Bhishma born as Devavrata, son of Santanu and the holy River Ganga, is the most respected and perhaps the most fabulous character in the Mahabharata after Lord Krishna.

Bhishma is more famous for the pratigya or promise that he made to his father, that he shall never marry in his whole life and shall protect whoever sits on the throne of his father (The throne of Hastinapur). This was because when his father wanted to remarry a fisherwoman Satyavati, who wanted that her children should rule the Kingdom and not Santanu's previous wife's (Ganga's). Thus Bhishma sacrificed his crown_prince title for his father's happiness. This gave him immediate recognition among the Gods. His father granted him the boon of Ichham Mrityu (he could die whenever he wanted to) thus Immortality.

He learnt political science from Brhiaspati, the guru of the gods or devas, Vedas and Vedangas from Sage Vasishta, and archery from Parashurama, also known as Bhargava. He was knows as Bhismapitamha among Pandavas and Kauravas.

Bhishma is one character who is the perfect example of a dutibound officer. He is the one who has witnessed the Mahabharata completely from the beginning since the rule of the Shantanu. (Shantanu was the third king after Dushyanta and Bharata). Though the vansh (family) is said to have started with Bharata the great.

In the great battle at Kurukshetra when he died, Arjuna created a bed of arrows with the water of Ganga flowing in his mouth. In his last days before he ascended to heaven, he recited to Yudhisthira the famous hymn to Vishnu, the Vishnu sahasranama.