came to him."

Guddu: "What did he teach?"

Dadi: "He taught that dharma is complex. That keeping promises matters - but promises can trap us. That duty sometimes demands terrible things. That the right path isn't always clear. And that we must make choices with limited knowledge and live with consequences we cannot foresee."

Guddu: "What does this story teach us, Dadi?"

Dadi: "So much, beta! First, some sacrifices are total - Bhishma gave up everything for his father's happiness. Second, promises have power - a vow taken with full commitment moves heaven and earth. Third, duty can become a cage - the very thing that makes us noble can also bind us to suffering. Fourth, love sometimes means letting go - Bhishma loved the Pandavas but had to fight against them. And finally, life is complicated - there isn't always a clean right answer, only choices and consequences."

Guddu: "Would you have taken such a vow, Dadi?"

Dadi: "I pray I never face such a choice, beta. But Bhishma's story reminds us that true love sometimes asks us to give up everything - not for reward, but simply because we love. That's the highest form of devotion."

Guddu: "Bhishma was incredibly brave."

Dadi: "And incredibly devoted. His name means "terrible" - but what was truly terrible was the weight of keeping a promise that cost him everything. Remember his story when you make promises, beta. Words spoken with sincerity have power. Use that power wisely."