When Vicitravirya was coming of age, Bhishma and Satyavati began to think about his eventual marriage.
They learned that the three beautiful and virtuous princesses of Kashi, Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika had reached the right age for marriage and that the king, their father, intended to consider the proposals put forward by the numerous contending princes. In those days the princesses used to choose their spouses among the bravest, and for this purpose tournaments called svayamvara were organized.
After extensively discussing it with Satyavati, Bhishma decided to go to Kashi replacing Vicitravirya to conquer the princesses.
Bhishma entered the arena of the capital of Kashi when the tournament was about to begin. When the famous warrior appeared there was a loud murmur of surprise.
“Could it be that Ganga’s son has been captivated by the beauty of the three young women and decided to abandon his vow of celibacy? I see no other reason why he is here today,” somebody said.
“There is no other explanation for his hasty and unannounced arrival at this tournament, where his mastery in the use of weapons will certainly give him the victory,” added someone.
But still others seemed to guess the truth.
“No, we don’t believe it. Bhishma would never betray his vow. Rather, he will want to get the princesses for the young Vicitravirya, who is still too weak and inexperienced to hope for a victory against such valiant knights.”
What is certain is that the arrival of the warrior of divine origins had caused a certain amazement.
Kashiraja offered him respectful greetings, providing him with the opportunity to explain to everyone the reason for his presence. After hearing his real reasons, the suitors were very annoyed, as they saw all probability of conquering the beautiful princesses vanish. Anger seized many of them, and they allied against Bhishma, who, not feeling at all intimidated, well honored his reputation as an invincible fighter, facing hundreds of opponents alone.
After defeating all the princes present, he forcibly put the princesses on the war chariot and took them away with him.
As the chariot sped towards Hastinapura, Amba, the eldest daughter, begged him to leave her because she loved a prince named Shalva. But, as he listened to the young lady, Bhishma saw in the distance Shalva’s chariot approaching at great speed. He then stopped determined to fight against anyone who dared to challenge him. Without hearing Amba’s pleas, Bhishma confronted and defeated the valiant prince, whom however, he spared his life.
They arrived in Hastinapura.
When she was in front of Vicitravirya, Amba said:
“The moment I was taken, I begged Bhishma not to bring me here because I will never be able to love any man but Prince Shalva. So, I ask you to let me free.”
“Dear girl,” replied the kind Vicitravirya, “if your heart belongs to someone else and you want to live with him and not with me, you are free to go. I will never be with with a woman who doesn’t love me.”
Amba thanked him heartily and, escorted by the Kurava soldiers, went to Shalva.
“For a long time,” she told him as soon as she arrived, “we wanted to live together and love each other, and when Bhishma, in the svayamvara, took me and dragged me into his chariot, I lost all hope. But Vicitravirya set me free. Now we can get married.”
“Dear Amba,” Shalva replied, “you know how much I’ve loved you, and you can imagine how much it costs me to say these words to you now, but I would not marry a woman who has seen me be defeated and humiliated in combat, even though being defeated by Bhishma is not dishonorable. I’m sorry, but I can’t accept you. “
Amba tried to persuade him with every argument, but failed.
Thus, abandoned by the man she loved, she returned to Vicitravirya, asking him for protection. But he refused.
“I can’t marry a woman whose heart belongs to someone else,” he said.
Amba was desperate. What could she do now? Who could she go to? The normal dreams of a girl her age of having a family, a home, and children had been shattered. In those days, in fact, no one would ever have married a woman who had had such a story.
Finally, she remembered who had caused her misfortunes. Then, she went to Bhishma.
“When you grabbed me by the arm,” she told him, “and you forced me to get on the chariot, I begged you to let me free; I told you about my love for Shalva and the fact that I didn’t want to marry anyone else, but in the heat of the situation, you did not listen to me and so, you ruined my life. What will become of me? Nobody will want me anymore. Your duty is now to make up for the mistake made. You must accept me as a wife and give me what is given to all young women my age.”
“But you know about my vow of celibacy,” Bhishma said stiffeningly. “I can’t get married. I’m sorry for everything that happened, it wasn’t my intention to hurt you. In the clamor of the battle I didn’t hear your words, otherwise I wouldn’t have taken you away with your sisters. Forgive me, but I don’t know how to make up for my mistake. I cannot marry you. I will never be able to break a vow taken with such solemnity.”
Amba became furious. She begged him and threatened him, but there was nothing to be done. Bhishma was firm in his decision, so the unfortunate princess came out of the hall uttering threats against him.
Amba began to travel, asking the most famous and powerful kings of the time to avenge her, to challenge and kill Bhishma for her, but she found no one who was willing to face the invincible son of Ganga. Only Parasurama tried to console her and even clashed with Bhishma, but in the end, he had to give up that purpose. Bhishma was too strong.
Parasurama’s defeat was a terrible disappointment for Amba. Even he hadn’t been able to give her the only thing she wanted from life, which for her had become hell. Not only had no one wanted to give her a family, but no one wanted or could get her revenge. Thus, she decided to retire to the forest and become an ascetic.
For many years she endured severe austerities to propitiate the god Subrahmanya, who eventually appeared to her. He handed her a garland, and told her:
“My unfortunate girl, take this garland of flowers; know that whoever wears it will become Bhishma’s sworn enemy.”
Then, Amba resumed traveling through the numerous kingdoms, but the same thing was repeated; despite the divine provenance, no one wanted to wear the garland. Desperate and deprived of all hope, Amba hung it on a nail outside the gates of the capital of king Drupada.
Then, she returned to the forest and immolated herself in a great fire.
Amba would later be reborn as Shikhandi, the daughter of Maharaja Drupada. She would become Bhishma’s declared enemy and would strongly contribute to his death.
This is a section of the book “Maha-bharata, Vol. 1”.
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