Bhishma (Mythological Monologues #2)

I became Bhishma

From Devavrat

Because of my mammoth vow

Of lifelong Brahmacharya

And of loyal service to 

The ruler of Hastinapur.

I took the fierce vow

To ensure my father, Shantanu's happiness

With the woman he loved - Satyavati.

People look at me with admiration

For my vow;

And yet I know

The future generations will never forgive me

For my dreadful silence 

In the courtroom today.

Despite being the son of river Goddess, Ganga

I tolerated a woman's tremendous insult

In the courtroom of Hastinapur

I did not stop Dushyasana

From disrobing Draupadi's saree

Or Duryodhana from making

Lewd comments at Draupadi.

I did not protect Draupadi

When she cried for my help repeatedly;

All because of my vow -

Of serving the King of Hastinapur

Till my last breath.

My mammoth vow made me blind to the Adharma

That I was committing through my silence. 

When Vasudev Krishna saved Draupadi

And Draupadi cursed the entire Kuru clan,

I realized what my vow has done!

If only I had broken my vow

For the sake of Dharma,

I could have prevented the Kuru clan

From perishing in the most brutal way.

If only I had broken my vow

For the sake of Dharma,

The Kurukshetra war would perhaps never happen. 

I would prefer dying as Devavrat

Than Bhishma - the one who

Took the mammoth vow 

And kept it all his life;

Because I know the future generations

Will never forgive me

For my dreadful silence today!

©Purba Chakraborty

02.04.2020

Note: In the Mahabharata, Bhishma was well known for his pledge of celibacy. Previously known as 'Devavrat', he was the eighth son of the Kuru King Shantanu and the river goddess Ganga.

Ahalya (Mythological Monologues #1)