Shikhandi, the transgender in the Mahabharata, was the cause
of Bhishma’s death. The reason for birth of Amba as Shikhandi was to defeat the
invincible warrior, Bhishma. The story of Shikhandi’s half-woman, half-man
persona is found in the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata.
Amba was the eldest daughter of the King of Kashi. She along
with two of her sisters were forcibly be taken away by Bhishma from the
Swayamvara to be the wives of King Vichitravirya. But on the day when the
marriage was to be performed Amba informed Bhishma that she had given her mind
to King of Shalva and she be sent to him.
On realizing the mistake, Bhishma sent her to the King of Salwa. But the King of Shalva was not ready to accept a woman who had entered the home of another person.
On realizing the mistake, Bhishma sent her to the King of Salwa. But the King of Shalva was not ready to accept a woman who had entered the home of another person.
Amba had now nowhere to go. Bhishma would not marry her as
he had taken the vow of celibacy. King Vichitravirya would not accept her as he
was in love with someone else.
Determined to avenge her humiliation, she searched for a
warrior who would stand against Bhishma. But all the warriors declined to help
Amba saying that Bhishma was invincible.
She then took the help of warrior-sage Parashurama. He
challenged Bhishma to a duel but it was impossible to kill Bhishma. The fight
had to be stopped as both had the power to release weapons that could destroy
the world.
Amba then performed intense austerities and compelled Lord Shiva
to appear before her. Shiva gave her the boon that she would be the cause of
Bhishma’s death in her next life.
To hasten Bhishma’s death, Amba killed herself by jumping
into fire.
In her next birth, Amba was born in the palace of Drupada,
the king of Panchala. She was named Shikhandi, although born as a woman; she
was raised as a man. Shikhandi’s effeminate qualities made Bhishma to lower his
weapons in the Kurukshetra battle. Arjuna exploited this weakness of Bhishma
and shot arrows at him.
Thus Shikhandi was the reason behind the fall of Bhishma.