Category: mahabharata

Bhishma — Mahabharata’s Greatest Unsung Hero

The story of Bhishma abducting Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika is one of the most famous episodes in the Mahabharata. On the surface, it speaks of politics, duty, and human emotions. But when viewed through a yogic lens, it reveals subtle lessons about Kundalini energy and the journey of consciousness.

1. Bhishma: The Will That Guides Energy

Bhishma, with his unwavering determination, goes to bring the princesses to Hastinapur. In Kundalini terms, he represents the force of discipline and strong will that helps awaken and guide energy upward. Just as in yoga, Shakti cannot rise by itself—it requires direction, intention, and focused effort.

2. Vichitravirya: The Passive Consciousness

Vichitravirya, the young king, is passive and does not act on his own. He symbolizes receptive consciousness, the awareness that is ready to receive the awakened energy. The energy brought by Bhishma is meant to integrate with him, just as Kundalini rises to merge with higher awareness.

3. The Princesses: Different Types of Energy

  • Ambika and Ambalika represent energies that cooperate, integrate smoothly, and contribute to the continuation of life—just as balanced pranic channels support inner growth. Ida and Pingla matches them.
  • Amba, however, resists. She represents blocked or delayed energy, the kind that cannot merge immediately but requires purification, patience, and sometimes an entirely different pathway to awaken fully. Sushumna is having similar chracteristics.

4. The Abduction: Initiating the Energy Flow

Bhishma’s act of carrying the princesses away can be seen as a metaphor for initiating the upward movement of energy from lower to higher chakras. But force alone—whether physical, mental, or yogic—cannot guarantee complete integration. However it helps. But the inner energies must be ready to rise.

5. Rejection, Knot, and Transformation

Amba’s rejection by both Vichitravirya and Salva reflects a granthi—a knot of resistance inside the system. Blocked energy stores immense potential. It’s actually like meditation supporting object or dhyana alamban of Patanjali yoga to focus upon continuously to achieve samadhi or awakening. Over time, this energy transforms and goes up in a new, powerful form. Salva represents the lower chakras, and Vichitravirya represents the upper chakras of Bhishma. The energy of the Sushumna is stuck between them, reaching neither. Bhishma has given it upward motion, but not enough for it to reach the upper chakras as he is a celibate. Therefore, the energy returns to the lower chakras, but the petty worldly society now interprets her visiting the upper realms—even with the support of a celibate—as a sign that she has been defeated, seized, and loved by him. It is often seen in the layman-dominated society when an prior-known but now-turned intellectual is ignored by it and so he going to lonliness. Consequently, her past lover Salva rejects her. She has no way but to return to Bhishma and asks him to marry her, since only tantric force can elevate her to the top chakra, representing the Shiva-Parvati marriage or union. However, Bhishma, proud of his celibacy, rejects her offer, leaving her enraged. This celibacy is the result of spiritual sanskāras imparted by his father and family. The imprint of purity is so strong that he takes a solemn oath never to marry.
Amba eventually reincarnates as Shikhandi, whose presence becomes the cause of Bhishma’s fall. Symbolically, this represents how blocked energy eventually overcomes rigidity, merging at the right time, in the right form, only after purification.

Shikhandi confronting Bhishma symbolizes the moment when dynamic, transformed energy overpowers rigid, ego-driven will, allowing spiritual progress under the guidance of Arjuna (higher consciousness).

Yogi Bhishma — The Unsung Hero of Mahabharata

The story reflects a subtle truth about highly disciplined people. Like Bhishma, many celibates or individuals of strict discipline often reject potential partners, citing duty, career, culture, or moral codes—even when they have the strength or opportunity to accept them.

This rigid refusal creates a blocked emotional image in the heart chakra. The denied feminine energy becomes a subtle androgynous or eunuch-like mental imprint—male in its inability to act in a worldly sexual way, yet feminine in emotional tone. Over time, this blocked energy slowly transforms the disciplined mind, softening the rigid ego, turning the person more romantic or emotional, often leading them eventually into relationships and family life. However, this image remains like a eunuch Shikhandi for a long time and eventually dissolves after imparting realization. In this sense, it is also the “killing” of Bhishma by Shikhandi, because after the realization, a second birth is considered.

It means eventually, the once-stuck energy, purified through resistance and patience, rises to the brain, manifesting as guru-like image, wisdom, awakening, or divine consciousness.

The myth shows that rigid good will, when imposed on natural desire, stores great energy—but that energy eventually purifies, transforms, and expresses itself in a higher form.

Amba, Ambika, Ambalika as Yogic Channels

Amba can be understood as the Sushumna channel, while Ambika and Ambalika correspond to Ida and Pingala. Through forceful discipline, a yogi can manage Ida and Pingala—using asana, prāṇāyāma, and effort to push energy upward that can help to align sushumna as well but up to a limit.

But Sushumna is different:

  • Ida and Pingala can be controlled through practice.
  • Sushumna cannot be forced open.

For Sushumna to awaken, one must surrender, cultivate a balanced inner and outer life, heal buried impressions, and patiently wait.

Yogi Bhishma believed he could master Amba (Sushumna) by first controlling Ambika and Ambalika (Ida and Pingala), her two sisters.
He succeeded only partially—until he resolved his heart knot, transforming his inner image of Amba into image of guru, god etc. This shows that awakening requires inner transformation and the softening of rigidity—not just discipline. He started supporting the image of Amba in his mind later on, breaking his steadfast bow of celibacy, in a way leaning in front of destiny, and being tired of avoiding it, which signifies a confrontation with Shikhandi, the inner energy form of the outer Amba.

Ultimately, divine will must be accepted, and surrender becomes essential.

6. The Hidden Message

The Mahabharata teaches that:

  • Not all energies respond to force.
  • Purification, surrender, patience, and guidance are essential.
  • Blocked energy, when transformed, becomes a powerful force for realization.
  • The rigid ego must yield for true spiritual progress.

Conclusion

The Bhishma–Princesses episode is not only a story of kings and kingdoms—it mirrors the subtle dynamics of Kundalini within the human system. Bhishma represents willpower, Vichitravirya represents consciousness, and the three princesses symbolize energies waiting to awaken. Some integrate easily, some resist, and some transform through trials.

In the end, the tale teaches that effort and discipline alone are not enough. Awakening requires openness, surrender, inner healing, and divine timing.

Everyone often reflects upon their own mythological namesake, and perhaps the same has happened with me.
Recently, a new meaning revealed itself—one that seems to resonate strongly with the story of my own life.
That is why I expressed it without hesitation.
Perhaps this is the very influence of the name, and maybe this is its true meaning as well.

All of this is merely my personal experience and perspective.
The real truth is what the reader discovers within themselves.
If there is any error, it is mine; and if there is any essence, it is by the grace of the Divine.

Kundalini Through the Mahabharata – Demystifying the Yoga of the Fifth Veda (Chapter 2)

The Mahabharata is often called the Fifth Veda — written for those unable to study the original Vedas. Veda means “supreme knowledge,” and the supreme knowledge can only be the knowledge of God. In this sense, Yoga too is the same supreme knowledge — the direct realization of the Divine.

So, in a deeper way, the Mahabharata is Yoga expressed in the form of stories. Through social, moral, and mythological narratives, it offers the essence of Yoga to the general public. It is like a sugar-coated tablet — one may taste only the sweetness of the story, yet unknowingly receive the medicine of spiritual wisdom. The reader enjoys the unfolding of events, but deep within, subtle seeds of Yoga are sown, silently preparing the mind for higher realization.

Those who read it with an open heart begin to feel its inner power. Even without knowing, they receive glimpses of Yoga. And gradually, they are propelled toward direct spiritual practice, drawn by the unseen force hidden within its verses.

Through this series, I am trying to demystify the Mahabharata step by step — revealing how behind every event, character, and dialogue lies the play of Yogic principles. I hope readers find this exploration not only interesting but also deeply beneficial for their inner journey.

Kundalini Through the Mahabharata – Demystifying the Yoga of the Fifth Veda (Chapter 2)

Continuing from Chapter 1 in the previous blog, we now progress to Chapter 2.

When Ganga Left and Desire Returned: The Silent Law of Separation

Shantanu had questioned Ganga to save Bhishma from flowing into the conscious ocean. In that moment, ego disturbed the divine energy flow. Ganga had already fulfilled her promise—to leave Shantanu if she were ever stopped from her sacred work. Seven luminous streams, symbolizing the seven chakras, had merged back into her waters; the eighth, Bhishma, she raised herself before returning him to his father. When she withdrew, the flow of Kundalini that once danced freely became a memory of bliss in Shantanu’s being—awareness without movement. Instead, it settled into stillness, carrying within it the silent ache of separation from the divine current.

The Loss of the Divine Flow

Shantanu’s grief was not ordinary. It was the ache of a yogi who once felt the current of Shakti and now feels her absence. The river of consciousness had retreated; prana stood still.
That stillness — though peaceful — carries a hidden danger: in stagnation, desire re-awakens.

Satyavati: The Call of Earthly Nature

From that emptiness rose Satyavati, the daughter of the fisherman, born of river fragrance and clay. She was not Ganga’s pure flow but its earthy echo — Maya in tangible form. Fish or fishy means strong ill desire or craving.
Where Ganga rose upward, Satyavati pulled downward, reminding consciousness of its unfinished bond with matter.

When Shantanu longed for her, it was the spirit re-entering the field of duality. Her father’s condition — that only her son may inherit the throne — was not greed but the law of karma: every descent must create lineage, continuity, consequence.

Bhishma’s Terrible Vow

To preserve his father’s longing, Bhishma renounced his own.
That single act became the hinge of Yoga itself — energy choosing duty over desire.
Celibacy here is not denial but containment: the upward redirection of force that once sought union in body now seeks union in consciousness. Bhishma stands as the embodiment of Shantanu’s sexual energy, sublimated after Ganga withdrew. This energy rises upward, becoming holy and pure, giving rise to spiritual qualities such as penance, renunciation, and tolerance and many more.

Bhishma thus stands as retained Kundalini, energy stabilized in awareness. He governs the realm of dharma but never sits on the throne — just as awakened energy rules life silently but never claims ownership.

The Hidden Movement of Consciousness

Ganga’s withdrawal, Shantanu’s longing, Satyavati’s demand, and Bhishma’s vow — together form a single inner event:

  1. Union with the Divine (Ganga)
  2. Loss of Grace and the Return of Desire (Shantanu’s sorrow)
  3. Re-entry into Matter (Satyavati)
  4. Sublimation and Mastery (Bhishma)

Simply put, Bhishma represented the top chakra, while his seven brothers symbolized the lower chakras that were released from emotional bondage as the energy rose through the Sushumna in the form of Ganga. Bhishma himself was not released, because Mother Nature desired that he fulfill many moral and worldly duties in the public interest. Satyavati gave him a further push upward, helping to test and prove his worth. In truth, spirituality flourishes best when balanced with material life, for the latter continually guides the former along the right path. Moreover, the sublimation of energy from the physical to the spiritual plane is aided by materialism itself, since energy or Shakti is fundamentally material in nature.

Each seeker walks through these stages: awakening, loss, temptation, and vow. The river flows on, but its memory becomes the discipline that guides the rest of the journey.

Essence

When Kundalini withdraws, the seeker feels bereft. Yet that loss births Bhishma within — the steadfast awareness that guards the soul’s dharma even amid worldly storms.
Ganga’s absence is not abandonment; it is initiation into responsibility.

In practical life, Nature often grants brief moments of opportunity for spiritual upliftment amidst worldly chaos and duties. These moments invite one to take refuge in Ganga—symbolizing the upwardly sublimated energy of sexual union—which cleanses all the chakras. As the highest chakra begins its perfect purification, worldly temptations appear in the form of Satyavati. At this stage, man forgets to sublimate and raise the sexual energy; instead, he lets it flow downward, like a fishing stream.

The pure awareness established in the highest chakra, though unable to attain liberation, becomes a great worldly saint—like Bhishma. This is Nature’s way of maintaining the balance between worldly existence and supreme knowledge. Ultimately, Nature liberates Bhishma as well, once she is satisfied with his worldly service. After a period of worldly immersion, he again receives Ganga’s companionship and grows spiritually.

Again for some time, he indulges in outward sensual pleasures to test the strength and maturity of his Bhishma-awareness. This cycle continues until man, as Shantanu, becomes old and mature enough to receive Bhishma’s awareness permanently from Ganga, raising it further toward liberation through his yogic wisdom.

An interesting point here is that these mythological figures and stories are eternal, unlike a single human being bound by flesh and a limited lifespan. Bhishma still exists today as the awakened mind, continually nurtured by Ganga as Sushumna— now and forever.