Yes. I can't speak for my children..
But I've every right to remain childless, Dashraj.
I, Devavrata, son of Ganga..
..in the presence of all four cardinal points..
..the earth and sky, swear this oath..
..that I shall remain celibate and never marry.
I shall live childless and die childless.
This is my eternal oath!
'I am no one's friend nor am I anyone's enemy.'
'Nor am I related to anyone.'
'I'm free of all relationships.'
'So, listen carefully to what I'm about to say..'
'..because this concerns the ideal man, Devavrata..'
'..who, in the blink of an eye..'
'..became Bheeshma from Devavrata.'
'I salute this great hero.'
'Because I am Time.'
'I know of all the oaths sworn before and after..'
'..Devavrata's oath.'
'So, only I can say that..'
'..no such oath was ever sworn before or after his oath.'
'I salute this great hero..'
'..who's made his mark in the Universe.'
- Any news? - No, King.
It's surprising that no one..
..knows where Devavrata has gone.
Devavrata has never disappeared like this before.
I'm getting worried about his whereabouts.
Please stop the chariot for a while, son of Ganga.
Sure! Charioteer, stop the chariot!
What's the matter, lady?
Once we reach Hastinapur..
..I'll become your mother..
..and then it won't be possible for me to do..
..what I want to do.
Even now you're my mother, lady.
But what it is you want to do..
..that will be impossible after you're known as my mother?
I want to touch your feet.
No, Mother!
If a mother touches her son's feet it will upset the social order.
This son of yours is the keeper of your chariot and your mind.
Sons like you will never be born again.
Never!
Father!
Welcome home, Mother Satyavati!
You needlessly hesitated, Sire.
You had full freedom to make the promise on my behalf..
..that mother Satyavati's eldest son would reign in Hastinapur.
But, Son..
I'm your son not attached to Hastinapur's throne.
To serve you is my duty.
So, I've sworn to remain celibate all my life.
No!
What a terrible oath, Son!
No, Devavrata..
No.
Forget it, Father.
How can I forget, Son?
How can I forget that you sacrificed..
..your own happiness for the sake of mine?
But, Father, my happiness is a part of your happiness.
- Forget it, Father. - But how can I forget..
..the fine Indian tradition..
..initiated by none other than Shakuntala's son, Bharat..
..that merit and not birth should determine the heir to the throne?
How can we determine the merit of a child yet to be born?
But, King, the king has another duty, too.
To protect the rights of his subjects.
That's true, Son but whose rights have I not protected?
Mine, Father.
You haven't protected one of my rights.
Which one, Son?
You're denying me the right to make a promise.
You've left me speechless, Son.
What can I say to that?
What you've done will be remembered forever.
Your father blesses you for what you've done.
Today..
..standing at the crossroads of sorrow and joy peace and war..
..I, Shantanu, grant you a boon.
Unless you desire your death you won't die.
Your name, Bheeshma will become immortal.
You'll live as long as you wish.
Death can't touch you till you so desire.
Mother, please explain to father..
..that whatever has happened to me is of my own doing.
Son of Arya today onwards, we shall call Devavrata, Bheeshma.
Not only us..
..but the entire Universe will call him Bheeshma..
..because of his terrible oath.
Greetings, Mother!
A long life to you.
I wanted to talk to you, Mother.
About what, Son?
About whether I did the right thing.
You cannot do any wrong, Son.
You were born to be righteous and lead by example.
I'm proud to be your mother.
I need your blessings, Mother.
They are always with you, Son.
You've given a new meaning to the word oath.
What you've done would be impossible for mortal or God.
What you have done is worth emulating.
Any order for me, Mother?
You are beyond orders, Son.
You don't have to be told to do your duty.
You are among those who are born to do their duty
Why are you looking at the moon?
Seeking forgiveness, son of Arya.
Forgiveness?
Yes.
I've committed a grave crime against the moon God.
Such beauty!
Such beauty and fragrance!
You can never be guilty.
It's my beauty which has eclipsed your life.
If I were not beautiful..
..Bheeshma wouldn't have had to suffer this injustice.
If man began to think like this life would be impossible.
Yet, that's the truth.
No.
It's not the complete truth.
Beloved, the truth is that this..
..is a web made by the lines of fate..
..where man is caught helplessly like a fish in a net
He cannot avoid this web even if he wishes.
I remember..
..when Ganga wanted to drown this eighth child of mine..
..I couldn't keep quiet.
I broke my oath and questioned her.
To which she said, "our sons were Vasus.."
"..who'd been cursed with birth on Earth.."
"..and the fact that I'd broken my oath meant.."
"..that the eighth son was fated to live."
The sum and substance is..
..that Bheeshma's fate was sealed much before our love was.
Our love was merely an excuse.
Even if we hadn't met..
..Bheeshma would have had to follow his fate.
Does your conscience agree to this, son of Arya?
What wrong had I done..
..that I became the excuse for Bheeshma's destruction?
Don't you think..
..that we're lucky to have a son like Bheeshma?
Of course, son of Arya..
..but isn't it Bheeshma's bad luck..
..that he's got Satyavati for a mother?
Heartless!
Harsh!
And selfish.
Don't insult his filial love by saying this.
But by not saying it..
..am I not insulting Bheeshma, son of Arya?
If anyone is to blame, then it is me..
..because when Bheeshma took the oath you weren't his mother..
..but I was his father even then.
I staked Hastinapur's future for my present..
..not you.
Protector of his subjects!
Idol of justice!
Protector of religion!
King Shantanu is arriving!
What's wrong, Royal Priest?
Why is the Crown Prince's throne vacant, King?
The king has sworn to keep it so..
..till a son is born to the queen.
Who made this promise, Prime Minister?
Who else but the king?
Who gave him the right to swear this oath, Prime Minister?
Does a king need permission, Prime Minister?
Why?
Does the king own this land?
King, you forgot that you're merely a representative.
Only God is the owner.
You'd no right to make that promise.
I would like to know what was wrong with Devavrata..
..that you thought of a new Crown Prince?
Even if Devavrata has faults..
..what is it that recommends a prince who is yet to be conceived?
Do the citizens have a right to ask this question, Royal Priest?
The citizens have a right to ask any question.
May I answer the sage's question, King?
No.
I don't want an answer. I want justice, Crown Prince.
- Time.. - Let's not talk of time, Royal Priest.
Time is only a witness.
Talk of action, because we're men of action, of deeds..
..responsible for our acts.
Isn't this true, Royal Priest?
Yes. It's true, Crown Prince.
Then why are you blaming the king for my actions, Royal Priest?
It wasn't the king who swore the oath to Dashraj or the Queen.
Had he stopped me from doing my duty..
..then, too, he'd have done me an injustice.
He told Dashraj that he'd made me the king.
He'd already fulfilled his duty.
The king even told Dashraj..
..that he doesn't have the right to change the decision now.
It was I who gave the promise to Dashraj, Royal Priest..
..that Satyavati's son would be king.
In so doing, I've fulfilled my duty.
Why did you do so, Crown Prince?
I swore the oath because..
..an unhappy king can never make his subjects happy.
Who'll be responsible if the unborn prince of Satyavati..
..is unworthy of the throne?
Look at Hastinapur's fate line and determine that yourself, Royal Priest.
But if Bheeshma's oath has some value..
..then today I make a promise to Hastinapur..
..that whoever ascends the throne..
..I, Ganga's son Devavrata shall see my father's image..
..in him and serve him with the same devotion throughout.
Bheeshma! Bheeshma!
"Days have passed by.."
"Considering invaluable as valuable.."
"He got happiness in abundance. He got sorrows in abundance."
"They met in such a way that they were inseparable."
"Days have passed by.."
Shantanu!
Oh, Bharat dynasty's Shantanu?'
'What have you done..
'You've staked Hastinapur's future for your present.'
Sire!
Sire.
Bheeshma.
Is it my father or the king who worries?
Both.
Then should I ask my father or the king, first?
First, ask that weakling..
..who could neither be a father nor a king..
..nor could keep either's honour..
..and who's made helpless both father and king.
Sire!
What kind of a father am I?
Helpless in thirst for love.
I condemned my ideal son to an eternal thirst.
And what kind of a king am I?
I've removed a worthy Crown Prince..
..and placed the future of Hastinapur in the hands of a son..
..who's yet unborn..
..and about whom no one knows whether he'll be worthy or not.
By this act I've gravely insulted my ancestors, Son.
I've gravely insulted.
Don't burden your heart, King.
Don't burden it.
Had you ordered me to take the oath..
..you could have blamed yourself.
But this oath was of my own doing and so will be the result.
Only mine, Sire.
I swore this oath, Sire..
..because fathers always sacrifice themselves for their sons.
So, why shouldn't a son do the same?
Your happiness means a lot to me.
You're more valuable to me than Hastinapur's throne.
Even then, Son..
What, Father?
What happens if your brother..
..isn't worthy of the throne?
In that case, I'll repeat the assurance, I gave Hastinapur.
That all my life I shall serve and protect..
..the throne of Hastinapur..
..and till it's secure from all dangers..
..and no longer in need of my services..
..I shall not allow death to claim me.
A son like you..
..is a blessing on earth as well as heaven.
May I make a request, Father?
Sure.
A king should never be lonely or sad..
..because if his mind strays then so will the nation..
..because it's the king who leads the nation.
I'm honoured by your coming here.
Why didn't you send for me?
Even Lord Brihaspati will be honoured to be..
..the sage of a family in which you're born.
So what if I've come?
Even the Gods will come here some day.
To see if I've fulfilled my duty to Hastinapur?
Or to see the unvanquished Bheeshma defeated by his love for his father?
Do not go contrary to your fate, Prince.
You're a man of action.
Do your duty.
Who knows for what future the present is preparing you.
Now you're leaving, too.
I'd come to you, when I had a problem..
..and with your help, I used to resolve it.
Where will I go now?
That's why I've brought Kripacharya.
I want you to accept him as the royal priest after I leave.
He's the son of Sage Shardavan..
..and my disciple and under the king's protection.
I cannot break the king's silence and reach out to him.
So look after your father's ward..
..and give him your protection..
A sage requires no protection..
..but your order will be obeyed.
Please accept me as your friend, Oh, sage!
You had a sister, too?
Yes. Kripi!
- She's married now. - To whom?
Dronacharya.
So, Dronacharya is now our relative.
If I would be young, I'd learn archery from him.
You're being modest, Prince.
No, Sage.
The one who holds Brahma's weapon is to be respected.
I'm honoured to be living in his era.
We're all honoured to be living in yours.
Being a Brahmin, you cannot ask for a blessing..
..but you can give him one.
There's no need for that, Guru.
He's been blessed by God himself.
What blessing should I give you, Prince?
Bless me so that I'm able to pierce my father's silence..
..which even the sage couldn't do.
Father's silence, is like an eagle..
..pecking away at Hastinapur with its beak.
'Two moons rose in Hastinapur.'
'Satyavati gave birth to two sons.'
'Chitrangada and Vichitravirya.'
'But instead of being happy Shantanu became even more depressed.'
'So depressed was he..'
'..that it engulfed the entire palace.'
"The mind is saddened by the turn of events."
"The mind cannot forget the guilt it accepts."
"The guilt it accepts."
What's the matter, beloved?
What's wrong?
When I try to weigh our happiness the joy of having you..
..you as a husband and being your wife..
..and our children..
..and in another one against the injustice..
..done to Bheeshma, I find..
..that my happiness vanishes..
..and I start crying.
I'd heard that crying lightens the heart.
But my tears..
But my tears cannot lighten my heart, son of Arya.
It isn't that..
..that, I don't love my sons Chitrangada and Vichitravirya..
..but my kisses turn to ashes..
..when I'm reminded of Bheeshma and the injustice done to him.
This wound will not heal easily, son of Arya.
Why do you blame yourself, beloved?
I'm the one to blame..
..for having staked the country's future for my love.
I'll have to face my ancestors.
No.
You're not to be blamed.
You had infact told my father..
..that his condition was unacceptable.
But I allowed Bheeshma..
..to cajole and coax me into accepting his oath.
I could have told him that I didn't want..
..any peace of mind at that price.
But I did nothing of the kind.
You were there, too, beloved.
You tell me.
Did I ever tell him..
..that I didn't want Satyavati or my peace of mind at this price?
That I wanted nothing?
In spite of this I granted him a boon.
Go, Son and live this dreary life for as long as you want.
That makes us both to blame.
Just think, son of Arya thanks to God..
..we're blessed with the lunar race's princes, but..
..the darkness in my heart seems to have no end.
The darkness goes on increasing.
Satyavati, I fear the same darkness.
Fear?
Why do you fear?
Whom do you fear?
Sometimes I fear our present..
..and sometimes for Hastinapur's future.
Son of Arya..
..let's both go to Bheeshma and tell him..
..to break the oath he made.
Beloved.
That means you've not understood your Bheeshma till now.
He and his oath are like a bond between God and devotee.
Our punishment is to continue our hellish marital life.
We can't do anything other than accepting the fact.
We can't do anything.
Yes, son of Arya.
This would be our devotion..
..and this would be our penance.
Beloved, I'm exhausted.
I'm broken.
This Shantanu, who gave the death wish to Bheeshma..
..whom should I ask for my death today?
Whom should I ask?
'The darkness in Shantanu's heart was so dark..'
'..that it enveloped the whole palace and made Shantanu bedridden.'
'He couldn't say anything.'
'Only his eyes spoke bidding a final farewell to Satyavati.'
'He died after giving Bheeshma the responsibility..'
'..of Chitrangada and Vichitravirya.'
"He was longing.."
"..for death."
"The flowers on the pyre were burnt down to ashes."