Bhishma further acted as a mediator in several internal disputes within the royal family, including the division of the Kuru kingdom between Duryodhana and Yudhishthira.Despite his personal adherence to dharma, his loyalty to the throne ultimately compelled him to side with the Kauravas during the Kurukshetra War.

In battle, Bhishma was unmatched in skill and strategy, holding off the Pandava forces for ten days. On the tenth day, however, the Pandava prince Arjuna,