Listen

भिष्म

BHIṢMA’S STORY:

THE MAHĀBHARATA

Bhishma said. “Listen. Allow to me speak, O revered ones. I am a man of peace. It was  my duty to do battle with the greatest warriors of all time, in the bloodiest of wars. But I am a man of peace.

“I never wanted war but as a warrior it is my dharma to fight when called.

For those of you who may not know me, I am Bhiṣma, sometimes called Deva-vrata, for I took a terrible vow. This vow was to be my undoing and the undoing of my dynasty. “Listen. Give me a few minutes of your time and I shall tell you the great story of this war and how it came to be.”

“Listen child,” said the old man. “I knew your father and your father’s father. You are all my children. O, what terrible sufferings and injustices you suffered, my sons, yet you were protected by divine intervention.”

“Your karma has brought you here as it brought me. Listen. The sun will continues its path to the north for some time. When it reaches its course, I shall die and leave you all.”

Listen to me who have fought battles and protected kings, and I shall speak on all manner of strange events and reveal their meanings. Listen and I shall tell you the story of the Mahābharata.”