Mahabharata Episode 2: Amba’s Plight

The Stories of Mahabharata, Retold by Shudipta Bhamik Welcome dear friends to another episode of The Stories of Mahabharata. During the last episode, we heard the story of the birth of Devabrata. We also heard of Devabrata's terrible vow that gave him the name of Bhishma. After the marriage, King Shantanu and Satyavati settled down in the palace and enjoyed their conjugal life, while Bhishma was busy fighting wars and defending the kingdom from the invaders. In due course of time, Satyavati gave birth to two boys, Chitrangad, followed by Vichitravirya. Chitrangad grew up to be handsome young prince and soon joined his brother Bhishma in the battlefield. But in one of the battles, Chitrangad lost his life. The pain of losing Chitrangad was too much for Shantanu to bear. Besides, he was suffering from health problems and soon, he too died. Vichitravirya was still a small child, but he had to be crowned as the king of Hastinapur since Bhishma had promised to never ascend the throne. Bhishma took up the responsibility of looking after the day-to-day affairs of the kingdom on behalf of his young brother. When Vichitravirya came of age, his mother Satyavati began to think about his marriage. She summoned Bhishma and said, "My dear Devabrata, you have taken the vow of celibacy and relieved yourself of the responsibility to preserve the Kuru lineage." Chitrangad also left us without leaving an ear. "I am worried. What if something happens to Vichitravirya? I think we should get Vichitravirya married soon." Devabrata said, "Mother, I understand your concern. But finding a bride worthy of becoming the queen of Hastinapur is not easy. She must not only be of royal heritage, but must also be of unparalleled beauty. Let me engage our spies and the royal matchmakers to see what they can come up with." Soon the spies came back with the news that made Bhishma quite upset. The king of Kashi had three beautiful daughters, Amba, Ambika and Ambalika. It was told that their beauty even surpassed the absurdes of the heavens. Men could only dream of having such beauties as their bride. The spies said that the king of Kashi has arranged for a samvara for his three daughters. A samvara is an event where a girl could select her husband from a lineup of eligible men using any criteria she preferred. The spies also reported that the Kashi king has invited all the major kings and princes to the samvara, but skipped the Kuru's. Bhishma felt this was an outright insult to the Kuru dynasty. Although there was some animosity between Kashi and Hastinapur, but who could dare not invite the mighty Kuru's? Besides marriage was the best means to build alliances and friendship. Bhishma decided, even though not invited, he would attend the samvara and bring the three princesses to Hastinapur by force. This was an accepted Shaktir tradition and he would exercise his rights as a Shatriya and teach the king of Kashi a good lesson. On the day of the samvara, Bhishma arrived in Kashi on his golden chariot. As he stepped into the samvara hall, the invited kings were surprised to see him. They knew Bhishma had vowed never to marry, then why is he here? Was the Kashi princesses so attractive that even Bhishma had to break his promise? The king of Kashi was surprised too. It was not customary to attend a samvara without an invitation and the king made sure that the Kuru's were not on the inviting list. Soon the three princesses, Amba, Ambika and Nambalika, entered the hall and all attention shifted towards them. The invited kings and princesses were awestruck by their beauty. The three maidens began their walk around the hall, glancing swiftly at the suitors while the men held on to their breath with expectation. Suddenly Bhishma stepped in front of Amba, Ambika and Nambalika. He looked at the girls and said, "I am Bhishma of the Kuru dynasty. I am here on behalf of my brother Vichitravirya. I want to take you to Hastinapur. So come with me in peace. Else, I'll take you by force." Then he looked at the king of Kashi and said, "O king, you have insulted the Kuru dynasty by not inviting my brother Vichitravirya to your samvara. As per the Shatriya traditions, I am taking them with me by force. Stop me if you can." The kings and princesses in the hall shouted out in protest, "You cannot do this, Bhishma. We will not let you get away with the princesses." Bhishma didn't pay any attention to the shouts. He held the hands of the three princesses in a firm grip and took them to his chariot. The king of Kashi was startled at first. When he saw Bhishma living the hall with his daughters, he came back to his senses. He shouted at his guards, "Stop him! Stop Bhishma!" The guards ran after Bhishma. The Kashi king shouted at the guests, "What are you doing here? Go! Stop Bhishma! How dare he steal my daughters right in front of your eyes!" The guests picked up their weapons and ran after Bhishma. By then, Bhishma was already on his chariot with the princess. He picked up his bow and told his charioteer, "Let's go, now!" And his chariot left the grounds, leaving a cloud of dust behind. The Kashi guards and warriors mounted their chariots to chase Bhishma. The fired arrows of Bhishma, but Bhishma deflected them all and began his ferocious counter-attack. Soon they realized they were no match for Bhishma and gave up. Only Prince Salwa kept on chasing. He was determined to get back the princesses. But Bhishma broke his bow, destroyed his chariot, killed his horses and left him humiliated in the middle of nowhere. Soon Bhishma's chariot arrived at the palace of Hastinapur. He escorted the princesses to Satyavati and said, "Mother, here are the Kashi princesses, Amba, Ambika and Ambalika. Please accept them as Vichitravirya's bride." Satyavati was delighted to see the beautiful princesses. She called Vichitravirya. Vichitravirya was ecstatic to see them too. It was beyond his expectation. But before he or Satyavati could say anything, Amba, the oldest of the three sisters, spoke. "Oh, Queen Mother, if you'd permit, I'd like to say something." Satyavati said, "Sure, Amba. Tell me, what do you have to say?" Amba said, "Mother, I chose Prince Salwa as my husband. We are in love with each other for a long time. Today, at the Samvara, I had planned to garland him as my husband. So, as per the traditions, I belong to Salwa. I thought I should let you know of this before you decide on anything." Bhishma thought, "Well, that was the reason Salwa was adamant on trying to stop him from taking Amba." He felt ashamed. Satyavati said, "Amba, I'm glad you mentioned this to me. Yes, of course, you belong to Salwa, and you must go back to Salwa." Devabrata, please make all the arrangements to send Amba back to Salwa with proper honour. Make sure she is treated with care and respect. Bhishma arranged for a nice and comfortable chariot and a dozen armed guards to escort her. He instructed the charioteer to take Amba to Salwa with care. Then he turned to Amba and said, "Amba, please accept my apology. If I had known about your relationship with Salwa, I would have never brought you here. Go back to Salwa and forgive me if you can." But when Amba entered Salwa's palace, she didn't receive a warm welcome at all. She was made to wait in a private chamber. After several hours, Salwa came to meet her. He asked, "Amba, what brings you here?" Amba was surprised to hear his cold voice. "I am back, Salwa. I have come back to you." Salwa looked the other way and said, "You shouldn't have. Bhishma has won you at the Samvara, and I couldn't stop him. You belong to Bhishma, not me." Amba couldn't believe her ears. "Salwa, you are asking me to go back? You know Bhishma's vow. He would never marry me. How can I go back to him?" "Besides, I love you, Salwa. I have always considered you as my husband, and that's why Bhishma sent me back to you." "So did the Queen Mother Satyavati. You cannot do this to me now." But Salwa didn't budge. "I am sorry, Amba. I cannot accept you. Please go away." Salwa didn't bother to listen to Amba anymore. He left the room. Amba was stunned. She didn't know what to do. She walked off to the palace and asked the charioteer to take her to Kashi to her father. But her father also refused to accept her. "Amba, you do not belong here anymore. You belong to the Kurus. Go back to them." Humiliated and enraged, Amba went back to Hastinapur. Bhishma was busy making arrangements for his brother's marriage. So when he saw Amba, he was surprised to say the least. "Amba, what happened? Why did you come back?" Amba said, "Bhishma, Salwa sent me back to you. Do you know why?" "No, I don't," replied Bhishma. "Because you have won me from him. Because you brought me to Hastinapur by defeating my father and by defeating Salwa." "Bhishma, you must marry me. How can I marry you? You know I vowed not to marry ever in my life." Amba looked straight at his face and said, "I don't care. You are responsible for my situation. So you must suffer the consequences. You must marry me now." Bhishma said, "That's not possible. Let me ask Vijitravirya if he wants to marry you." Bhishma went to Vijitravirya and asked him. But he refused. He said, "Brother, I cannot marry a woman who has already accepted another man as her husband." Bhishma went back to Amba with the bad news. He said, "Amba, I am sorry. I cannot help you. I suggest you go back to your father in Kashi." Amba was furious. "Don't you think I tried it already? My father refused to take me. My lover rejected me all because of you. I won't leave you. You must accept me as your wife." But Bhishma was firm in his resolve. He said, "Amba, I sympathize with you. But please don't ask me to do the impossible. I cannot break my vow. Please forgive me." Amba said, "Then what am I supposed to do now? Tell me. What should I do?" Bhishma was at a loss for words. He could only say, "I don't know." Amba was seething in anger. With bloodshed eyes, she said, "People say you are the bravest and the most gallant warrior of all. I say you are a coward. You have shunned your responsibility under the garb of your ridiculous vow. But you will pay for this dearly. You will die for this injustice. I will kill you, Bhishma." "You cannot kill me, Amba," Bhishma said with a faint smile, which smirked of arrogance. "Nobody can kill me unless I wish to die." Amba looked at him with deep hatred in her eyes. "But I will. I will find a way to kill you. You can be sure of that." Till then, you just wait. Amba turned around and walked out of the palace doors. As Bhishma watched her leave, he muttered, "I will wait, Amba. I will wait for you." With great pomp and grandeur, Vijitravirya got married to Ambika and Ambalika. But their married life was cut short by the sudden death of Vijitravirya. Satya Vati was grief-stricken. Not only she was saddened by her son's death, but she was also worried about the future of the Kuru dynasty. Vijitravirya did not leave a son who could bear the torch of the Kuru legacy. Is this the end of the Kuru lineage? In those days, if a husband didn't have the ability to produce a child, it was acceptable to use the services of a virile man to impregnate the wife. The man could be from the family or of a noble origin like a Brahmin. This practice was known as Niyoga. Satya Vati thought if the Kuru dynasty had to be preserved, she had no other option than to invoke the practice of Niyoga. She called Bhishma and said, "My son, the fate of the Kuru dynasty now lies in your hand. I would like you to use the practice of Niyoga and father a son of Amba and Ambalika." Bhishma was shocked. "Mother, how could you say such a thing? You know of my vow?" Satya Vati said, "I know, my son. But difficult times call for difficult measures. The fate of our Kuru dynasty is in jeopardy. We cannot let the lineage tie with us. You must break your promise for the sake of your race, of your ancestors' legacy." But Bhishma was adamant. "Forgive me, mother," he said. "I can never break my promise. You will have to find some other option." Satya Vati was desperate. "What other option? Tell me, tell me if you have any better idea." Bhishma thought for a while and then said, "Why don't you ask brother Vyasa to do the job? He is your son. Hence, belongs to the family. Besides, he is the most learned and the wisest person we know of. I can think of no better person to help us in this crisis." Satya Vati liked the proposal. She summoned Vyasa. Vyasa appeared before her and said, "Mother, I am glad to see you after so long. Please tell me, what can I do for you?" Satya Vati explained her predicament and asked Vyasa to father a child of Ambika. Vyasa said, "Mother, I understand your situation and I will do whatever you ask me. But do you think your daughter-in-law Ambika would agree to this proposal?" Vyasa had a reason to ask this question. Although he was respected by everybody, even the gods, but he was an ugly and grotesque looking man. He never cared for his looks and was always covered in dirt and filth and smelled awful. No woman would dare to come close to him. But Satya Vati comforted him. Don't worry about that. She is aware of the crisis and would do her best to keep the Kuru lineage alive. "You just go and wait in your bedroom. I'll send Ambika to you." Vyasa said, "So be it." Satya Vati went to Ambika and told her about the plan. Ambika didn't object to the idea of having a child of a Rishi. But when she heard of Vyasa, she was scared. She had heard of Vyasa's grotesque ugly looks and shuddered at the thought of sleeping with him. Besides, she was aware that the Rishi had a very short temper and if he was not satisfied, he could punish her with a horrible curse. But Satya Vati was insistent and she had to agree. Satya Vati asked the maids to dress Ambika in her best clothes and jewellery. And when she was ready, Satya Vati took Ambika to Vyasa's bedroom and closed the door. Ambika was so scared that she kept her eyes closed. Vyasa got up from his bed and pulled Ambika close to him. But Ambika didn't open her eyes for a single moment the whole night. The next morning, Vyasa went to Satya Vati and said, "Mother, I have obeyed your command. Ambika will have a strong and handsome son, but you'd be born blind." Satya Vati was shocked. "How could a blind man be the king?" she asked. "You must give us a normal, healthy child. Go back to your bedroom. I will send Ambalika. You must give her a son." Vyasa agreed. Satya Vati went to Ambalika and told her, "Ambalika, I want you to give the Kuru dynasty a son from Vyasa. Go to him, but do not keep your eyes closed." Ambalika was scared too. When she entered Vyasa's room, she forced herself to keep her eyes open. But she was so afraid that blood drained off her face. Her face turned pale as Vyasa pulled her to his chest. The next morning, Vyasa met Satya Vati and said, "Mother, Ambalika's son won't be blind, but he would be pale and frail looking. But don't worry, he will be strong and powerful." Saying so, Vyasa left Hastinapur. In due course of time, Ambika gave birth to a blind boy. He was named Dhritarashtra. Few days later, Ambalika gave birth to a pale looking boy, just as Vyasa had predicted. He was named Pandu. But Satya Vati was not happy. She wanted a handsome grandson without any physical blemish. So she called Vyasa again and asked Ambalika to go to his bedroom and have another son of him. But Ambalika didn't want to face Vyasa again. So she dressed up her pretty maid in nice clothes and jewellery, put a lot of makeup on her and then sent her to Vyasa's chamber. The maid was not afraid of Vyasa. She greeted him with due respect and accepted him with love and dignity. Vyasa was very pleased. He told the maid, "You will have a great son, a son who would be the wisest and the most learned of the princes." In due course of time, the maid gave birth to a beautiful little boy, perfect in all respects. He was named Vidura. Tritrashtra, Pandu and Vidura grew up together in the palace of Hastinapur. Tritrashtra, though blind, was very strong and became skilled in using many weapons. Pandu grew up to become a great archer. And Vidura grew up learning all the sacred texts and scriptures and was the most learned and wisest of all. Although Tritrashtra was the eldest of the three brothers, he couldn't become the king because of his blindness. So Pandu was installed as the king of Hastinapur. Vidura, the son of the maid, was appointed as the prime minister. Pandu proved to be a great ruler. He conquered many kingdoms and expanded the Kuru rule far and wide. He amassed huge amounts of wealth from the vanquished kings and became the richest ruler of the land. The people of Hastinapur were pleased to have a ruler like Pandu who took good care of them. Soon, Pandu was declared to be the best ruler the Kuru dynasty ever had. The stories of Mahabharata is written directed and told by Shudip Tabamik. Audio engineering, original music and sound design by Avi Ziv. Find us online at facebook.com/MahabharataPodcast. Join the group for updates and news. Subscribe to the podcast using iTunes or any other podcast catcher. On Twitter we are @Mahabharataudio. The podcast is distributed under the Creative Commons Non-Commercial License. And now for some late-breaking news, the podcast is also available as a book, Dvaparakata, The Stories of Mahabharata, published by Harper Collins India. [BLANK_AUDIO]