Bhishma Pitamah fought on the side of the Kauravas in the Mahabharata war, but his death was a strange and tragic event. There were many reasons and mysterious facts behind his death.
Bhishma had received the boon of “Iccha Mrityu” given to his father Shantanu, which allowed him to live as long as he wished. Moreover, he was a great warrior and invincible because He had taken a vow of celibacy, which gave him divine powers. He was a great weapons expert and was adept at the art of war. The gods themselves blessed him.
When the Pandavas failed to defeat Bhishma Pitamah, the Lord Krishna gave them a trick. Bhishma had already taken a vow that he would not raise his arms against a woman. Taking advantage of this, Arjuna made Shikhandi (who was earlier a woman but later became a man) stand before him. On seeing Shikhandi, Bhishma laid down his arms as he did not want to fight against him.
When Bhishma gave up his weapons, Arjuna showered arrows on him. Bhishma Pitamah’s entire body was pierced with arrows, but he did not fall on the ground, as the arrows supported his body. In this way, Bhishma lay down on the “Baanashaiya” (bed of arrows).
Bhishma did not give up his life until the Sun moved from Dakshinayan to Uttarayan, because death at this time leads to salvation. After the war ended, when the Sun moved to Uttarayan, Bhishma gave up his life. Before dying, he gave knowledge of Rajdharma and ethics to Yudhishthira, which is called “Bhishma Niti”.
Bhishma Pitamah’s death took away the Kauravas’ biggest support. His death is a symbol of Dharma and loyalty because he sacrificed his life following his word. His character in the Mahabharata is an example of renunciation, sacrifice, and devotion to duty.