King Shantanu passed away.
Bhishma then acted like a father to his two half brothers, Chitrangad and Vichitraveerya.
He taught them statecraft and how to be good administrators.
Chitrangad battled Gandharva and was killed.
Vichitraveerya who was not healthy became king of Hastinapur.
Bhishma decided to get his brother a wife just in case something happened to him.
He kidnapped three princesses, Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika, from the court of Kashi.
The oldest of the three sisters, Amba, begged to go marry king Shalva her love.
When she got to king Shalva, he rejected her because she was taken by another man.
He told her to return to Bhishma and marry him.
She went back and begged Bhishma to marry her but he stayed true to his vow.
Amba became angry and blamed Bhishma for all of her.
She declared she would not rest until she punished him.
Amba looked tirelessly for one who would stand up for her, but know warrior dared to attack the son of Ganga.
She finally went to sage Parshuran who was supposedly an avatar of Vishnu.
Parshuran said he would convince Bhishma to marry her.
He said no again and then Parshuran challenged him to a fight to the death.
They beat up on each other for 23 days with no winner.
Finally Parshuran gave up and Bhishma won.
Vichitaveerya died and Hastinapur was kingless.
There was also no prince.
The Queen mother Satyawati decided Bhishma needed to marry.
She ordered Bhishma to father the children of Ambika and Ambalika.
Bhishma remained steadfast.
Satyawati then was forced to tell Bhishma a secret she had been keeping from him for all his life.
She had a son before she had met king Shantanu.
The father was a sage named Parashar.
The son was Vyas, who was destined to be the greatest poet the world has ever seen.
Vyas made a promise before he was sent away that he would appear whenever she summoned him.
She then called him, and he came.
She asked him to father the children of Ambika and Ambalika.
Vyas was not good looking and Ambika and Ambalika were afraid of him.
Bibliography
The Mahabharata: Karmic Revolution by Epified TV
Image Information: Hastinapur Temple: Wikimedia Commons
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