Promises & vows!

Lord Parasuram upon arriving at river Sarasvati, set up a camp. After 3 days he sent a message to Bhisma, announcing his arrival.  Receiving this news, Bhisma immediately came out of the city to greet his illustrious guest, taking many brahmanas and a cow to present in charity
 
Lord accepted Bhisma’s worship & explained: O descendent of Kuru, because you have abducted Amba, King Salva has rejected her so that she has been put into a very awkward situation. After being kidnapped and rejected, who do you think will marry Amba now? O Bhisma! Because no one else will accept her, you must do so. She is an innocent girl that does not deserve such humiliation
 
Bhisma replied: O son of Jamadagni, Vichitravirya will not accept Amba because she declared that her heart had already been given to Salva. For this same reason, neither I nor any other good kshatriyas will marry her and besides, I have taken a vow of lifelong celibacy, I will not marry under any circumstances
 
Upon hearing this, Parasuram became inflamed with rage. He declared: If you do not obey my command, I will kill you and all your ministers this very day!
 
Bhisma tried to pacify Parasuram by saying: My dear lord, please remember how you taught me the military science when I was a youth
 
Eyes red with rage, Parasuram replied:  You wretch! If you claim to be my disciple, then it behooves you to follow my instructions! I will only become pleased with you if you accept Amba as your wife
 
Bhisma said, Lord, no wise man will take into his house a woman who has given her heart to another, any more than he would admit a poisonous snake. The great King Marutta gave the following instructions that you may now hear from me: One may reject a guru who has become too proud, who has lost proper discrimination of what is right and wrong, or who has fallen from the path of good behavior. As you unrighteously attempt to force me to marry Arnba, I do not consider it improper for me to accept your challenge.
 
Let the battle take place at Kurukshetra, where you had formerly propitiated your forefathers with the blood of the kshatriyas you had slain. Now I will propitiate those kings by killing you. For so many years you have boasted about how you killed all kshatriyas of the earth. Now I will curb your excessive pride. You will soon realize that only because there was no Bhisma present, were you able to accomplish that heroic feat & thereafter brag about it
 
Principles are something for which we should die for. Dharmic injunctions are there to follow & not circumvent. A man is known by his adherence to the promises he makes and dies for, else the feeble are bewildered at the slightest opportunity
 
Thoughts? #gameoflife

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