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STORIES · THE MAHĀBHĀRATA · Ādi

Bhishma: a Vasu, a cow, and Bhishma Ashtami

Classical

There is a day when people with no living father observe a shraddha for a Mahabharata figure.

Bhishma is believed to be the Vasu Dyu (Prabhasa), who with his brothers stole Vashishtha's cow Nandini and was cursed to live as a mortal. He chose Magha Shukla Ashtami to leave his body after about 51 days on the bed of arrows. Today Hindus observe a shraddha for him on Bhishma Ashtami and a five-day Bhishma Panchaka fast.

Who: Bhishma, Dyu, Vashishtha

Bound to

Bhishma on the bed of arrows gives the thousand names past-life-explains

Day ten: Śikhaṇḍin and Arjuna fell Bhīṣma; the bed of arrows, the pillow and the water origin

Bhīṣma Leaves His Body at the Turning of the Sun birth

Places: Kurukshetra

Where this comes from

• vulgate (Ganguli) · Ganguli translation of the Mahabharata (read via Ibiblio SriPedia mirror) Ganguli, Adi Parva, Sambhava Parva, Sections XCVI-XCVII
• commentary · Wikipedia: Bhishma

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