WHO Killed Bhishma Pitamah?

Karma kills us all. 
Diabetes kills us when we eat too much sugar.
Heart attack kills us when we eat too much fatty food and don’t exercise. 
Lung cancer kills us when we smoke too much.
Stress & BP kills us when we worry too much. 
In the end - our own karma - actions and inactions - kill us.

Bhishma stole the cow of Vashishtha - hence he had to be born as a human and live a long and painful life by serving unworthy people who were less able than him.

Bhishma wronged Amba by ruining her chance of a happily married life - hence he had to suffer Sikhandi as the ‘cause’ of his exit from the war. Surely, if Arjun could fire arrows from ‘behind’ Sikhandi and have them hit Bhishma, couldn’t Bhishma fire arrows to by-pass Sikhandi and hit Arjun?

Bhishma served Kauravas despite knowing they were wrong. He was bound to serve Dhritarastra, not Duryodhan. Yet, in every family feud, in every war, he stood by Duryodhan. Even in the last war, as Vidur and Balarama had abstained, so could Bhishma. Afterall, Kauravas and Pandavas were sons of emperors who had sat on the throne. He could have avoided the war on account of both sides being rightful heirs. But he didn’t. For this reason, Shri Krushna advised and ordered Arjun to kill Bhishma who was standing in the way of the establishment of Dharma Rajya.

Bhishma sat and did nothing - nothing - to help Draupadi during the terrible insults and dishonourable conduct of Dushashan, Duryodhan and Karna. Draupadi was an innocent victim in this vicious fight between cousins. She appealed to him directly for help. He did nothing. His mealy mouthed excuses of ‘dharma being too subtle’ meant the honour of Kuru clan was dishonoured in his presence. As his daughter in law, as an empress, as a princess, as a mother, as a woman - a woman in distress - was it not his dharma to protect her? But he didn’t. For that karma - for that terrible karma of not having protected a woman in distress - he had to lie agonising on a bed of arrows for months before he would relinquish life.

Karma kills us all!!
His own karmas killed Dev-Vrata, Ganga-Putra, Bhishma pitamaha.

© Bhagwat Shah
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