Bhishma Pitamah and Bhagavan Parashurama Great War

There are very few occasions in the infinite history of creation when two supreme powerful invincible and divine warriors stood face to face. One such fierce cataclysmic and supernatural battle was fought during the transition period of Dvapara Yuga on the holy land of Kurukshetra. This war was not fought for any ordinary ambition of kingdom expansion nor was it the result of any personal enmity. This war was a unique ideological and physical conflict fought for the protection of righteousness duty vow modesty and self respect. On one side was the highly glorious Maharishi Parashurama who was the sixth Avatara of Bhagavan Vishnu and who had rid this earth of tyrannical and corrupt Kshatriyas twenty one times with his fierce valor. On the other side was Gangaputra Devavrata whom the entire world knows by the name of Bhishma Pitamah and who was famous across the three worlds for his unbroken vow. Bhishma was the only unique and mighty warrior in history who not only stood firm before the fierce anger and indomitable killing capacity of Parashurama but also brought this great war to such an unprecedented turning point where the deities themselves had to intervene.

Bhishma Pitamah was taught the high knowledge of weapons and warfare by Bhagavan Parashurama himself. This relationship between Guru and Shishya was spiritually extremely sacred respectable and deep. But due to the cruel and strange game of destiny a time came when these two mighty heroes had to raise weapons against each other on the holy land of Kurukshetra. This war was not just a meeting of two bodies or two archers but it was a great dilemma of righteousness between the command of the Guru and the duty of the Shishya. This fierce war continued continuously for twenty three days without any decision in which both the warriors put all their energy and divine powers. The spiritual and historical importance of this saga lies not just in the fact that Bhishma faced an incarnation of God himself but it contains the deep values of Vedic culture the pinnacle of Kshatriya Dharma and the subtle explanation of the game of destiny.

Date and Vedic Details of This Great War

In the Sanatana tradition and ancient texts the description of this supernatural event is found in great detail in the Udyoga Parva and Bhishma Parva of the Mahabharata written by Maharishi Vedavyasa. The main points astrological aspects and spiritual angles of this divine battle are as follows.

Description	Vedic Astrological and Puranic Facts
Main Warriors	Bhagavan Parashurama (Initiation Guru) and Gangaputra Bhishma (Supreme Shishya)
Root Cause of War	Dispute over the marriage and honor of Amba the eldest daughter of Kashiraja
Duration of Battle	Continuous fierce war for twenty three days without any rest
Divine Power of Bhishma	Boon of Ichha Mrityu received from father Shantanu and part of Ashta Vasus
Power of Parashurama	Divine Parashu received from Bhagavan Shiva immortality and infinite penance power
Vedic Astrological Yoga	Extremely fierce position of planets and special nakshatra influence of Kurukshetra
Ultimate Outcome of War	Ceasefire due to intervention of ancestors and deities (Honorable Draw)

Historical Background of the War and Revenge of Amba

The seeds of this terrible and destructive war were sown at that time when Bhishma Pitamah forcibly abducted the three daughters of the King of Kashi named Amba Ambika and Ambalika from the Swayamvara for the marriage of his younger brother Vichitravirya who was the heir to the throne of Hastinapur. The entire assembly was astonished by this valor of Bhishma. But on reaching Hastinapur the eldest daughter Amba told Bhishma with great hesitation and firmness that she had already dedicated her heart to King Shalva of Saubhadesha and considered him her husband in her mind. When Bhishma came to know about this truth he kept the Kshatriya dignity and womanly honor in mind and sent Amba back to King Shalva with full royal honor.

But destiny accepted something else. King Shalva clearly refused to accept a woman who had been forcibly abducted by another man as his queen. He rejected the love of Amba which broke her heart. She returned to Bhishma again feeling extremely helpless angry and insulted. Amba told Bhishma that since because of you my marriage could not take place with King Shalva therefore now you alone will have to marry me. Bhishma was bound by his lifelong vow of celibacy and the word of protection given to Hastinapur therefore he rejected this marriage proposal of Amba with great humility but firmness.

The anger of Amba had now turned into a flame of revenge. She sought help from many kings of the earth but out of fear of Bhishma no king was ready to stand against Bhishma. Ultimately having failed to get justice Amba went to seek refuge with Maharishi Parashurama at his ashram. Maharishi Parashurama became extremely moved to see the suffering and tears of his refugee devotee. He sent a message to his dear disciple Bhishma and ordered him that he should either marry Amba to provide her justice or be ready to fight a war with his Guru. Bhishma bowed his head at the feet of his Guru upon receiving the message but clearly refused to break his fierce vow. As a result an unavoidable path of war was paved between the Guru and the Shishya.

Kurukshetra Field and Terrible Battle of Twenty Three Days

When Bhishma Pitamah reached the field of Kurukshetra riding on his huge and divine chariot Maharishi Parashurama was already present there with his weapons. As soon as he stepped onto the war land Bhishma first descended from his chariot placed his weapons on the ground and walked on foot to touch the feet of his Guru Parashurama. He applied the dust of the Guru to his forehead and sought blessings of victory for the war. Parashurama ji became extremely happy and satisfied from within to see this deep devotion and excellent values of his disciple. He smiled and said that Devavrata my auspicious blessing as a Guru is always with you but as a warrior I am committed to my word given to Amba at this time therefore I will use my full power to defeat you.

After this both the warriors mounted their respective chariots and the war began with the blowing of conch shells. In the initial days of the war extremely fierce and divine weapons were used from both sides. Parashurama ji showered such sharp and fatal arrows on Bhishma from his fierce bow that the sky was covered. Bhishma also displayed the wonderful and supernatural knowledge of archery learned from his Guru and cut down every attack in the air itself. As the days passed the horror of the war became even more terrifying. The sky became full of Devas Gandharvas and Yakshas who were extremely eager to witness this unprecedented and supernatural duel.

In the middle period of the war Maharishi Parashurama brought down the horses of the chariot of Bhishma with divine arrows awakened by his penance power and also knocked down his charioteer. But Gangaputra Bhishma was not distracted and he returned to the war every time with a new speed energy and chariot. Even Bhagavan Parashurama himself was rendered unconscious on his chariot many times by the sharp attacks of the arrows of Bhishma. The entire universe was astonished to see this because before this no Kshatriya or warrior had given such a tough competition to Parashurama ji. This scene was a living proof that the valor and restraint of Bhishma were of a divine level.

Did Bhishma Pitamah Use the Prasvapastra?

The war had reached its pinnacle and on the twenty third day Bhishma Pitamah experienced very well that it was completely impossible to defeat Maharishi Parashurama with ordinary or traditional divine weapons because he himself is immortal and his penance power is infinite. Then Bhishma closed his eyes and through his inner vision recalled that extremely secret and supreme powerful weapon which he had obtained due to the merits accumulated in his past births the grace of Maharishi Vashistha and the knowledge of the Ashta Vasus. The name of this highly destructive weapon was Prasvapastra.

This was an extremely specific and fatal weapon that was created by the mind sons of Brahma himself. The feature of this weapon was that by its use the consciousness of the enemy would disappear completely and he would fall into a deep and infinite sleep in the war field itself. As soon as Bhishma invoked this Prasvapastra on his bow with his concentration the entire space and earth began to shake. Fierce winds started blowing in all directions and upheaval arose in the ocean.

If Bhishma had used this weapon on Bhagavan Parashurama Parashurama ji would have fallen unconscious in the war field. This would have been a great insult to an incarnation of God and the balance of creation could also have been disturbed. At that very moment stopping the speed of time Devarishi Narada appeared from the sky route and the mother of Bhishma the goddess Ganga herself also descended there. They held the hand of Bhishma with great anxiety and stopped him from launching this highly destructive weapon. They explained to Bhishma with great love and wisdom that Maharishi Parashurama is your Guru and is an amsha of Narayana himself. Launching such a consciousness stealing weapon against a Guru would be considered completely against Sanatana Dharma and morality. Bhishma accepted this command of the deities and his mother and kept that weapon back in his quiver with great respect.

What Was the Ultimate Spiritual Outcome of This Supernatural Great War?

After the withdrawal of his infallible weapon by Bhishma Bhagavan Parashurama also placed his divine bow on the ground. He was extremely pleased and satisfied from within to see this indomitable courage unbroken commitment to Kshatriya Dharma devotion to Guru and the moral restraint shown at the last moment. Parashurama ji accepted in a loud voice before all the deities present in the field of Kurukshetra that it is not possible for any deity human or demon to defeat Bhishma in the war field in this entire moving and unmoving world.

Maharishi Parashurama then called Amba to him and said in a very calm voice that daughter I made every possible effort to bend Bhishma and provide you justice but Bhishma remained completely firm on his Kshatriya Dharma and his vow of celibacy. It is not possible even for death itself to defeat him in war therefore now you have to choose some other path. Thus this historic great war ended at an extremely honorable level without the defeat or victory of any warrior. The deities showered flowers from the sky on both the great warriors and praised the peaceful solution of this crisis of righteousness. Immediately after this Bhishma Pitamah again applied the dust of the feet of his Guru Parashurama to his forehead obtained his affectionate blessing and departed towards Hastinapur with great respect.

FAQ

What was the main cause of the war between Bhishma Pitamah and Bhagavan Parashurama?
This historic war happened because of the honor and revenge of Princess Amba of Kashi. Bhishma had abducted Amba for his brother Vichitravirya but left her after knowing about her love for King Shalva. When Shalva did not adopt Amba Parashurama ordered Bhishma to marry Amba which Bhishma refused due to his vow.

For how many days did this fierce conflict between Bhishma and Parashurama last?
According to ancient texts and descriptions of Mahabharata this fierce and supernatural conflict between Bhishma Pitamah and his Guru Bhagavan Parashurama continued continuously for twenty three days without any interruption on the holy and historic land of Kurukshetra.

What was Prasvapastra and why did Bhishma avoid using it on Guru Parashurama?
Prasvapastra was an extremely rare and secret divine weapon created by the great souls of the universe and it would put the enemy into a deep unconscious sleep. Bhishma was about to use it but on the advice of Devarishi Narada and Mother Ganga he took it back to protect the honor of his Guru.

Did Bhishma Pitamah defeat his Guru Bhagavan Parashurama in the war?
No there was no defeat or victory of any side in this great war. Bhishma stopped the use of Prasvapastra and Maharishi Parashurama also declared a ceasefire after seeing the indomitable valor and invincible position of Bhishma due to which this contest ended in an honorable draw.

Why was it completely impossible to defeat Bhishma Pitamah in any war?
Bhishma Pitamah had received the supreme boon of Ichha Mrityu from his father King Shantanu which meant that even death could not touch him without his permission. In addition to this he was an incarnation of the Vasu named Dyaus among the Ashta Vasus of past birth due to which his physical strength and weapon skill were completely invincible.