In the epic Mahabharata, Devavrata also known as Gangaputra and Bhishma (Sanskrit: भीष्‍म) was well known for his grueling celibate pledge, the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu, who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king and grandfather of both the Pandavas and the Kauravas. He was an unparalleled archer and warrior of his time. He also handed down the Vishnu Sahasranama to Yudhishthira when he was on his death bed (of arrows) in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.He also belonged to the Sankriti Gotra.