One of the central figures in the great epic of Mahabharata is Dev-Vrata, commonly known as Bheeshm Pitaamah. His mother Ganga died when he was quite young. Years later, his father, king Shaantanu was hunting in a forest when he saw a beautiful woman named Satyavati, daughter of a fisherman, and fell in love with her. He approached her father and asked her hand in marriage.
The fisherman said “you can marry my daughter on one condition… her son will become the king after your death.”
“But that right belongs to my first born son. How can I deprive Dev-Vrata of his birth right for my own happiness?” The king said and returned to his palace.
Dev-Vrata saw that his father was sad.
When he found out the reason, Dev-Vrata went to the fisherman’s home and requested Satyavati to marry his father. The fisherman told him the condition that he had imposed on the king, which lead to a very meaningful dialogue between the two.
“Let the time take its course. Why do you want such a promise now?” Dev Vrata asked.
Fisherman said that since his daughter belongs to a poor and lower class family, her son may never become the ruler. So he wants to secure her son's future by the king’s promise.
“How do you know that she will have a child?
And even if she does, how can you be sure that it will be a son?” Dev-Vrata asked.
Fisherman “I know this because of her ‘Janma-Kundali’, the astrological chart. This is written in her ‘Bhaagya’ - in her destiny that her son will become the king.”
Dev Vrata said “if this is written in her destiny then why are you worried?”
Fisherman “Because right now, you are the ‘crown prince’.”
“That may be so. But aren’t you contradicting yourself?”
Dev Vrata said. “if her son’s destiny is to become the king, then it could not be in my destiny.
In any kingdom - at any given time- there can only be one king. How can Bhaagya (destiny) provide the same kingdom to two people at the same time? One's Bhaagya never clashes with another's.
You say that it’s her son’s Bhaagya, then obviously it could not be mine.
When the sun rises, the stars disappear. Similarly, when the sun of one’s destiny rises, the stars of others become weak and disappear.
So you need not to worry because when your grandson’s Bhaagya rises, mine will fade out and disappear.
But the fisherman was not convinced.
Even when we strongly believe and often say that “whatever is supposed to happen, will happen… it’s all destiny…it’s all God’s will”, we still become doubtful at certain times.
The fisherman also had his doubts. So Dev-Vrata vowed to give up his right to the throne for the sake of his father’s happiness.
“But what about your children?” Fisherman asked.
“Someday they may claim their right to the throne.”
So Dev-Vrata took a ‘Bheeshm Pratigya’; extremely difficult vow of lifelong celibacy. Not only he sacrificed his title of ‘Crown-Prince’ and the right to the throne, but also vowed to deny himself the pleasures of conjugal love.
Hence he is known as ‘Bheeshm Pitaamah’.
'Rajan Sachdeva'
The fisherman said “you can marry my daughter on one condition… her son will become the king after your death.”
“But that right belongs to my first born son. How can I deprive Dev-Vrata of his birth right for my own happiness?” The king said and returned to his palace.
Dev-Vrata saw that his father was sad.
When he found out the reason, Dev-Vrata went to the fisherman’s home and requested Satyavati to marry his father. The fisherman told him the condition that he had imposed on the king, which lead to a very meaningful dialogue between the two.
“Let the time take its course. Why do you want such a promise now?” Dev Vrata asked.
Fisherman said that since his daughter belongs to a poor and lower class family, her son may never become the ruler. So he wants to secure her son's future by the king’s promise.
“How do you know that she will have a child?
And even if she does, how can you be sure that it will be a son?” Dev-Vrata asked.
Fisherman “I know this because of her ‘Janma-Kundali’, the astrological chart. This is written in her ‘Bhaagya’ - in her destiny that her son will become the king.”
Dev Vrata said “if this is written in her destiny then why are you worried?”
Fisherman “Because right now, you are the ‘crown prince’.”
“That may be so. But aren’t you contradicting yourself?”
Dev Vrata said. “if her son’s destiny is to become the king, then it could not be in my destiny.
In any kingdom - at any given time- there can only be one king. How can Bhaagya (destiny) provide the same kingdom to two people at the same time? One's Bhaagya never clashes with another's.
You say that it’s her son’s Bhaagya, then obviously it could not be mine.
When the sun rises, the stars disappear. Similarly, when the sun of one’s destiny rises, the stars of others become weak and disappear.
So you need not to worry because when your grandson’s Bhaagya rises, mine will fade out and disappear.
But the fisherman was not convinced.
Even when we strongly believe and often say that “whatever is supposed to happen, will happen… it’s all destiny…it’s all God’s will”, we still become doubtful at certain times.
The fisherman also had his doubts. So Dev-Vrata vowed to give up his right to the throne for the sake of his father’s happiness.
“But what about your children?” Fisherman asked.
“Someday they may claim their right to the throne.”
So Dev-Vrata took a ‘Bheeshm Pratigya’; extremely difficult vow of lifelong celibacy. Not only he sacrificed his title of ‘Crown-Prince’ and the right to the throne, but also vowed to deny himself the pleasures of conjugal love.
Hence he is known as ‘Bheeshm Pitaamah’.
'Rajan Sachdeva'
Dnkji
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing ji but I want to clarify one thing that only Satguru can change what is written in the destiny - right.