भीष्म उवाच
ततो ऽहं समनुज्ञाप्य कालीं सत्यवतीं तदा ॥
मन्त्रिणश् च द्विजांश् चैव तथैव च पुरोहितान् ॥
समनुज्ञासिषं कन्यां ज्येष्ठाम् अम्बां नराधिप ॥
अनुज्ञाता ययौ सा तु कन्या शाल्वपतेः पुरम् ॥
वृद्धैर् द्विजातिभिर् गुप्ता धात्र्या चानुगता तदा ॥
अतीत्य च तम् अध्वानम् आससाद नराधिपम् ॥
सा तम् आसाद्य राजानं शाल्वं वचनम् अब्रवीत् ॥
आगताहं महाबाहो त्वाम् उद्दिश्य महाद्युते ॥
ताम् अब्रवीच् छाल्वपतिः स्मयन्न् इव विशां पते ॥
त्वयान्यपूर्वया नाहं भार्यार्थी वरवर्णिनि ॥
गच्छ भद्रे पुनस् तत्र सकाशं भारतस्य वै ॥
नाहम् इच्छामि भीष्मेण गृहीतां त्वां प्रसह्य वै ॥
bhīṣma uvāca
tato 'haṃ samanujñāpya kālīṃ satyavatīṃ tadā ||
mantriṇaś ca dvijāṃś caiva tathaiva ca purohitān ||
samanujñāsiṣaṃ kanyāṃ jyeṣṭhām ambāṃ narādhipa ||
anujñātā yayau sā tu kanyā śālvapateḥ puram ||
vṛddhair dvijātibhir guptā dhātryā cānugatā tadā ||
atītya ca tam adhvānam āsasāda narādhipam ||
sā tam āsādya rājānaṃ śālvaṃ vacanam abravīt ||
āgatāhaṃ mahābāho tvām uddiśya mahādyute ||
tām abravīc chālvapatiḥ smayann iva viśāṃ pate ||
tvayānyapūrvayā nāhaṃ bhāryārthī varavarṇini ||
gaccha bhadre punas tatra sakāśaṃ bhāratasya vai ||
nāham icchāmi bhīṣmeṇa gṛhītāṃ tvāṃ prasahya vai ||
Bhishma said: Then, having taken leave of Kali Satyavati, the counselors, the twice-born, and the priests as well, I released with permission the eldest maiden, Amba, O lord of men. Having received permission, this maiden set out for the city of the lord of Shalva; guarded then by elder brahmins, and accompanied by her nurse. Having traversed that road, she reached the lord of men. Having reached King Shalva, she spoke these words: "I have come, O mighty-armed one, directing myself toward you, O radiant one." To her King Shalva, as if smiling, said, O lord of peoples: "I do not wish to take you as my wife, O fair one, who has already belonged to another before. Go, O gracious one, back there, to the Bharata. I do not want you, taken by force by Bhishma."
bf090fdc702b · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:36:31 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Amba finds herself caught between two men's decisions: Bhishma releases her in keeping with dharma, while Shalva rejects her out of fear and pride. Her speech rests on the truth of an inward choice: she never accepted Bhishma and has come to the one her heart chose. But Shalva sees not her truth, only the outward touch of the victor. Thus Amba's personal tragedy becomes the fruit of martial pride and social suspicion.