At Virata, a host of Kaurava warriors that included Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Ashwattama and Duryodhana attacked Virata.

In the aftermath, Shakuni influences the Kaurava prince Duryodhana and plays a central role in the great war of Kurukshetra that eliminated the entire Kuru family, including Bhishma and a hundred Kaurava brothers.

In the great battle at Kurukshetra, Bhishma was the supreme commander of the Kaurava forces for ten days compared to Drona's five, Karna's two and Salya's one-the last day.

Duryodhan often confronted Bhishma alleging that he was not actually fighting for the Kaurava camp as he wouldn't kill any Pandava but would let them kill Kauravas.

But in fact, Bhishma was the strongest barrier that had protected the Kaurava camp from impending defeat.

After twelve days of war, of which Abhimanyu is most recognized for destroying the banner and checking the advance of Bhishma on the first day of the way, Abhimanyu's short but eventful life gains the most prominence on the thirteenth day of the war when he is made to enter the powerful ' Chakravyuha ' battle formation of the Kaurava army.

Fighting with such ferocity, none from the Kaurava side can best him in a one on one combat ( dwandva yudha ), Bhishma being the only Kaurava warrior who could have done so.

Duryodhana requested Bhishma to command the Kaurava army.

Abhimanyu, Arjuna's son, seeing this went straight at Bhishma, defeated his bodyguards and directly attacked the commander of the Kaurava forces.

Arjuna tried to engage Bhishma in a duel, but the Kaurava soldiers placed around Bhishma to protect him attacked Arjuna to try to prevent him from directly engaging Bhishma.

On the third day, Bhishma arranged the Kaurava forces in the formation of an eagle with himself leading from the front, while Duryodhana's forces protected the rear.

Bhishma commanded the Kaurava army to move on the offensive from the outset.

On the ninth day Krishna, overcome by anger at the apparent inability of Arjuna to defeat Bhishma, rushed towards the Kaurava commander, but Arjuna stopped him.

Balarama, Krishna's older brother, advised the Pandavas to send an emissary to get the support of the elders of the family like Bhishma, Dhritarashtra, Drona, Karna, and even Shakuni, with the message " Let us avoid armed conflict as much as possible.

Arjuna, considered the finest archer and a peerless warrior by many notable figures in the Mahabharata such as Bhishma, Drona, Krishna, Vidura, Sage Naradha and Dhiritharashtra, played a key role in ensuring the defeat of the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra War.

The baby boy was named Devavrata, and eventually came to be known as the mighty warrior Bhishma.

( Bhishma was an invincible and immortal warrior from ancient Hindu epic, the Mahabharata ).

Bhishma was not only a good warrior, but also highly skilled in political science.

Not even Arjuna was able to defeat Bhishma because in addition to being a peerless warrior he was blessed with choosing the moment of his death.

Seeing Bhishma laid on such a bed of arrows humbled even the gods who watched from the heavens in reverence, silently blessing the mighty warrior.

The tank T-90 Main Battle Tank acquired from Russia for the Indian Army is named Bhishma after the legendary warrior.

According to the 149th chapter of Anushāsanaparva ( verses 14 to 120 ) in the epic Mahabharata, the names were handed down to Yudhisthira by the famous warrior Bhishma who was on his death bed ( of arrows ) in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

The T-90M Bhishma is a customised, improved version of the T-90S which India developed with assistance from Russia and France both of whom India has very close ties with.

Legend has it that at her maternal grandfather's suggestion Amba sought refuge with Parasurama who ordered Bhishma to marry Amba.

Parshurama felt really proud of Bhishma but said " He will not walk away from the battlefield, either Bhishma has to kill him or he can withdraw ".

Bhishma knew in his heart that the Pandavas were righteous and chaste, and that he stood as the greatest obstacle in their path to victory, so when they visited Bhishma, he told them that if faced by an other gender that is a gender which has both features of a male and female in battle he would cease to fight and not lift weapons against her.

On the tenth day the Pandavas, unable to withstand Bhishma's prowess, decided to put Shikhandi, who had been a woman in a prior life in front of Bhishma, as Bhishma has taken a vow not to attack a woman.

Bhisma Parva, Mahabharata / Book VI Chapter 47 has mentioned them as Panibhadraka ( पण ि भद ् रक ), who assembled there for battle to protect Bhishma with their ( respective ) troops.

However, the Mahabharata does not include this event ; it only describes Bhishma crowning Chitrangada as king under Satyavati's command.

T-90S Bhishma of Indian Army is fitted only with a " two-tiered " protection system: the first tier is the composite armour in the turret, second tier is third generation Kontakt-5 ERA.

Bhishma humbly walked out from the war and saying that " He was never interested to fight his Guru, he did it only because his Guru asked him to do so ".

Bhishma was well versed with tactical formations of the military in those days and only Drona, Krishna, Karna, & Arjuna could be compared to the vast knowledge that Bhishma possessed.

Vichitravirya married only her sisters, because Amba told Bhishma that she was in love with king of Salva and was not ready to marry anyone else.

Vichitravirya married only her sisters, because Amba told Bhishma that she was in love with king of Salva and not ready to marry anyone else.

He is believed to have taken rebirth as Bhishma and die according to his Karma, after being pierced by many arrows, for inflicting wounds on Nandini.

It is later stated that the defeat was because of Arjuna ’ s using Shikhandi to plot Bhishma ’ s death.

In the hymn Vishnu Sahasranama spoken by Bhishma in praise of Krishna after the Kurukshetra War, Krishna is also called Rama.

In the Mahabharata and Devi Bhagavata Purana, in the context of the birth of Bhishma, the cow Nandini is given the epithet Kamadhenu.

But Bhishma and Drona oppose this move recalling that a woman cannot be put at stake even if it is their own wife.

In the war, Duryodhana repeatedly eggs on the invincible Bhishma and Drona to forward his cause, even though his main hope is Karna.

There was a lot of criticism of King Shantanu from his subjects as to why he removed Bheeshma from the title of the crown prince ( kings didn't have the power to remove prince from throne just as Bhishma could not deprive his unborn son from the throne so he decided to never have one ) as he was so capable, and if by any chance he did see some fault in him ( Bheeshma ), what did he see in the prince who is not yet born ( Satyavati's son ).

Parasurama was pleased and said to Bhishma that if he had not behaved in this manner, Parasurama would have cursed him, for it is the duty of warriors who fight against elders to not abandon the traditions of humility and respect for elders.

It is unfortunate that a person as noble as Bhishma saw a life full of loneliness, frustration and grief.

Bhishma is the one who witnessed the Mahābhārata completely from the beginning since the rule of Shantanu.

The relation between Bhishma and Pandavas / Kauravas is described as that of a grandsire.

To this Bhishma laughed and replied, " That is not possible, child.

All the while Bhishma stood with folded palms and tears in his eyes, awed by the beauty of the wrath of the Lord and the intense love that God bears for his friends, so great that He is willing to endure the censorship of ignorant foolish men.

Bhishma is often considered as a great example of devotion and sacrifice.

His name itself is an honour to him, Bhishma which means great and Pitamah which means Grandfather which combined means Great Grandsire.