| KURUKSHETRA DAY - 10 On the tenth day the Pandavs, unable to withstand Bhishma's prowess, decided to put Shikhandi in front of Bhishma, as Bhishma has taken a vow not to attack Shikhandi as he was once a woman, Shikhandi's arrows fell on Bhishma without hindrance. Arjun positioned himself behind Shikhandi, thus protecting himself from Bhishma's attack, aimed his arrows at the weak points on Bhishma's armour. Soon with arrows sticking from every part of his body, the great warrior fell from his chariot. His body did not touch the ground held aloft by the arrowheads from his body. Both the Kauravs and Pandavs gathered around him. On Bhishma's request Arjun placed three arrows under Bhisma's head to support it. Bhishma had promised his father King Shantanu that he will live till Hastinapur is secured from all directions. Hence to keep his promise he used the boon given by his father to him of 'self wished death', and after the war was over, when Hastinapur became safe from all sides and after giving lessons on politics and Vishnu Sahasranam to Pandavs, he died on the first day of Uttarayana.
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