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Mahabharat Ep8: Ambas

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27 Aug 2015

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Sadhguru continues the tale after

Shantanu marries Satyavati, and looks
at how Bhishma creates an
unfortunate situation in trying to
secure the future of the Kuru clan.

Sadhguru: So, Shantanu took his sons life away, just

as Y ayati wanted his sons youth. Shantanu had two
children with Satyavati. The first one was known as
Chitrangada, the second was known as
Vichitraveerya. Chitrangada, an arrogant young man,
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went out one day into the forest. He encountered a

gandharva a being with extraordinary skills who
came from elsewhere who was also named
Chitrangada. When this gandharva asked the boy
Who are you?, he proudly said, I am Chitrangada.
The gandharva laughed and said, How dare you call
yourself Chitrangada? I am Chitrangada. Y ou better
change your name. This is my name. Y ou are unfit to
carry my name. The young prince stood up and said,
How dare you say that! It looks like youve lived too
long. Come, let us fight because my father has named
me Chitrangada and this is my name. They fought,
and in a moment the boy was dead.

The Strange Man

Now there was only one son left Vichitraveerya.
Vichitra means strange or distorted, veerya means
masculinity. He was a strange or distorted
masculinity. We dont know exactly what that means.
He was either unwilling to get a wife or incapable of
getting a wife. Getting a wife or getting a child isnt
something we should look at in todays context. It was
the most important thing at that time because being a
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king, the first concern is that they must have sons.

Otherwise, who would be next in the lineage? Every
day, they were going into battle. Whoever you may be,
you may get killed. If you get killed, did you have a
son or not was a very important aspect. That was why
they were always thinking about taking a wife and
having a son because if you didnt have a son, your
whole empire would go somewhere else.
Vichitraveerya was
unwilling to take a wife.
Bhishma was unwilling
to take a wife.
Chitrangada was dead.
So the Kuru dynasty
was at a standstill. In
this situation the king
of Kashi announced the
swayamvara of his
three daughters and
they did not send an
invitation to the Kuru
house. The Kuru
dynasty was the biggest
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Vichitraveerya
was unwilling
to take a
wife.
Bhishma was
unwilling to
take a wife.
Chitrangada
was dead. So
the Kuru

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dynasty was the biggest

and most respected in
the region but they did
not get an invitation
because the king of

the Kuru
dynasty was
at a
standstill.

Kashi did not want his

girls to be married to
Vichitraveerya, about whose masculinity there were
rumors. Bhishma could not take this affront because
he is committed to the Kuru dynasty above his own
wellbeing above anyones wellbeing. So he decided to
attend the swayamvara.

Bhishma Kidnaps Amba

A swayamvara meant a young woman was allowed to
choose her own destiny. When a princess had to
marry, they would set up a kind of an event where
anyone in the Kshatriya clan who thinks they are
eligible could attend, and the woman could choose her
husband. It was her choice. No one could intervene.
All three daughters of the king of Kashi Amba,
Ambika and Ambalika had come to the
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swayamvara at once. Amba was already in love with

the king of Shalva whose name was Salva, and she
was to choose him. The simple way of indicating her
choice was that the woman would be given a garland,
and she would look around at all the men and when
she chose one man, she garlanded him and that man
became her husband. Amba went to Salva and
garlanded him.
Just then, Bhishma
walked in. The other
warriors sitting there
feared him because he
was a great warrior. At
the same time they
knew he had castrated
himself and he would
never marry. So they
taunted him, Why has

Vichitraveerya
married only
Ambika and
Ambalika. He
refused
Amba.

the old man come here

now? Is he looking for
a bride? Or does the Kuru clan not have a warrior who
can come and take a bride? Is that the reason he has
come? Bhishma flew into a rage that his nation and
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clan were being ridiculed. So he kidnapped all the

three girls and took them with him. The other
warriors gave battle but he defeated all of them. Salva
himself fought because his bride was being abducted,
but Bhishma defeated and humiliated him and took all
three girls away.
This is a change that has happened from previous
generations, where a woman could set conditions.
Now a woman was being grabbed and taken. Amba
was all teary-eyed. As they were journeying towards
Hastinapur, the capital city of the Kurus, Amba said,
What have you done? I was in love with this man
and I had already put my garland on him. He is my
husband. Y ou cant take me like this.
Bhishma replied, I have taken you. What I take
belongs to the Kurus. So she asked him, Will you
marry me? Bhishma said, No, you will marry
Vichitraveerya. But Vichitraveerya married only
Ambika and Ambalika. He refused Amba saying, She
placed the garland on someone else. She has given her
heart to someone. I will not marry this woman.
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Ambas Plight
Amba was completely confused, What am I supposed
to do now? Bhishma apologized to her and said, I
will arrange for you to be sent back to Salva. Amba
was quite happy with this and went back to Salva
but she was in for a shock. Salva refused her saying, I
am not here to take charity from somebody. I lost the
battle. The old beast defeated me and now he is trying
to give me a charity bride. I will not take you. Go
back.
Amba had now been
refused in both places.
She returned to
Hastinapur and insisted
that Bhishma marry
her, Y ouve destroyed
my life. Y ou took away
the man I love, you
brought me here
forcefully and the
person I am supposed
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Its 5000
years ago, a
princess
rejected
from
everywhere,
she cannot
go back to

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to marry will not marry

me. Y ou must marry
me. But Bhishma just
refused. My allegiance
is to my nation. I have
given my word that I
will not marry and
thats all.

go back to
her father,
she has no
husband.
Her man is
not taking
her back.

In total desolation,
Amba walked out. I
want you to imagine, its 5000 years ago, a princess
rejected from everywhere, she cannot go back to her
father, she has no husband. Her man is not taking her
back. She just went out not knowing where she is
going, in absolute desolation.

Editors Note: A version of this article was

originally published in Isha Forest Flower August
2015. Download as PDF on a name your price, no
minimum basis or subscribe to the print version.

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