Bhishma’s sacrifice was a fruitless sacrifice. Comment.

In The Mahabharata, Bhishma, through the vows he takes, becomes an epitome of sacrifice.
Devavrata, the son of goddess Ganga and King Shantanu, took two terrible vows which
gained him the name Bhishma, ‘the Terrible’. Bhishma being the eldest son of Shantanu was
the rightful heir to the throne of Hastinapur. But Shantanu was in love with Satyavati and the
only way he could marry her was by agreeing to the condition that their son would inherit the
kingdom and not Bhishma. For the sake of his father’s happiness, Bhishma vowed that he
would not lay any claim on the kingdom of Hastinapur nor would he ever marry.

Bhishma made the sacrifices not only for the sake of his father’s happiness but also to prevent
any war over the throne of Hastinapur. Unfortunately, however, the bloodiest of war in The
Mahabharata, the Kurukshetra war, takes place between his grandchildren, the Pandavas and
the Kauravas.

Bhishma was a selfless man. All that mattered to him was the welfare of the Hastinapur. His
entire life was devoted in protecting the kingdom and ensuring the continuity of the Kuru
clan through its successors. He took care of the kingdom and his step-brothers. He kidnapped
the three princesses of Khasi Amba, Ambika and Ambalika to marry them off to his step-
brother Vichitravirya to save the Kuru line. He would continue to play an important role in
the marriages of Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura. The bachelor who had no children of his
own spent his entire life looking after the children of others.

Bhishma was never self-interested, but was driven by the royal responsibilities of Hastinapur.
The great responsibility of protecting the Kuru clan was on his shoulders. He educated and
trained three generations of the Kuru clan. But, in the process of fulfilling his political and
royal roles, he committed grave mistakes and crimes. He wronged many women and turned a
blind eye to injustice towards women like Gandhari, Kunti and Draupadi: Gandhsari was
married off to blind Dhritarashta, Kunti to impotent Pandu and Draupadi was disrobed in
front of the court. So, even though his actions arise from selflessness and a sense of duty,
they are fruitless as they end up doing injustice to others.

As Bhishma grew older his power over the young princes loosened and no amount of his
sacrifice could prevent the rising animosity between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. He
could do nothing to stop the quarrel between the cousins. Despite his many efforts, he could
not bring peace among the warring cousins who were headed towards war and eventually to
the destruction of Hastinapur. And on other occasions, he unwittingly played a role in
aggravating the situation. For instance,instead of remaining neutral, he chose to fight
alongside the Kauravas against the Pandavas in the Kurukshatra war. It was indeed because
of his loyalty and duty towards his king that he chose the side of the Kauravas, but this
decision defeated the whole purpose of the sacrifices he made, ie, preventing war between the
descendants of the Kuru clan. Hence, Bhishma’s sacrifice could be considered fruitless.
Sonnet 25

Q. Why does the poet say that being in love and to be loved is better than being famous?

Or

In what way does the poem celebrate the permanence of love?

William Shakespeare was not only a playwright but also a poet. He composed 154 sonnets of
which the first 126 were supposedly addressed to a young man, Fair Youth, for whom the
poet had great affection, while the other sonnets are addressed to a dark lady. Sonnet 25 is
one of the 154 sonnets composed by Shakespeare in 1609.

In the sonnet, the poet celebrates love and compares his contentedness and happiness with
others’. He points out that while many a man finds joy and pride in getting public honours
and titles, he finds joy and honour in love. Other men may boast of their fortune and titles,
but the poet envies them none. According to the poet, the pride and honour of these men are
short-lived and hence their happiness temporary. The favourite ministers of the prince will
lose their happiness and glory the day they fall from grace. These men are like marigold
flowers whose blooming hours are completely dependent on the shining sun. The moment the
sun sets, they will wither away too. The glory of such men die does not last long.

The fate of great warriors adorned with many titles is also unsure. The mighty warriors may
win thousand battles, but the moment he is defeated in one, his honour is reduced to ashes.
He is tripped off all his honours and nobody would remember his glorious days; his name
would be erased from history but his failure would be etched in the memory of everyone.

Compared to all these fickle and temporary honours and titles, the poet’s love for the Fair
Youth is constant and permanent. Unlike fame and prizes, love will not fade or be forgotten
with time. Celebrating love and the permanence of it the poet says no fortune or misfortune
can alter his love or his lover’s love for him. They cannot be replaced or removed in their
love for one another. For the poet and his lover, the greatest of honour is to be in love and
hence, he says being in love and to be loved is better than being famous. So while others
enjoy fame and glory of high office the poet take quiet delight in loving and being loved.