Parashuram's Wrath and the Kuru Succession Crisis

Lord Parashuram was enraged upon discovering his disciple’s transgression and resolved to punish him. He challenged Bheeshma to a battle and attacked him ferociously. Out of respect for his guru, Bheeshma initially defended himself without retaliating. Parashuram, frustrated, taunted him, "Do you truly believe you could defeat your guru if you fought with all your strength? Your arrogance astounds me!"

Eventually, Bheeshma and Parashuram engaged in a fierce, hand-to-hand duel that lasted twenty-three days, with neither emerging victorious. Parashuram then apologized to Amba for his failure to defeat Bheeshma. Undeterred, Amba prayed to Lord Shiv, determined to be the cause of Bheeshma’s death. After years of severe penance, Lord Shiv appeared before her and granted her wish, declaring, "In your next life, you will be the cause of Bheeshma's demise."

Impatient to fulfill her goal, Amba ended her own life, and in her next birth, she was born as Shikhandi, the daughter of King Drupad.

Meanwhile, King Vichitraveerya had married Ambika and Ambalika, both of whom were delighted to wed the valiant and handsome king. Tragically, Vichitraveerya soon succumbed to a fatal illness, leaving both queens childless widows. Bheeshma took responsibility for the queens and the kingdom, but the Kuru dynasty still faced the crisis of having no heir.

True to his vow, Bheeshma refused to ascend the throne. Queen Satyavati, heartbroken by the loss of her sons, mustered the strength to lead for the sake of the Kuru lineage. She often blamed her father's actions for the tragic fate that had befallen Bheeshma. Summoning him, she said, "As Shantanu’s son, it is your duty to prevent the extinction of the Kuru clan."

"What would you have me do?" Bheeshma asked.

"Fulfill the family line by accepting your brothers' widows," Satyavati implored.

"That is out of the question, as everyone knows my reasons," Bheeshma replied. "However, a widow can continue the lineage by marrying a male member of the same clan, provided he is of noble status."

Satyavati then recalled her son, Maharshi Vyas. "Yes, I have a son, born before my marriage, through Rishi Parashar’s blessing."

"Please invite him to the palace without delay," Bheeshma advised.