Today is Bhishmahtami, the day Bhishma leaves this World by choosing death at his will

We all know the story of how Bhishma was felled by Arjuna, who shot arrows standing behind Shikhandi. It was the 10th day of the Kurukshetra war. The previous day, Bhishma wreaked havoc by defeating almost half of the Pandava army and eliminating them. Till that day, Pandavas had never seen such huge losses inflicted on them. It became very clear that it was impossible to win the war, till Bhishma was around.

That is when Krishna suggested the plan to make Draupadi's brother Shikhandi, who is half man and half woman, a eunuch to enter the war. Bhishma will never break the rules and fight with a eunuch. So, using Shikhandi as a shield, Arjuna can kill Bhishma was the plan. The plan worked perfectly on the 10th day. It was the 8th day of the Shukla Paksha of Margashira masa, when Arjuna, hiding behind Shikandi, shot arrows and felled the great warrior Bhishma, when he dropped his armor seeing Shikandi standing in front of him.

From the Ashtami of Margashira masa to the Ashtami of Magha masa, for 58 days, Bhishma is on the bed of arrows

The war continued for 8 more days after Bhishma was felled and it ended on the Dwitiya day of the Krishna Paksha of the Margashira masa with the defeat of Duryodhana. The next day, the last rites of all the dead were performed by Pandavas and Yudhishthira along with other Pandavas and Krishna visit Bhishma. Bhishma expresses his desire to stay till Uttarayan or the day Sun turns north. Till then he refuses to accompany Pandavas and decides to stay on the bed of arrows.

The place is filled with hair, blood, and skulls of the abandoned soldiers, considered unfit for a great man like Bhishma to spend his last days. However, Bhishma insists on being on the bed of arrows itself, saying that Karma is catching up with him and he doesn't want to run away from it. From Amba to Gandhari to every woman whom he had done injustice, to do justice to his position as caretaker of Hastinapur throne, their karmas are all catching up with him. He had to face them and there was no escape.

Yudhishthira makes arrangements to keep the place sanitized and protect it from prying vultures. Armed soldiers would be guarding the place. A protective tent has been erected to prevent the ailing body from cold and rain. Rishis visited him every day and stayed till sunset. That's how Bhishma spent those 58 days on the bed of arrows. Meanwhile, Yudishthira spends a month time on the banks of river Ganga near Hastinapur doing Prayaschitta for the sins that he knowingly or unknowingly committed.

On the fifth day of the Krishna paksha of the Pausa masa, he returns to the Kingdom and gets crowned as the emperor of the World. After the coronation ceremonies are done, Lord Krishna reminds Yudhishthira to pay a visit to Bhishma to see him and also gain insights on rajdharma from the vast knowledge that Bhishma holds inside him. Thus for the next 6 days till the Ekadashi of the Krishna Paksha of the Pausa masa, Yudhishthira visited Bhishma along with his brothers, Krishna and Shalya and that forms the Anushasan parva and the Shanti parva of the Mahabharata. In these two parvas, Bhishma gives deep insights into Rajdharma and various aspects of it.

Uttarayan arrives and Bhishma leaves this mortal World

Yudhishthira visits Bhishma immediately after Makar Sankranthi for his learnings and Bhishma was waiting for the right day to depart this World. Makar Sankranthi is the beginning of Uttarayan but Sun God truly commences his northward journey from the Rathha Saptami day, which is the 7th day of the Shukla Paksha of Magha masa. On that day, Yudishthira again visits Bhishma and Bhishma expresses his desire to leave the world on the next day, that is Ashtami of the Shukla paksha of Magha masa. Yudhishthira obliges and returns to Hastinapura to make arrangements.

The next day, loads of sandalwood, ghee, and other items required for cremation are transported to Kurukshetra from Hastinapur. Dhritharashtra, Gandhari, Kunti, and Vidura along with all the Pandavas accompany Krishna and Yudhishthira who reach Kurukshetra.

Amongst the chanting of Vedic mantras by legends like Veda Vyasa and Narada, Bhishma leaves this mortal world, just a muhurta before sunset at 5.14 pm. Just around sunset, the last rites are performed by his grandson Dhristharashtra. Bhishma is given a perfect cremation with all the rituals personally supervised by Veda Vyasa. The greatman for all the Punya he did, deserves every bit of that honor.