Amba’s plight
by Akshay Mohan & Aneri Parkih
In today's class we learned about the
fierce determination and perseverance shown by Amba despite all the trials and
tribulations she faced. Her troubles start when Bhishma takes the three princesses of Kashi Raja by force
from their Swayamvara, not knowing that Amba, one of the daughters, has already
decided to marry King Salva. As soon as Bhishma
comes to know about Amba’s secret desire, he sends her to Salva. However only disappointment awaits Amba; King Salva harshly rejects her as
his pride has been deeply wounded by Bhishma. Full of desperation, she goes
back to Bhishma who tries to convince Vichitravirya to marry her. Unfortunately
for Amba, Vichitraveerya also rejects her as he does not want to take a woman
that is in love with another man.
Amba spends the next six years
in grief and develops bitter hatred towards Bhishma with a firm conviction that
he is the cause of all her misfortunes. Seeking revenge, she then goes into a
period of meditation and prays to Lord Subramanya. Pleased with her devotion, he
gives her a garland of ever-fresh lotuses and tells her that the wearer of the
garland will slay Bhishma. Amba seeks help from several warriors who all
decline her request in fear of Bhishma. Amba
looks for any king or kshatriya to wear the garland so that he could kill
Bhishma. No one accepts the garland for
no one dares to challenge Bhishma in a combat. Amba finally goes to Panchala, the 2nd strongest kingdom in India, and asks King Drupada to fight Bhishma. When King Drupada too declines her plea, Amba hangs the garland on the palace gates and leaves in total despair. At the suggestion of some ascetics, she asks Sage Parasurama to seek revenge on Bhishma. Sage Parasurama also loses to the mighty Bhishma in a prolonged combat. Amba, full of rage and hatred, goes to the Himalayas and prays to Lord Shiva who grants her a boon that in her next birth she would be the cause of Bhishma’s death. Impatient for revenge, Amba ends her life by throwing herself into the fire.
In Amba's next birth, she is
born as King Drupada's daughter. One day when Amba goes outside and sees the
lotus garland hanging on the palace gates, she boldly wears it around her neck.
Her father does not want to incur the wrath of Bhishma. So he banishes Amba
from his kingdom. Amba then goes into the forest, and through severe
austerities converts herself into a man named Sikhandin.
Back in Hastinapura, Vichitraveerya
develops a fatal illness and dies before having any children, leaving the
kingdom with no heir. Faced with this difficult situation, Satyavati resorts to
a unique method of continuing the lineage. When a kingdom is left without an
heir, sons could be obtained from a Mahapurusha. She remembers that she had a
first child named Vyasa with Sage Parasara when she was still a maiden. She
calls upon him and seeks his help to continue the lineage of Hastinapura.
Satyavati convinces the princesses
to go into the sage’s chambers to serve him with devotion. When Ambika sees
Sage Vyasa with his white flowing beard and ascetic attire, she is so
intimidated by his presence that she closes her eyes. This causes the son born
to her, Dhritarashtra to be blind. When Ambika sees Sage Vyasa she is so scared
that she turns pale. Thus, her child Pandu turns out to be pale. When Satyavati
asks Ambika to go into Sage Vyasa’s chambers, she secretly sends her maid
instead. The maid remains calm and serves Sage Vyasa with great devotion. So
her child Vidura becomes the wisest and noblest of all the sons.
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