Pitamaha Bhishma (also written as Bheeshma), as he was lovingly called by both the Pandavas and the Kauravas, was one of the Ashta (eight) Vasus that had to be incarnated in a human form as a result of a curse. The divine beings- Ashta Vasus had tried to steal the celestial cow Kamadhenu from Rishi Vashita and as a result were cursed by him to incarnate as human-beings on earth and suffer the fate of a mortal life!

So, when Divine Goddess Ganga decided to incarnate on earth to marry King Shantanu (as per another key legend), the eight Vasus pleaded her to be their mother and release them from the sin of having stolen property from a brahmana (learned sage). To help out the Vasus, Goddess Ganga gave birth to a mortal human baby and then drowned them in her river-water to release them from their sin (mukti). 
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Finally, when it came to releasing the Vasu who was truly responsible for stealing the celestial cow, Goddess Ganga was stopped by the King and this eight-child had to inevitably continue to live on the human plane and pay for his sins. This Vasu in the human-form was known as Devaratha and later after his gigantic/colossal promise (known as the Bhishma Pratigya), he was known as "The Bhishma".

​As a result of the Bhishma Pratigya, which helped his father to marry the woman of his choice, his father- King Santanu blessed him with the ability to choose his time of death (called as iccha-maran). Subsequently, he made another pratigya, where he promised his mother (the Queen of Hastinapur) that he would remain alive and protect the kingdom, until the time that its safety and wellbeing was truly ensured.

Grandsire Bhishma’s life was full of pain and strife. He was caught in the web of his own promises, which even though he had made in good-faith, they resulted in terrible outcomes- where ultimately the situation deteriorated to the point of leading to the Maha Bharat war- the great epic war between the truth and un-truth!!

Shukla Paksha Ashtami in the Vedic lunar month of Magha is known as Bhishma Ashtami. This is the day that Bhishma is believed to have left for his heavenly abode.

There is a lot we can learn from The Maha Bharat as well as the life of Grandsire Bhishma. Even though we may want to ‘force’ a certain outcome, but we never know if it will ultimately lead to good or evil. So, instead of ‘forcing’ outcomes, it is important to do one’s very best in any given situation- towards reaching the goal that we aspire towards… but we need to let go of our attachment to the fruits of our action. It is important to do our actions as ‘a-karm’.
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If you are not familiar with the concept of a-karm, then please check out Karma Yoga- The Yoga of Non-action

​This is the message that was brought to us by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. These were the teachings he (Lord Krishna) gave to the Pandava brother and the great warrior Arjun, on the Maha Bharat battlefield.

As the war progressed, Bhishma was mortally wounded and laid on a bed of arrows, but he was not able to let go of his human-incarnation, as the war was still going on and he had promised his mother and queen of Hastinapur, that he would continue to live until the kingdom was secured and assured of just and able King.

Grandsire Bhishma, being the incarnation of the Divine Vasus (gods that rule the elements and directions and so are the first dwellers of any space) had immense abilities. But by trying to ‘control’ the unfolding of life, he not only filled his own life with pain and strife, but ultimately had to lie on a bed of arrows- indicative of the depth of his suffering.

As we read about this legend of Grandsire Bhishma, I hope that we all can learn from his life.
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It is important to not covet and grab something that is not ours!! The original reason that the divine Vasus had to be born on this earth… and along with that it is important to remember that only our actions, our efforts are in our hands. If we are striving for some goal or accomplishment, then we should obtain all the required talent, put in all the needed work and efforts… BUT the final outcome, i.e., the destiny is not in our hands. It is as a result of a complex-karmic algorithm. We can never control or determine the final result of our actions or the unfolding of any situation.

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​We know that Lord Rama (also written as Ram) had a very tough life-path. Even though he was God incarnate, his life on earth was full of strife and challenges. He finds a very loving, beautiful wife only to first have her abducted and then when he is frees her and bring her home, he has to again send her away to follow his duty as a righteous king!

At an apparent level, it does not seem like the life of a ‘hero’. But when we really study his life, he is a true hero, because thru all the challenges that come his way, he shows us how to face them with faith, righteous behavior, and true dignity. That is the reason why Lord Rama is considered as an example of an ‘ideal man’. Even though he faces myriads of challenges, he continues to walk his life-path, his reason for incarnating on this earth.

Something to think about... in general and particularly, as we approach his day of incarnation (Rama Navami) … what are some of the challenges that you are facing in your life that is making you question your life-path and purpose?

If you are sure that, that is what you are here on earth for, then pray to Lord Rama and ask for his blessings, strength, and support so you too can face your fears and challenges and continue to walk on your life-path. And ofcourse, if you doubt or wonder about your life-path then still you can pray to him and ask for his guidance and insight, so that you will obtain the needed clarity of life-purpose.

Lord Rama who signifies the Sun, helps to light our life and our path. He can bring us clarity of vision and purpose. He can also help us to face our fears and muster up the needed courage to face our challenges and do the tough tasks while walking our life-path and fulfilling the purpose why we were born on this earth.

Wishing everyone a wonderful Rama Navami… Jai Shree Ram…

Intellect has always been highly regarded and rightly so! We would not be able to do even the most mundane of tasks without knowing what we need to do (‘vs’ what we should not). 
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The Power of Discrimination (a bad translation word choice in English) better called vivek shakti in Sanskrit is absolutely important. BUT being analytical and discriminatory about evaluating ideas should not be confused with harboring a “doubting mind”!

​After all ‘Doubting Oneself’ and ‘Doubting Another’ with the names of Shumbh and Nishumbh are two of the demons that are slayed during the Nine Night festival of Mother Shakti (Navratri). This by itself show how detrimental doubt can be and how it can play the role of a ‘demon’ in our life. 

Does that mean we believe and accept all that we hear and read? Not at all! We ofcourse need to question what we are told- but that should not simply be endless doubting. But a proper questioning, research and evaluation of findings. What we need to do is enhance our sense of perception, so we are able to gauge the truth (when we come across it) and develop our intellect, so we are able to discern the appropriate from the inappropriate without the need for incessant doubts!

Observe your thoughts to see if you question with the analytical approach of the intellect or simply question and ‘doubt’ new concepts, ideas and so on…

In today's day and age, we see many who portray as if they are pious and wish/do good for others and society at large. But, in reality, they are only looking out for themselves! Are you being influenced by such a person? Are you such a person?

We may feel that life is about being successful, achieving accolades and ultimately all this will make us "happy"- but the reality is that, we did not come here with anything and we will not be able to take anything along with us after our death.

BUT, what will allow us freedom from this repeated cycle of birth and death will be to seek out the truth- of our existence! The truth of Supreme Existence, of Brahman.

So, can you create some time in your busy schedule each day to devote to your own ”true" well-being? A well-being that will not only have real meaning but will also impact your life, now and thereafter.

Can you set some time aside to pray, meditate, contemplate, read scriptures and anything that will allow you to glimpse within- where the truth exists within each one of us. After all, "what is above, so is below" is not just a famous phrase. It indicates the presence of the divine, of the supreme truth within each one of us.

What are you thinking most of the time? Are you fearful? Many people claim that they are happy and/or that they are truly spiritual, they believe in a divine wisdom and so on.

But if they were to truly observe their thoughts, they would realize that even if they feel they claim to be spiritual and believe in a higher consciousness, their thoughts are filled with fear, doubts and other negative emotions! 
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And such negative emotions are not the sign of true faith, surrender or devotion.  

How are you leading your day? Are you living it consciously- making the appropriate choices and carrying out the required actions in a truly involved but not attached manner, i.e. as Karma Yoga? Is your heart immersed in faith and devotion? Not just on special festive days or when you visit a temple, but each day. 

It is important to be aware and conscious of how you are living each day, which will lead to a lifetime of set patterns and these patterns (samskars 'or' karmic tendencies) will not only determine the final outcome but also thereafter. 

Each moment of each day is important and complete in its own right and when lived in an appropriate manner with proper attention and heartfelt intension, ensures a lifetime of happiness and a glorious thereafter.

When it comes to our daily life, we need to utilize our intelligence to discern the "grain from the husk". We should be able to decipher what is correct and good, not just for us but also for the society at large. But, the question that comes up is, how can we discern this?? What is good for me (or my family) may not work well for others!   

Such thinking comes from a very limiting mindset which only considers one's own well-being, a self-centered way of thinking and living. 

When the intellect is truly developed, then we can see the complete picture- we will not be a Dritirashtra who felt it was correct to wage a war with Pandavas, so his son could have the kingdom.  If he would have utilized his intellect, he would have seen that- not only were Pandavas the rightful heirs to the throne, but Yudhistar also was better equipped to lead the nation.

​Plus, Pandavas also had the kindness and etiquette to ensure that he and his sons were always well taken care of in the best possible way!   Forget about being wise and deciding the best for his nation, if Dhritirashtra was truly smart (with proper discernment) he would have seen what was really good for himself (and his sons). But instead- Dhritirashtra chose to wage a war- which killed all his sons and he needed to retire to the forests!

Such anecdotes from the Vedic scriptures are not meant to simply convey history or tell a story, but it is meant to make us think. We should utilize the wisdom from such scriptures to improve our lives.

We need to focus on sharpening our intellect  and developing our discerning power  called 'vivek' in Sanskrit.