A Woman Scorned

महाभरत

Mahābharata

As retold by

Michael Dolan, B.V. Mahāyogi

Amba Swears Revenge

"Do your worst to stop me!"

I passed through rivers, forests, hills, and trees, and arrived in fair Hastinapura at the court of Vichitravirya with those three virgins, the daughters of the King of Kashi, who shrank from me in fear. I was covered in my own sweat and the blood of the princes who had died contesting their hands.   

"And, just as a tiger takes an antelope, I stole the daughters of the King of Kashi for my brother, the gentle Vichitravirya, the boy prince. 

A boy prince of India

 In this way those three fair maidens, Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika were taken by me to the court of Kings. 

Three Sisters

They stayed in the apartments of my step-mother, the queen Satyavati. They were all betrothed to my brother, the gentle Vichitravirya that he might have wives and beget heirs. After I rested from the battle for a fortnight, I consulted with Satyavati, my father’s widow, who was pleased with me and smiled and told me how all the arrangements for the wedding had been made.

            Now just before the nuptial sacrifice was to take place, I was approached in private by Amba, the eldest daughter of the King of Kashi. She smiled at me and penetrated my heart with the warmth of her eyes. She told me confidentially, “Oh tiger among men. Please listen to my pleas. You must know that before the Swayamvara ceremony of King Kashi, I had fallen in love with King Shalva. He in turn loved me. I was to marry him, and my father had also approved. I was to select him at the Swayamvara ceremony in Kashi. Now you have carried me away,  your Lord Vichitravirya can be very happy with two wives. My sisters can provide him with all the heirs the family of Bharata needs to continue the royal line.

            “Spare me, O great one.” She said.  “Let me return to the house of Kashi. Allow me to marry with the king of Shalva, your rival at the Swayamvara and fulfill my destiny. Please do as you wish, O Lord of the Bharatas. I am your humble servant.” Amba was fair and lovely. She was tall and comely with the complexion of molten gold. She had black, curly hair and fine hands decorated with henna and red fingernails. Her hips were round and full, and her proud breasts were full. She moved passionately as she spoke of her love for Shalva. She would have made a fine wife to Vichitravirya.

"Let me return to the house of Kashi"

Then again, perhaps Amba believed that after all, I would break my vow and make her my queen. As she was the eldest daughter of the King of Kashi and I was the eldest son of Shantanu, we would rule as King and Queen and her children would continue our dynasty. It was not to be. I am a man. I cannot tell you what my feelings were for Amba. She might have made a fine wife for me, Bhiṣma, the tiger among men. 

I had been cursed by my own mother, the goddess of the river Ganges, that never would I have my own dynasty. I had taken a terrible vow never to marry. I had vowed that I would always be the vassal of my brother Vichitravirya.  I sent Amba away and left her to her fate. She tried to return to Kashi, but her father would not take her back. She had been robbed and shamed, her chastity had been violated by having been taken violently. As for the King of Shaubha, he too refused her.  Amba swore her eternal revenge against me.