Voracity Towards Space and Comfort: A Study of the Character of Bhishma Pitamah in the Mahabharata

Abstract

The present paper concentrates on the character of Bhishma Pitamah in the epic of Mahabharata, relating his endurance to cut loose from the comfort zone, sense of duty or loyalty, despite being aware of the underlying ethical issues and commitment towards Hastinapur. Such ethics, however, aren’t effective for him. Bhishma, who held great respect for his sagacity and medieval age battle capabilities, was confined into conditions caused by oaths, affections, and systems that did injustice and rendered him passive. Bhishma’s fierce loyalty to place and the throne of Hastinapur show the darker side of human existence: the proclivity towards remaining inactive where they can be active because of authority in the form of position, responsibility or self-respect which exposes the character. The paper argues that the inaction of Bhishma to safeguard the interest and well-being of Hastinapur is caused due to the comfort position and space that he occupies in the Hastinapur.  It is his subconscious selfish desire to keep the status quo in the state monarchy. Any change in the ruling setup could have led to his comfort position shaken to some extent and it was this desire to not bring any discomfort on self that was the cause of his inaction. Although, it was completely against the moral responsibility that he had towards the Hastinapur bounded by the oath that he had taken to protect the welfare of the throne of Hastinapur. On the basis of textual and character focused studies, the research highlights the broader theme of human reluctance to leave familiar spaces and confront uncomfortable situations, making the study relevant beyond the text to modern contexts of leadership and ethics.