21 Questions
Which king was Devvrata's father?
Shantanu
Who were the two sons of Satyavati from King Shantanu?
Chitrangadha and Vichitravirya
Who was pledged to be a lifelong bachelor?
Bhishma
Who did Vichitravirya's queens include?
Ambika and Ambalika
Who were the sons of Ambalika?
Pandu
Which of the following is NOT a reason Bhishma took a vow of celibacy?
To ascend the throne
Who continued the Kuru dynasty after Shantanu?
Dhritarashtra and Pandu
What was Bhishma's original name?
Devvrata
Which two characters' sons were Dhritarashtra and Pandu respectively?
Ambika and Ambalika
What united the Kauravas and Pandavas?
The Kuru dynasty
What was the name of the beautiful young woman King Shantanu saw near the Yamuna river?
Satyavati
Who was Satyavati's father?
The leader of the boatmen
What condition did Satyavati's father set for King Shantanu to marry Satyavati?
Satyavati's son should inherit the throne
What did Devavrata ask King Shantanu that revealed his distress?
What is troubling you these days, father?
Who did Devavrata speak to in order to uncover King Shantanu's distress?
The charioteer
Where did the significant conversation between King Shantanu and Satyavati's father take place?
By the Yamuna river
What compelling argument did Devavrata present to Satyavati's father to agree to the marriage?
He would ensure Satyavati's son inherits the throne
How did Devavrata gather information about the conditions set by Satyavati's father?
He questioned the charioteer
What was the result of King Shantanu's encounter with Satyavati?
He became distressed due to unfulfilled desire
What eventually impressed Satyavati's father about Devavrata’s promise?
His vow of celibacy
What was the sorrow that gnawed at King Shantanu after meeting Satyavati?
The condition relating to Satyavati's son
Study Notes
भीष्म-प्रतिज्ञा
- King Shantanu was overjoyed to have a tejasvi putra (brilliant son) and made him the Rajkumar (prince).
- After four years, Shantanu went to the Yamuna riverbank and met a beautiful woman named Satyavati, who was a fisherman's daughter.
- Shantanu fell in love with Satyavati, but her father, Kevat Raj, demanded a promise that Satyavati's son would inherit the throne of Hastinapura.
- Shantanu refused to make this promise, as he wanted his own son, Devavrat, to inherit the throne.
Devavrat's Vow
- Devavrat learned about the promise his father was asked to make and decided to intervene.
- He met Kevat Raj and promised that he would not ascend to the throne, and instead, Satyavati's son would become the king after Shantanu.
- Kevat Raj was not satisfied with this promise and asked Devavrat to take a vow of celibacy, which Devavrat agreed to.
Consequences of the Vow
- Devavrat's vow led to him being known as Bhishma, and he became the guardian of the Kuru dynasty.
- Shantanu married Satyavati, and they had two sons, Chitrangad and Vichitravirya, but both of them died young.
- Vichitravirya's two wives, Ambika and Ambalika, had sons named Dhritarashtra and Pandu, respectively.
The Kuru Dynasty
- The Kuru dynasty was led by Shantanu, then Vichitravirya, and later by the sons of Dhritarashtra (Kauravas) and Pandu (Pandavas).
- Bhishma remained the respected elder of the dynasty, guiding it through its ups and downs until the end of the Mahabharata war.
This quiz is about the story of Bhishma, a character from the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. It covers his early life and his encounters with King Shantanu and Satyavati.
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