Did Bhishma die on the 10th day of the Mahabharata war itself?

 

There were mutually contradictory narrations in 10th day war of the Bhishma Parva of Mahabharata..

On one hand, there were shlokas indicating that Bhishma was killed on the 10th day of the war itself. On the other hand, there were shlokas indicating that Bhishma survived till Uttarāyaṇa - the northward movement of the Sun, commencing from Sun entering Makara Rashi - around January 14th.

1) Shlokas that strongly indicate that Bhishma was killed on the 10th of the war itself.

a) At the beginning of 10th day of the war, after getting vexed with his life, Bhishma requested Yudhisthira to slay him.

भीष्म उवाच।

युधिष्ठिर महाप्राज्ञ सर्वशास्त्रविशारद ।

शृणुष्व वचनं तात धर्म्यं स्वर्ग्यं च जल्पतः ॥

निर्विष्णोऽस्मि भृशं तात देहेनानेन भारत ।

घ्नतश्च मे गतः कालः सुबहून्प्राणिनो रणे ॥

तस्मात्पार्थं पुरोधाय पाञ्चालान्सृज्जयांस्तथा ।

मद्वधे क्रियतां यत्नो मम चेदिच्छसि प्रियम् ॥

सञ्जय उवाच।

तस्य तन्मतमाज्ञाय पाण्डवः सत्यदर्शनः ।

भीष्मं प्रति ययौ राजा संग्रामे सह सृञ्जयैः ॥

And seeing Yudhishthira near him, O king, he addressed him, saying,

'O Yudhishthira, O thou of great wisdom, O thou that art acquainted with every branch of learning, listen to these righteous and heaven-leading words, O sire, that I say. O Bharata, I no longer desire to protect, O sire, this body of mine.

I have passed much time in slaying large numbers of men in battle. If thou wishest to do what is agreeable to me, strive to slay me, placing Partha with the Panchalas and the Srinjayas at thy van'.

Ascertaining this to be his intention, king Yudhishthira of true sight proceeded to battle with the Srinjayas (for his support).

b) When Arjuna starts attacking, placing Śikhaṇḍī (शिखण्डी) before him, Bhishma thinks that he should choose to die, as he had the boon of death at wish, as follows;

पित्रा तुष्टेन मे पूर्वं यदा कालीमुदवहम् ॥

स्वच्छन्दमरणं दत्तमवध्यत्वं रणे तथा ।

तस्मान्मृत्युमहं मन्ये प्राप्तकालमिवात्मनः ॥

Formerly, when my sire wedded Satyavati, he pleased (with me) gave me two boons, viz., that I should be incapable of being slain in battle, and that my death should depend on my own choice. I should, however, now wish my own death, this being the proper hour.'

——

c) When Arjuna’s arrows hit him heard, he fell down from his chariot.

एवंभूतस्तव पिता शरैर्विशकलीकृतः।

शिताग्रैः फल्गुनेनाजौ प्राक्शिराः प्रापतद्रथात् ॥

किंचिच्छेषे दिनकरे पुत्राणां तव पश्यताम् ।

हाहेति दिवि देवानां पार्थिवानां च भारत ॥

पतमाने रथाद्भीष्मे बभूव सुमहास्वनः ।

Thus, was Bhishma mangled with arrows of keen points by Phalguni in that battle. And then he fell down from his car with his head to the east, a little before sunset, in the very sight of thy sons. And, while Bhishma fell, loud cries of alas and oh, O Bharata, were heard in the sky uttered by the celestials and the kings of the earth.

—-

d) Death of Bhishma was mentioned here. Bhishma was slain - गाङ्गेये निहते .

सेनयोरुभयोश्चापि गाङ्गेये निहते विभौ ॥

संन्यस्य विराः शस्त्राणि प्राध्यायन्त समन्ततः ।

When Santanu's son Bhishma of mighty energy was slain, the warriors of both sides relinquished their weapons.

e) The very beginning shlokas of Drona Parva also state that Shikhandi killed Bhishma.

जनमेजय उवाच।

तमप्रतिमसत्वौजोबलवीर्यपराक्रमम्। हतं देवव्रतं श्रुत्वा पाञ्चाल्येन शिखण्डिना॥

धृतराष्ट्रस्ततो राजा शोकव्याकूललोचनः। किमचेष्टत विप्रर्षे हते पिताx वीर्यवान्॥

Janamejaya said, 'Hearing that his sire Devavrata of unrivalled vigour and sturdiness, and might, energy and prowess, had been slain by Sikhandin the prince of the Panchalas, what, indeed, O regenerate Rishi, did the powerful king Dhritarashtra with eyes bathed in tears do?

2) a) Shlokas that strongly indicate that Bhishma survived till Uttarāyaṇa.

शरतल्पे महेष्वासं शयानं पुरुषर्षभम्। रथात्प्रपतितं चैनं दिव्यो भावः समाविशत् ॥

अभ्यवर्षच्च पर्जन्यः प्राकम्पत च मेदिनी । पतन्स ददृशे चापि दक्षिणेन दिवाकरम् ॥

संज्ञां चोपालभद्वीरः कालं संचिन्त्य भारत । अन्तरिक्षे च शुश्राव दिव्या वाचः समन्ततः ॥

कथं महात्मा गाङ्गेयः सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः । कालकर्ता नरव्याघ्रः संप्राप्ते दक्षिणायने ॥

स्थितोऽस्मीति च गाङ्गेयस्तच्छ्रुत्वा वाक्यमब्रवीत्। धारयिष्याम्यहं प्राणान्पतितिऽपि महीतले ॥

उत्तरायणमन्विच्छन्सुगतिप्रतिकाङ्क्षया। तस्य तन्मतमाज्ञाय गह्गा हिमवतः सुताः ॥

महर्षीन्हंसरूपेण प्रेषयामास तत्र वै।

Pierced all over with arrows, his body touched not the ground. At that moment, O bull of Bharata's race, a divine nature took possession of that great bowman lying on a bed of arrows. The clouds poured a (cool) shower (over him) and the Earth trembled.

While falling he had marked that the Sun was then in the southern solstice. That hero, therefore, permitted not his senses to depart, thinking of that (inauspicious) season (of death).

And all around in the welkin he heard celestial voices saying, 'Why, Oh why, should Ganga's son, that foremost of all warriors of weapons, yield up his life during the southern declension?'

Hearing these words, the son of Ganga answered, 'I am alive!' Although fallen upon the earth, the Kuru grandsire Bhishma, expectant of the northern declension, suffered not his life to depart. Ascertaining that to be his resolve, Ganga, the daughter of Himavat, sent unto him the great Rishis in swanlike form.

——

b) After the war was over with the victory of Pandavas, Yudhisthira, Shri Krishna and others meet Bhishma, who was on the bed of arrows.

The teachings of Bhishma to Yudhisthira were narrated in Shanti Parva and Anushasana Parva of the Mahabharata. They contain teachings on Dharma, particularly focusing on the duties of a ruler and individual conduct and the 1,000 names of Vishnu - Vishnu Sahasranama.

The closing chapters of Anushasana Parva contain the death of Bhishma.

——

According to my understanding, the version of the story that Bhishma survived till Uttarāyaṇa has some flaws.

• If Bhishma really intended to remain alive till the arrival of Uttarāyaṇa, why did not he mention the same to Yudhisthira, at the starting of the war on the 10th Day?
• When Arjuna starts attacking, placing Śikhaṇḍī (शिखण्डी) before him, Bhishma thinks that he should choose to die, as he had the boon of death at wish and that being the proper hour. Then, why did Bhishma, who was knowledgeable of Planetary/astrological movements, changed his wish to depart after arrival of Uttarāyaṇa?

As Bhishma was knowledgeable of Planetary/astrological movements, it cannot be said that he was not aware of the timing of the war, ie., Dakshināyaṇa - Sun was then in the southern solstice.

He was very much aware that the war was being taking place in Dakshināyaṇ and still he chose to die at that hour.

—-

The inference is that this version of Bhishma’s departure in Uttarāyaṇa is an interpolated story, ie., was added subsequently.

Bhishma died on the 10th day of the Mahabharata war itself.