4. AMBA AND BHISHMA:

4. AMBA AND BHISHMA:

-------------------------------------

CHITRANGADA, the son of Satyavati,

was killed in battle with a Gandharva. As

he died childless, his brother,

Vichitravirya, was the rightful heir and

was duly crowned king. And as he was a

minor, Bhishma governed the kingdom in

his name till be came of age.

When Vichitravirya reached adolescence

Bhishma cast about for a bride for him.

And as he heard that the daughters of the

king of Kasi were to choose theirhusbands

according to the ancient Kshatriya

practice he went there to secure them for

his brother.

The rulers of Kosla, Vanga, Pundra,

Kalinga and other princes and potentates

had also repaired to Kasi for the

swayamvara, attired in their best. The

princesses were so far-famed for beauty

and accomplishments that there was fierce

competition to win them.

Bhishma was famous among the

Kshatriyas as a mighty man-at-arms. At

first everyone thought that the redoubtable

hero had come merely to witness the

festivities of the swayamvara. But when

they found that he was also a suitor, the

young princes felt themselves let down

and were full of chagrin. They did not

know that he had really come for the sake

of his brother, Vichitravirya.

The princes began to cast affronts at

Bhishma: "This most excellent and wise

descendant of the Bharata race forgets that

he is too old and forgets also his vow of

celibacy. What has this old man to do with

this swayamvara? Fie on him!" The

princesses who were to choose their

husbands barely glanced at the old man

and looked away.

Bhishma's wrath flamed up. He

challenged the assembled princes to a trial

of their manhood and defeated them all.

And taking the three princesses in his

chariot he set out for Hastinapura.

But before he had gone far, Salva, the

king of the Saubala country who was

attached to Amba, intercepted and

opposed him. For that princess had

mentally chosen Salva as her husband.

After a bitter fight Salva was worsted, and

no wonder, as Bhishma was a peerless

bowman. But at the request of the

princesses Bhishma spared his life.

Arriving in Hastinapura with the

princesses, Bhishma made preparations

for their marriage to Vichitravirya. When

all were assembled for the marriage,

Amba smiled mockingly at Bhishma and

addressed him as follows: "O son of

Ganga, you are aware of what is enjoined

in the scriptures. I have mentally chosen

Salva, the king of Saubala, as my

husband. You have brought me here by

force. Knowing this, do what you, learned

in the scriptures, should do."

Bhishma admitted the force of her

objection and sent her to Salva with

proper escort. The marriage of Ambika

and Ambalika, the two younger sisters,

with Vichitravirya was duly solemnised.

Amba went rejoicing to Salva and told

him what had happened: "I have mentally

chosen you as my husband from the very

start. Bhishma has sent me to you. Marry

me according to the sastras."

Salva replied: "Bhishma defeated me in

sight of all, and carried you away. I have

been disgraced. So, I cannot receive you

now as my wife. Return to him and do as

he commands." With these words Salva

sent her back to Bhishma.

She returned to Hastinapura and told

Bhishma of what had taken place. The

grandsire tried to induce Vichitravirya to

marry her. But Vichitravirya roundly

refused to marry a maiden whose heart

had already been given to another.

Amba then turned to Bhishma and she

sought him to marry her himself as there

was no other recourse. It was impossible

for Bhishma to break his vow, sorry as he

was for Amba. And after some vain

attempts to make Vichitravirya change his

mind, he told her there was no way left to

her but to go again to Salva and seek to

persuade him.

This at first she was too proud to do, and

for long years she abode in Hastinapura.

Finally, in sheer desperation, she went to

Salva and found him adamant in refusal.

The lotus-eyed Amba spent six bitter

years in sorrow and baffled hope. And her

heart was seared with suffering and all the

sweetness in her turned to gall and fierce

hatred towards Bhishma as the cause of

her blighted life.

She sought in vain for a champion among

the princes to fight and kill Bhishma and

thus avenge her wrongs but even the

foremost warriors were afraid of Bhishma

and paid no heed to her appeal.

At last, she resorted to hard austerities to

get the grace of Lord Subrahmanya. He

graciously appeared before her and gave

her a garland of ever-fresh lotuses, saying

that the wearer of that garland would

become the enemy of Bhishma.

Amba took the garland and again be

sought every Kshatriya to accept the

garland gift of the six-faced Lord and to

champion her cause. But no one had the

hardihood to antagonise Bhishma.

Finally, she went to King Drupada who

also refused to grant her prayer. She then

hung the garland at Drupada's palace gate

and went away to the forest. Some

ascetics whom she met there and to whom

she told her sorrowful tale advised her to

go to Parasurama as a suppliant. She

followed their advice.

On hearing her sad story, Parasurama was

moved with compassion and said: "Dear

child, what do you want? I can ask Salva

to marry you if you wish it."

Amba said: "No, I do not wish it. I no

longer desire marriage or home or

happiness. There is now but one thing in

life for me, revenge on Bhishma. The only

boon I seek is the death of Bhishma."

Parasurama moved as much by her

anguish as by his abiding hatred of the

Kshatriya race, espoused her cause and

fought with Bhishma. It was a long and

equal combat between the two greatest

men-at-arms of the age. But in the end

Parasurama had to acknowledge defeat.

He told Amba: "I have done all that I

could and I have failed. Throw yourself

on the mercy of Bhishma. That is the only

course left to you."

Consumed with grief and rage, and kept

alive only by the passion for revenge,

Amba went to the Himalayas and

practised rigorous austerities to get the

grace of Siva, now that all human aid had

failed her. Siva appeared before her and

granted her a boon, that in her next birth

she would slay Bhishma.

Amba was impatient for that rebirth which

would give her heart's desire. She made a

pyre and plunged into the fire pouring out

the flame in her heart into the scarcely

hotter blaze of the pyre.

By the grace of Lord Siva, Amba was

born as the daughter of King Drupada. A

few years after her birth, she saw the

garland of never-fading flowers that still

hung at the palace gate and had remained

there untouched by anyone through fear.

She put it round her neck. Her father

Drupada was in consternation at her

temerity which he feared would draw on

his head the wrath of Bhishma.

He sent his daughter in exile out of the

capital to the forest. She practised

austerities in the forest and in time was

transformed into a male and became

known as the warrior Sikhandin.

With Sikhandin as his charioteer, Arjuna

attacked Bhishma on the battlefield of

Kurukshetra. Bhishma knew that

Sikhandin was born as female, and true to

his code of chivalry he would not fight

him under any circumstance.

So it was that Arjuna could fight screened

by Sikhandin and conquer Bhishma,

especially because Bhishma knew that his

long and weary probation on earth was

finished and consented to be vanquished.

As the arrows struck Bhishma in his last

fight, he singled out those which had

pierced him deepest and said: "This is

Arjuna's arrow and not Sikhandin's." So

fell this great warrior.

CHITRANGADA, the son of Satyavati,

was killed in battle with a Gandharva. As

he died childless, his brother,

Vichitravirya, was the rightful heir and

was duly crowned king. And as he was a

minor, Bhishma governed the kingdom in

his name till be came of age.

When Vichitravirya reached adolescence

Bhishma cast about for a bride for him.

And as he heard that the daughters of the

king of Kasi were to choose theirhusbands

according to the ancient Kshatriya

practice he went there to secure them for

his brother.

The rulers of Kosla, Vanga, Pundra,

Kalinga and other princes and potentates

had also repaired to Kasi for the

swayamvara, attired in their best. The

princesses were so far-famed for beauty

and accomplishments that there was fierce

competition to win them.

Bhishma was famous among the

Kshatriyas as a mighty man-at-arms. At

first everyone thought that the redoubtable

hero had come merely to witness the

festivities of the swayamvara. But when

they found that he was also a suitor, the

young princes felt themselves let down

and were full of chagrin. They did not

know that he had really come for the sake

of his brother, Vichitravirya.

The princes began to cast affronts at

Bhishma: "This most excellent and wise

descendant of the Bharata race forgets that

he is too old and forgets also his vow of

celibacy. What has this old man to do with

this swayamvara? Fie on him!" The

princesses who were to choose their

husbands barely glanced at the old man

and looked away.

Bhishma's wrath flamed up. He

challenged the assembled princes to a trial

of their manhood and defeated them all.

And taking the three princesses in his

chariot he set out for Hastinapura.

But before he had gone far, Salva, the

king of the Saubala country who was

attached to Amba, intercepted and

opposed him. For that princess had

mentally chosen Salva as her husband.

After a bitter fight Salva was worsted, and

no wonder, as Bhishma was a peerless

bowman. But at the request of the

princesses Bhishma spared his life.

Arriving in Hastinapura with the

princesses, Bhishma made preparations

for their marriage to Vichitravirya. When

all were assembled for the marriage,

Amba smiled mockingly at Bhishma and

addressed him as follows: "O son of

Ganga, you are aware of what is enjoined

in the scriptures. I have mentally chosen

Salva, the king of Saubala, as my

husband. You have brought me here by

force. Knowing this, do what you, learned

in the scriptures, should do."

Bhishma admitted the force of her

objection and sent her to Salva with

proper escort. The marriage of Ambika

and Ambalika, the two younger sisters,

with Vichitravirya was duly solemnised.

Amba went rejoicing to Salva and told

him what had happened: "I have mentally

chosen you as my husband from the very

start. Bhishma has sent me to you. Marry

me according to the sastras."

Salva replied: "Bhishma defeated me in

sight of all, and carried you away. I have

been disgraced. So, I cannot receive you

now as my wife. Return to him and do as

he commands." With these words Salva

sent her back to Bhishma.

She returned to Hastinapura and told

Bhishma of what had taken place. The

grandsire tried to induce Vichitravirya to

marry her. But Vichitravirya roundly

refused to marry a maiden whose heart

had already been given to another.

Amba then turned to Bhishma and she

sought him to marry her himself as there

was no other recourse. It was impossible

for Bhishma to break his vow, sorry as he

was for Amba. And after some vain

attempts to make Vichitravirya change his

mind, he told her there was no way left to

her but to go again to Salva and seek to

persuade him.

This at first she was too proud to do, and

for long years she abode in Hastinapura.

Finally, in sheer desperation, she went to

Salva and found him adamant in refusal.

The lotus-eyed Amba spent six bitter

years in sorrow and baffled hope. And her

heart was seared with suffering and all the

sweetness in her turned to gall and fierce

hatred towards Bhishma as the cause of

her blighted life.

She sought in vain for a champion among

the princes to fight and kill Bhishma and

thus avenge her wrongs but even the

foremost warriors were afraid of Bhishma

and paid no heed to her appeal.

At last, she resorted to hard austerities to

get the grace of Lord Subrahmanya. He

graciously appeared before her and gave

her a garland of ever-fresh lotuses, saying

that the wearer of that garland would

become the enemy of Bhishma.

Amba took the garland and again be

sought every Kshatriya to accept the

garland gift of the six-faced Lord and to

champion her cause. But no one had the

hardihood to antagonise Bhishma.

Finally, she went to King Drupada who

also refused to grant her prayer. She then

hung the garland at Drupada's palace gate

and went away to the forest. Some

ascetics whom she met there and to whom

she told her sorrowful tale advised her to

go to Parasurama as a suppliant. She

followed their advice.

On hearing her sad story, Parasurama was

moved with compassion and said: "Dear

child, what do you want? I can ask Salva

to marry you if you wish it."

Amba said: "No, I do not wish it. I no

longer desire marriage or home or

happiness. There is now but one thing in

life for me, revenge on Bhishma. The only

boon I seek is the death of Bhishma."

Parasurama moved as much by her

anguish as by his abiding hatred of the

Kshatriya race, espoused her cause and

fought with Bhishma. It was a long and

equal combat between the two greatest

men-at-arms of the age. But in the end

Parasurama had to acknowledge defeat.

He told Amba: "I have done all that I

could and I have failed. Throw yourself

on the mercy of Bhishma. That is the only

course left to you."

Consumed with grief and rage, and kept

alive only by the passion for revenge,

Amba went to the Himalayas and

practised rigorous austerities to get the

grace of Siva, now that all human aid had

failed her. Siva appeared before her and

granted her a boon, that in her next birth

she would slay Bhishma.

Amba was impatient for that rebirth which

would give her heart's desire. She made a

pyre and plunged into the fire pouring out

the flame in her heart into the scarcely

hotter blaze of the pyre.

By the grace of Lord Siva, Amba was

born as the daughter of King Drupada. A

few years after her birth, she saw the

garland of never-fading flowers that still

hung at the palace gate and had remained

there untouched by anyone through fear.

She put it round her neck. Her father

Drupada was in consternation at her

temerity which he feared would draw on

his head the wrath of Bhishma.

He sent his daughter in exile out of the

capital to the forest. She practised

austerities in the forest and in time was

transformed into a male and became

known as the warrior Sikhandin.

With Sikhandin as his charioteer, Arjuna

attacked Bhishma on the battlefield of

Kurukshetra. Bhishma knew that

Sikhandin was born as female, and true to

his code of chivalry he would not fight

him under any circumstance.

So it was that Arjuna could fight screened

by Sikhandin and conquer Bhishma,

especially because Bhishma knew that his

long and weary probation on earth was

finished and consented to be vanquished.

As the arrows struck Bhishma in his last

fight, he singled out those which had

pierced him deepest and said: "This is

Arjuna's arrow and not Sikhandin's." So

fell this great warrior.