As many readers may have expected while reading the story, Bhishma faces a tragic ending being pierced by the arrows of one of his nephews. His story ultimately teaches us why being too loyal can prove to be a downside and it can be seen in the image of him resting on the arrows that killed him. Even though it was his loyalty and dharma that led to his death, both sides of the war stopped for a moment to appreciate this legendary figure as he had done so much in raising over a hundred people in the Kuru Dynasty and five Pandavas. Another theme that is explored is how war has tragic costs which is why the Pandavas are unable to fully enjoy their victory. Despite facing immense suffering, Bhishma taught an important lesson in morality and ethics since he did what was right and stayed loyal but that led to his tragic death. Bhishma always acted like he was with the Kuru Dynasty when he truly felt like he was a part of both the Pandavas and Kuru Dynasty as he helped them grow and watched them during that process. Even though his death may be tragic, he lived a very honorable life that will be remembered as legendary among all his peers. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

A tragic dilemma is once again placed on Bhishma but he chooses dharma over affection. Even though he has seen the five Pandava brothers grow up to become the people they are now, he is forced to fight alongside the Kauravas because of his loyalty to the Kuru Dynasty. It serves as an important lesson to the reader that there are times when duty and responsibility are more important than affection but that is on a case by case scenario. There must be an immense amount of emotions running through his mind as he must fight his own blood in the Pandavas which does not sound right. The sight of having to fight and kill your own family would not sit right with anyone but Bhishma does it without question because of dharma. While his loyalty is very admirable, it raises questions about his morals because how does someone go out of their way to fight family. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

This point might seem not very important on the surface level but carries a lot more significance. Bhishma has become a legendary figure in the Kuru Dynasty and being the one that raised all of them and has seen them grow exemplifies his dharma and leadership. Even though he was never an heir to the throne and was unable to marry any woman as a consequence, he still made sure the Kuru Dynasty remained formidable throughout the years which is why he is highly revered and respected.

Amba's decision to punish Bhishma for allowing her to have autonomy over who she wants to marry reflects some of the morals seen today. People forget to appreciate people for their kind gestures and let it go unnoticed. In the case of Amba, she has some reason to be mad at him as he did win over her and the two other sisters without their consent at first. However, Bhishma made a noble effort to make up for the mistake which should be appreciated by Amba but was not. It highlights the fact that honorable and compassionate people can still be criticized for doing the right thing. Doing the right thing does not always mean that good consequences will happen as a result. Amba's desire for justice highlights a common universal longing for justice and fairness as being in a patriarchal society is the reason why she is in this situation. In a way, she addresses feminism in the story and is interesting to analyze from a modern lens as she refuses to be a victim and remains resilient in wanting justice as she prays to Shiva for twelve years. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

Bhishma's unwavering loyalty is once again on full display as he helps the younger son of Satyavita and Shantanu find three women for his hand in marriage. During this mission, he finds out that Amba has already prepared to marry another guy and allows her to make a decision and full autonomy over what she wants to do. This is very unprecedented for their time period as women were seen as property and men had to make decisions for them. However, Bhishma does not view women in that way and it speaks volumes about his character as he treats everyone with respect and exemplifies dharma and how to be a good leader. A leader is someone who respects their people and treats everyone with respect which is what Bhishma exemplifies. Not to mention, Bhishma takes full responsibility for his actions as it was an injustice to Amba but made an attempt to help her to some extent. People do not think about it often but the characteristics that a leader have can reflect the state of the dynasty which is why dynasties throughout history hope for good leaders because they are the most important factor in upholding the dynasty. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

Even though giving up his throne would mean losing all power and giving up his future generations' ability to rule the throne, Devavrata gave it all up without any thought because of his extreme loyalty to his father. This action alone shows dharma as Devavrata assumed the duty and responsibility of ensuring his father's happiness while continuing to be an asset to the Kuru Dynasty. Not only was he very loyal, but he is very humble and selfless for that act. In a time where people want to be the star and be in leadership roles to get credit, Devavrata had no ego and put it all the side just for the sake of his father. For a modern audience, he reminds us that it is part of our duty to keep our parents happy and to make sacrifices for them as they did for us. By taking on this oath, he becomes a legendary figure known as Bhishma and his unwavering loyalty will prove to be his demise later in the story. Because there is a power vacuum as he gave up the throne, one can foreshadow a conflict will rise because power creates division among people. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

Shantanu asks a second girl for her hand in marriage since Ganga is no longer his wife and has left him forever. It is quite fascinating that the king had taken the measure of asking her father for his daughter's hand in marriage instead of asking her directly. This difference in his approach seems to show that he has matured in some ways and finds it more respected to ask the father for marriage as it is kinder and more appropriate. His desire for Satyavati represents the universal appeal for love as he loves a girl that is much lower than him in terms of social class. The more compelling side of this incident is what the fisherman's father wants in return if he gives his daughter for marriage. It is very courageous of the fisherman to demand his future grandson be the heir to the throne since the king can easily change his life for the worse if he does not allow him to marry her. Even though he is a king with mostly unchecked powers, the fact that he is willing to compromise with the fisherman shows that he is respectful and may be a good leader as he does not take the people for granted. On the other hand, Shantanu is faced with a tough decision as he can either allow Devavrate to be the heir to the throne and live the rest of his life as a loner. Not to mention, this scene will have a chain effect as the decision that the king makes will have serious consequences. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

This is a turning point in the narrative as Gangeya returns as a formidable heir to the throne that the Kuru Dynasty was in need of. Ganga raising her son and then leaving him with Shantanu is very perplexing when we compare raising kids in the modern day. People do not leave their kids once they reach a certain age unless they have a job or have completed college. It shows that their society in that time period was used to seeing a parent or both parents leaving their child at a young age to grow up. Ganga in a way completed her divine mandate of raising Devavrata to be a suitable heir to the throne. She did not owe anything to Shantanu as he broke her promise but still gave her son as an asset to their dynasty. In addition, Devavrata was destined to being a legendary figure as he was the eighth child and being the son of a king as well. Not only does Devavrata become a legend and asset to their people, the concept of divine intervention comes into play once again as Ganga is responsible for the dynasty being in good hands in the future and helps ensure the Kuru Dynasty is relevant for many more years. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

Drowning a child let alone just killing a baby is seen as an unacceptable act that most people in modern times would see as one of the cruelest acts that someone can enact. Even though the king does not question Satyavati drowning seven kids, it speaks volumes about his character as he cares more about having her as a wife than the fact that is someone who murdered seven of their own kids. An interesting point is how Shantanu finally speaks up for the eighth child and shows that there is some significance to that number. It represents wholeness and being complete and another important is that Krishna was the eighth child of Devaki so that explains why the eighth child was special and kept alive in this narrative. We learn that Satyavati is actually Ganga , a river goddess, who is in human form so there is more context behind the drowning. In many religions, water is seen as a divine symbol and the act of drowning the children might be purifying them and cleansing them from the sins of being a mere mortal. Not to mention, she attributes their life being more meaningful and enjoyable in the afterlife rather than being a mortal which may be another reason behind the drowning. The smirk in her face as an image is very striking because it feels like she is doing the act very purposefully from an evil side. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

The encounter between Shantanu and the maiden is very telling of its time period since men at the time appear to fall in love with the first women they see and ask for their hand in marriage. It is very different to this day and age where people want to understand one another's personality and see if they are a good fit. In addition, the amount of options people have nowadays make it hard for relationships to persist since the idea of something better out there usually ends relationships as it becomes more intimate. While Shantanu's approach to the maiden may not be favorable with a modern audience, it can be appreciated that he commits himself to her and fulfills the demand she has for him without any questions. Patriarchal dominance is on full display in this scene as he is a king with lots of power so in their time period, a maiden accepting his marriage request would be seen as a blessing for her even though it is beneficial for both sides. CC BY Ajey Sasimugunthan (contact)

Within the following pieces of this story, Bheeshma values women, and their right to make their own choices. It is fascinating that Amba does what she wants, then turns around and tries to marry Bheeshma after she went her own way. Bheeshma declining her is his own inalienable right and she decides it is not fair. This flip in gender roles of the woman trying to take away a man's power is quite the spectacle.

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Shantanu is not honest with Gangeya his son. He thought he wasn't aware enough to know that he was enthralled with another woman. Gangeya, showing in this story that he is selfless and wants only to make his father's wishes to come true, does so in striking a deal with Satyavati's father.

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Shantanu is quite bold in his wants. The women portrayed in this tale are immediately depicted as physically appealing, beautiful, and smelling divine. They are not described to have any other values which is another piece that perpetuates toxic masculinity and the writer's who have these biases built into their minds.

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Shantanu once again doesn't know what he truly wants. He has mixed desires in wanting women while also not wanting to give away the lineage and royalty of his own son. The interaction between Shantanu and Satyavati's father is another example of the gender role that the women are not in the discussion, only the men and stating what they desire. Satyavati's father wants an in to royalty and he is pushing hard to make that deal with the King.

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It's almost as if he knew he would find a woman or someone who could fill the gaping hole he felt in his life. Like he was searching along the banks hoping to stumble upon another woman, which points back to his desire which comes across as only wanting women to physically satisfy him. This feeds into the gender roles of men seeming like they only want women for sex and is prevelant in Shantanu's life.

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This piece is interesting because it ties back to the first time Shantanu and his wife met when he was out hunting by the river. What significance do these corellations have? Is Shantanu somehow drawn by a higher diety to keep making life choices when out hunting?

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If he had endured the killings of his children up to this point, why stop her now? His morals are verry off putting and disturbing due to his already lack of respect for women. And in turn it ruined the agreement of his whole marriage. When later he chases another woman in the same manner. King Shantanu cannot make up what he truly wants.

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From a gender role view and assumptions from me being made about this king, he seems to only be following what his body wants from women and not caring what they inherently can have value in besides giving bodily pleasures. I feel sorry for the women in this storyline that he "falls in love" with, if one would even say this childlike king is actually being in love with them.

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