साहम् आमन्त्र्य गाङ्गेयं समरेष्व् अनिवर्तिनम् ॥
अनुज्ञाता च तेनैव तवैव गृहम् आगता ॥
न स भीष्मो महाबाहुर् माम् इच्छति विशां पते ॥
भ्रातृहेतोः समारम्भो भीष्मस्येति श्रुतं मया ॥
भगिन्यौ मम ये नीते अम्बिकाम्बालिके नृप ॥
प्रादाद् विचित्रवीर्याय गाङ्गेयो हि यवीयसे ॥
यथा शाल्वपते नान्यं नरं ध्यामि कथं चन ॥
त्वाम् ऋते पुरुषव्याघ्र तथा मूर्धानम् आलभे ॥
न चान्यपूर्वा राजेन्द्र त्वाम् अहं समुपस्थिता ॥
सत्यं ब्रवीमि शाल्वैतत् सत्येनात्मानम् आलभे ॥
sāham āmantrya gāṅgeyaṃ samareṣv anivartinam ||
anujñātā ca tenaiva tavaiva gṛham āgatā ||
na sa bhīṣmo mahābāhur mām icchati viśāṃ pate ||
bhrātṛhetoḥ samārambho bhīṣmasyeti śrutaṃ mayā ||
bhaginyau mama ye nīte ambikāmbālike nṛpa ||
prādād vicitravīryāya gāṅgeyo hi yavīyase ||
yathā śālvapate nānyaṃ naraṃ dhyāmi kathaṃ cana ||
tvām ṛte puruṣavyāghra tathā mūrdhānam ālabhe ||
na cānyapūrvā rājendra tvām ahaṃ samupasthitā ||
satyaṃ bravīmi śālvaitat satyenātmānam ālabhe ||
"I addressed Gangeya, who never retreats in battle, and it was with his very permission that I have come to your house. The mighty-armed Bhishma does not desire me, O lord of peoples; I have heard that Bhishma's undertaking was for the sake of his brother. My two sisters, Ambika and Ambalika, whom he led away, O king, Gangeya gave to the younger Vichitravirya. O lord of Shalva, just as I think of no other man at all besides you, O tiger among men, so I touch my own head in witness. And I have not come to you, O lord of kings, as one who formerly belonged to another. I speak the truth, O Shalva; by this truth I swear upon myself."
3cd69e860532 · 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.