Bhishma Ashtami

Bhishma ashtami is the reverence day of the great Bhishma pitamah. The son of goddess Ganga and Maharaj Shantanu of Kuru dynasty. The only character who lived uniquely adhered to his principles till his death and also died in a fashion, which none of the heroes in past could even think of. Such is the glory of Devavrata who became Bhishma after taking the oath to remain celibate through out his life so that his father could fulfill his desire of getting married and also gave up on his right to the throne of Hastinapur.

Bhishma is also one of the people who had convincingly defeated parashuram.

He is the one who alone lead the Kauravas for 10 days and made even Arjuna and Krishna backtrack from skirmish and come up with schemes to remove him from battlefield.

Bhishma was also a yogi of highest calibre. He is the one who gave us the famed Vishnu sahasranama.

He is also the guru of one of the greatest seers of all times; Mahatma Vidur.

Bhishma was disciple of Brihaspati, Shukracharya, Parashuram.

Bhishma was the one who had blessed gandhari with "shataputravati bhava".

Bhishma was also the one who had blessed Yudhishthir with Vijayashri.

Bhishma is the only one who had been given the glory to receive tarpan from masses for his extreme celibacy, renunciation and morality. It is very auspicious to do Bhishma tarpan and remembrance on magha Shukla ashtami to mitigate one's all sins, eliminate various ancestral curses and get blessed with a virtuous child.

Rituals:

Get up early in the morning have head on bath. Take kusha, black sesame and gangajal.

Sit facing south direction.

Do achaman, pranayam, wear kusha pavitri, do sarva Deva namaskar.

Take sankalpa to give tarpan to Bhishma.

Become apasavya. I.e. keep your yadnyopavit on your right shoulder.

Then take Ganges water mixed with black sesame. Hold 3 kushas between your thumb and index finger. Then release the sesame water over the 3 kushas in a vessel or plate while chanting the below given mantras each.

वैयाघ्रपदगोत्राय सांकृत्यप्रवराय च।

गंगापुत्राय भीष्माय सर्वदा ब्रह्मचारिणे।।1ll

भीष्म: शान्तनवो वीर: सत्यवादी जितेन्द्रिय:।

आभिरभिद्रवाप्नोतु पुत्रपौत्रोचितां क्रियाम्।।2ll

Now become savya i.e. move the yadnyopavit to the left shoulder once again and give one tarpan.

वसूनामवताराय शन्तरोरात्मजाय च।

अर्घ्यंददामि भीष्माय आबालब्रह्मचारिणे।।3ll

You can keep fast for the day or have one time satvik food or fruits.

Vrata phala:

माघे मासि सिताष्टम्यां सतिलं भीष्मतर्पणम्।

श्राद्धच ये नरा: कुर्युस्ते स्यु: सन्ततिभागिन:।।

शुक्लाष्टम्यां तु माघस्य दद्याद् भीष्माय यो जलम्।