Bhishma: Mahabharat
Devrata AKA Gangaputra, Pitamah, and Bhishma, the warrior who stood at pinnacle of strength bested by no warrior on the Kurukshetra during the war of Mahabharat.
How he became Bhishma?
Often referred as Gangaputra Bhishma or Bhishma Pitamah, there is an interesting story about Bhishma how he got the name/title of Bhishma.
Bhishma is Gangaputra (son of mother ganga), after several years of his birth his father Shantanu when met him and got to know about Bhishma took him to palace, insecure about own children Shantanu's second wife Satyavati, asked King Shantanu to make her oldest son heir to the throne. When Bhishma agreed to it without a question, Queen Satyavati couldn't believe it and just told him if he doesn't became king maybe he will make his children next king after her son, so to make it believe her Bhishma took an oath.
The Sacrificial Oath
Bhishma took an blood oath on the banks of holy river ganga that he will always stay loyal to Hastinapur, he will follow brahmacharya ( a way of life) so he will not marry, so no children of his to become king after Satyavati's children.
For taking such an fierce oath (Bhishma Pratigya) he came to be known as Bhishma. He always stood with his oath for his entire life, for this oath King Shantanu gave Bhishma an boon of Icha Mrityu ( Control over the time of his death).
Loyalty to Hastinapur
He was the most respected person in the kingdom of Hastinapur. Reverentially he was called Bhishma Pitamaha. He served his step mother, then her son Vichitra Virya, later his sons Pandu and Dhritarashtra as a mark of loyalty to the throne of Hastinapur.
Until his Final moments he served Hastinapur with utmost loyalty.
Strength
The most powerful warrior on the grounds of Kurukshetra with the boon of Icha Mrityu, he was invincible warrior, until he chose to die by the hands of Parth( Arjun), He alone was so powerful that if he had decided to live he alone could have won the war of Kurukshetra against Pandavas, After realization of his mistakes with the help of Lord Krishna on the battlefield of Mahabharat, Bhishma Chose death.
His own guru Parshurama was also well aware of his strength, when the two had a battle one of the three supreme gods Lord Shiva had to intervene to stop the battle of Bhishma and Parshurama because of the insane strength and astras they both possessed, if not stopped timely their battle could have led to inevitable destruction of Prithvi .
Final moments during Mahabharat
Due his strength and boon of Icha Mrityu, Bhishma became the follower of his own principles which he thought to be Dharma, While facing the Parth, When Lord Krishna taught Bhishma about dharma , Bhishma arrogantly told "Hey Vasudeva, do not mock my dharma on which I have lived my whole life, It is because of my Dharma that no one on the kurukshetra can defeat me!", to which Krishna replied by lifting a wheel from Horse Cart, stopping time and telling him that he can defeat Bhishma even with the wheel of the cart to do that he won't even require any weapons. After witnessing the Krishna as a God he was Bhishma accepted defeat and requested Parth to kill him.
*Most powerful warrior because Lord Krishna was not a warrior in the war of Mahabharat as well as other powerful warriors such Barbarik and Lord Parshuram.
*Image source: Graphic India