So still, although so much affectionate, when the war was declared, Bhīṣmadeva took the side of Duryodhana. He did not take the side of Pāṇḍavas, although they were very affectionate, beloved. He replied that, "This side, Duryodhana, they are maintaining me. I am maintained by them. So I cannot go against them. That is not possible." Naturally, Bhīṣmadeva would have come to the side of Pāṇḍavas because very affectionate. But he said that "That is not possible, because I am maintained by them." This is the duty. If somebody maintains you, you must be very much grateful to him. These are the examples, Vedic culture. He is not maintained by anyone, but because he had no claim on the kingdom, he was thinking himself that, "I am dependent on this family."
Actually, the kingdom belonged to Bhīṣmadeva, the kingdom. But he promised . . . his father wanted to marry Satyavatī. At that time, his father was old enough . . . Bhīṣmadeva was grown-up boy, twenty, twenty-two years. But nature, his father wanted to marry again. Bhīṣmadeva is the son of Mother Ganges. Bhīṣmadeva's father married the predominating deity Mother Ganges, of the Ganges water. So she was very beautiful. So she agreed to marry Bhīṣmadeva's father on one condition. What is that condition? That all the children that will be begotten, they will be thrown in the Ganges water. This was the condition. If the king agreed, then she would marry.
So when a man becomes mad after woman . . . so he agreed, "Yes, I shall throw all the children. Never mind. (laughter) Come on." Māyā-mohita. Māyā-sukhāyā bharam udvahato vimūḍhān (SB 7.9.43). This whole world, rascal world, they are captivated by this woman. Woman is captivated by man, man is captivated by woman. This is the tie here in this material world. Puṁsaḥ striyā mithunī-bhāvam etam (SB 5.5.8). I have explained several times. The whole material existence means this attraction. (break) Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham (SB 7.9.45). There are so many instructory verses. Here sex enjoyment is the most prominent, and people are captivated by this. This is life.
So anyway, even the father of Bhīṣma, he was captivated. So this was the condition. So in this way, every child was being thrown in the Ganges water. So after all . . . Bhīṣmadeva's father became very mortified. So Bhīṣma, when Bhīṣma was going to be thrown in the water, he objected: "No, I cannot allow. I cannot allow." "Then I am going." "Now you can go. I shall keep this child." So Ganges, Mother Ganges, left Bhīṣma's father. And Bhīṣma was raised by his father. He became grown up. Again this father became captivated with Satyavatī. Satyavatī. Satyavatī, before her marriage . . . Satyavatī is the daughter of a fisherman. The fishermen . . . in your country there is no such distinction, but in our country there are classification. A fishermen, there is a class. So their girls and women, very well-figured, very enchanting figure.