Story of Shikhandee-2
Battle Between Bheeshm and Parashuraam

Raam sent a message to me - "I am staying here, do what I desire you to do." Hearing this that Great Raam has come in my kingdom, I immediately went there with a cow accompanied by many people. He accepted my worship and said - "You abducted this girl from her Swayamvar, and then sent her back. Because of your this action she is in this situation. She was rejected by Shaalv only because you had abducted her. So you take her at my command. She should not be humiliated for this reason." I said to him - "O Braahman, I cannot take her in any case. Give her to my brother. As she told me that she loved Shaalv, I allowed her to go. It is my vow that I do not abandon Kshatriya practices from fear, or pity or avarice or lust."

Hearing my words Raam became angry and said - "You are not obeying me, I will kill you today with all your people." He said this to me repeatedly. I tried to cool him down with my sweet words but he was not cooling down in any way. Then I tried to find that why he wanted to have a fight with me, I was his disciple. He had taught me the four kinds of arms. Raam said - "You know me as your Guru still you disobey me and do not accept this girl. Because you abducted her, that is why she could not get her husband.

I said - "This is not possible. Your efforts are in vain. Remembering you as my Guru I am trying to satisfy you, but regarding this girl? I have refused her before knowing that she is an evil. Who will allow her to stay in his house? I cannot abandon my duty with any kind of fear. Be happy with me or do whatever you like to do. This is heard in Puraan that Marutt has sung this Shlok, "The renunciation is given by the Guru who is filled with vanity, who is destitute of the knowledge of right and wrong, and who is treading on a devious path". I am respecting you as my Guru, but you are not behaving like a Guru, that is why I will fight with you. I will not kill any Guru in battle, especially a Braahman, that is why I forgive you. However, it is said in the scriptures that he is not guilty of kill a Braahman who kills a person who fights as a Kshatriya in a battle. I am a Kshatriya and I will do my duty. He is not a sinner and is not harmed too who behaves with a person exactly that person deserves. Be ready for a single combat. I will curb your old pride today of killing all Kshatriya. For many long years you have boasted. No Bheeshm was born in those days."

Bheeshm continued - "Hearing my words, Raam said - "By good luck you have decided to fight with me. I will surely go to Kurukshetra and fight with you. Let your mother Gangaa should see you dead here. Come to Kurkshetra along with your people and chariots." I worshipped his feat and said "so be it". Raam went to Kurukshetra and I told everything to Satyavatee. Ceremonies were performed for my victory I sat in a white chariot with white horses and white umbrella, fanned with white fans, clad in white uniform and came to the field. When I saw Raam, I blew my conch loudly. Many Devtaa were also there and Rishi etc who lived nearby also came there around the field to see our fight.

My own mother appeared before me and asked - "What do you want to do? I repeatedly asked Raam not to fight with you, I am asking you too not to fight with him who is a Braahman. He is like Mahaadev himself." I worshipped her and told her the whole account of Ambaa and that I tried my best not to indulge in this fight. I told her about Ambaa's past actions also. She went to Raam and again requested him not to fight with me as I was his disciple. He said - "Go and stop Bheeshm, he does not obey me, that is why I have challenged him." Then Gangaa came to me but I also refused to listen to her.

I said to Raam - "I am on chariot and you are on foot. If you have to fight with me sit in a chariot and cover yourself in uniform." Raam replied - "This Earth is my chariot, Ved are my horses that carry me, the wind is my charioteer, and my uniform is the mothers described in Ved (Gaayatree, Saavitree and Saraswatee)." And he covered mr with lots of arrows. The then I saw him mounted on a chariot equipped with every kind of weapons. It was well-covered with tough skin and decorated with many kinds of gold ornaments. Akritvran, well-versed in Ved, was his charioteer. He repeatedly challenged me.

After he had showered his arrows three times at me, I dismounted from my chariot and went to him and said - "O Raam, Whether you are equal or superior to me, I will fight with you, O my Guru. Please bless me for my victory." Raam said - "One should act like you have acted now. Who fight with those who are more powerful then them perform this duty. I would have cursed you if you had not come to me like his. Go, fight carefully with patience. I cannot wish you victory because I myself am standing here to defeat you. Go fight fairly, I am very pleased with your behavior." Bowing to him, I came back to my chariot, mounted it and blew my conch again.

The fight began and lasted for several days. First he struck me with 960 arrows. I bowed to Braahman and said to him - "Although you have showed no regard to me, but I have fully regarded you as my Guru. I wouldn't strike at Ved in your body, the high status of Braahman in you, and the ascetic merit which you have earned through severe Tap. I will strike only at you Kshatriyahood which you have adopted. When a Braahman takes up a weapon, he becomes a Kshatriya.

Once Raam seemed losing his senses, I got sad seeing that what did I do to him. I afflicted my Guru, a Braahman, a pious soul, with my arrows. I stopped fighting for a while. But next day morning the fight again commenced. I descended from my chariot, saluted him before the fight commenced. Suddenly he pierced me in my breast and I was almost unconscious. My charioteer took me away from the battlefield and people of Raam's side got happy. Soon I returned and struck him with a Death arrow. He got unconscious and fell down on the ground. The whole Universe was filled with confusion and alarm. All together with Ambaa proceeded towards Raam and comforted him.

The fight again resumed and he shot an arrow which pierced my left breast. Once he showered arrows at my charioteer and he gave up his life. I trembled with fear. While I was lamenting my charioteer, Raam shot me deathlike arrow and I fell down. All Kaurav etc who came to see our fight got very sad seeing this. They comforted me and I rose up again. Then I saw my mother Gangaa sitting on my chariot as a charioteer. I saluted her and the spirits of my ancestors and again got ready for fight. She protected my chariot and horses. I requested her to go away and started fighting again. Thus the fight continued for 23 days.

On that night I thought - "It is difficult to defeat Raam in the combat. If I am competent to defeat him, then let Devtaa show themselves to me this night." One night, towards morning, those Braahman who raised me when I had fallen down, showed themselves in my dream and said to me, "Do not fear O Gangaa's son, We will protect you, because you are our own body. Raam will never be able to defeat you in battle. You will win. This beloved weapon called "Praswap" built by the Divine artificer will come to your knowledge, because you knew it in your previous life. Neither Raam nor any other person on Earth knows this. Recollect it and apply it with strength, it will come to you itself. You can defeat all powerful people with this weapon. It will not slay Raam outright, so you will not incur any sin. Afflicted by this weapon Raam will only fall asleep. Thus defeated, you will again wake him up in battle with that dear weapon called "Sambodhan". Do what we have told you in the morning. Asleep or dead we consider it same. Raam will surly not die, so apply "Praswap" happily." And those eight Braahman, who looked same, disappeared from my sight.

Next day the fight again started. It was very fierce. Raam invoked Brahm Astra, so I also used the same against his. Both clashed. The whole Universe got highly stressed. At this time I thought to use that "Praswap" weapon. Mantra to invoke it just came to my mind. Then many voices in the sky said - "Do not let this weapon off, O Bheeshm." But I didn't pay any attention to them and aimed that weapon at Raam. When I had aimed, Naarad said to me, "All Devtaa were forbidding you to aim it, still you aimed it. Raam possesses the qualities of Brahm and he is your Guru. Never humiliate him."

When Naarad was saying this to me, I again saw those eight Braahman in the sky smiling, they said to me, "Do what Naarad has said to you. It is beneficial to the world." I withdrew that weapon and invoked Brahm Astra. Seeing Praswap Astra withdrawn, Raam exclaimed "Oh, I am defeated." Then Parashuraam saw his forefathers in front of him. They said to him - "Never fight with such rashness again, never. Fighting is the duty of a Kshatriya, Study of Ved and practice of vows are the main duty of Braahman. Now let this battle with Bheeshm be the last. You throw your bow and practice your Tap again. Bheeshm is forbidden even by Devtaa. They are trying to pacify him. Bheeshm is one of the Vasu. It is fortunate that you are alive. He is a Vasu, how can he be defeated by you? Arjun has been assigned to kill him."

Raam said - "I cannot run away from the combat. Even before I have never left the field. If you can stop Bheeshm from fighting, I cannot go back." Then those Rishi came to me and said - "Stop this fight, honor this Braahman." I said- "I also have taken vow not to run away from the field, I cannot go back." hen all those Rishi and my mother Gangaa took the field in front of me. They again said to Raam - "Please be pacified, Bheeshm cannot be killed by you as you cannot be killed by him, so you stop this battle." In the meantime Pitar Gan made Raam set his weapons aside. The then I saw those eight Braahman again, they said to me - "Go to Raam who is your Guru and do what is beneficial to world."

Unwillingly I approached Raam and worshipped him. Raam said smilingly - "There is no Kshatriya like you on the earth. You may go now, you have highly pleased me in this battle."