According to Monier-Williams, the word Bhishma means "terrible", "horrible", "fearful", or "fierce". The word is also used to characterize Rudra, the furious god, and the Rakshasa. In the epic, Devavrata acquired this after making a severe or awful vow (Bhishma pratigya) and fulfilling it. Bhishma was given the name Devavrata at birth, which means devoted to Gods.Bhishma, the only surviving son of Ganga, was given various epithets that signify "son of Ganga" - Gangaputra , Gang , Gangasuta , and Gangeya . Gangadatta translates to "given by Ganga." Bhishma, also known as Pitamaha, Gangaputra, and Devavrata, is a key figure in the Mahabharata epic. He was the supreme commander of the Kaurava armies during the Kurukshetra War and watched the entire conflict. Born as Devavrata, he gave up his birthright for his father's happiness and vowed to live a life of celibacy. Bhishma fought in the Kurukshetra War, but was paraly