त्वं हि निर्जित्य भीष्मेण नीता प्रीतिमती तदा ॥
परामृश्य महायुद्धे निर्जित्य पृथिवीपतीन् ॥
नाहं त्वय्य् अन्यपूर्वायां भार्यार्थी वरवर्णिनि ॥
कथम् अस्मद्विधो राजा परपूर्वां प्रवेशयेत् ॥
नारीं विदितविज्ञानः परेषां धर्मम् आदिशन् ॥
यथेष्टं गम्यतां भद्रे मा ते कालो ऽत्यगाद् अयम् ॥
अम्बा तम् अब्रवीद् राजन्न् अनङ्गशरपीडिता ॥
मैवं वद महीपाल नैतद् एवं कथं चन ॥
नास्मि प्रीतिमती नीता भीष्मेणामित्रकर्शन ॥
बलान् नीतास्मि रुदती विद्राव्य पृथिवीपतीन् ॥
भजस्व मां शाल्वपते भक्तां बालाम् अनागसम् ॥
भक्तानां हि परित्यागो न धर्मेषु प्रशस्यते ॥
tvaṃ hi nirjitya bhīṣmeṇa nītā prītimatī tadā ||
parāmṛśya mahāyuddhe nirjitya pṛthivīpatīn ||
nāhaṃ tvayy anyapūrvāyāṃ bhāryārthī varavarṇini ||
katham asmadvidho rājā parapūrvāṃ praveśayet ||
nārīṃ viditavijñānaḥ pareṣāṃ dharmam ādiśan ||
yatheṣṭaṃ gamyatāṃ bhadre mā te kālo 'tyagād ayam ||
ambā tam abravīd rājann anaṅgaśarapīḍitā ||
maivaṃ vada mahīpāla naitad evaṃ kathaṃ cana ||
nāsmi prītimatī nītā bhīṣmeṇāmitrakarśana ||
balān nītāsmi rudatī vidrāvya pṛthivīpatīn ||
bhajasva māṃ śālvapate bhaktāṃ bālām anāgasam ||
bhaktānāṃ hi parityāgo na dharmeṣu praśasyate ||
"For you were then led away by Bhishma after his victory, with affection for him; he touched you in the great battle, having conquered the lords of the earth. I do not wish to take you as my wife, O fair one, who has already belonged to another. How could a king such as I, knowing discernment and instructing others in dharma, bring into his house a woman who formerly belonged to another? Go, O gracious one, wherever you wish; let not this time pass you by." Amba said to him, O king, tormented by the arrows of love: "Do not speak so, O guardian of the earth. It is not so at all. I was not led away by Bhishma with gladness, O crusher of foes; I was taken by force, weeping, after the lords of the earth had been put to flight. Accept me, O lord of Shalva, devoted, young, and innocent. For the abandonment of the devoted is not praised in matters of dharma."
2e769f26dd3b · 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.