तच् छ्रुत्वा जामदग्न्यस् तु राजपुत्र्या वचस् तदा ॥
उवाच तां वरारोहां निश्चित्यार्थविनिश्चयम् ॥
प्रेषयिष्यामि भीष्माय कुरुश्रेष्ठाय भामिनि ॥
करिष्यति वचो धर्म्यं श्रुत्वा मे स नराधिपः ॥
न चेत् करिष्यति वचो मयोक्तं जाह्नवीसुतः ॥
धक्ष्याम्य् एनं रणे भद्रे सामात्यं शस्त्रतेजसा ॥
अथ वा ते मतिस् तत्र राजपुत्रि निवर्तते ॥
तावच् छाल्वपतिं वीरं योजयाम्य् अत्र कर्मणि ॥
अम्बोवाच
विसर्जितास्मि भीष्मेण श्रुत्वैव भृगुनन्दन ॥
शाल्वराजगतं चेतो मम पूर्वं मनीषितम् ॥
tac chrutvā jāmadagnyas tu rājaputryā vacas tadā ||
uvāca tāṃ varārohāṃ niścityārthaviniścayam ||
preṣayiṣyāmi bhīṣmāya kuruśreṣṭhāya bhāmini ||
kariṣyati vaco dharmyaṃ śrutvā me sa narādhipaḥ ||
na cet kariṣyati vaco mayoktaṃ jāhnavīsutaḥ ||
dhakṣyāmy enaṃ raṇe bhadre sāmātyaṃ śastratejasā ||
atha vā te matis tatra rājaputri nivartate ||
tāvac chālvapatiṃ vīraṃ yojayāmy atra karmaṇi ||
ambovāca
visarjitāsmi bhīṣmeṇa śrutvaiva bhṛgunandana ||
śālvarājagataṃ ceto mama pūrvaṃ manīṣitam ||
Having heard the princess's words, the son of Jamadagni determined the substance of the matter and said to that lovely woman: 'O beautiful one, I will send word to Bhishma, best of the Kurus. Hearing my word, that lord of men will do what is righteous. But if the son of the Ganga does not do as I have said, O gracious one, I will burn him in battle, together with his councilors, by the power of arms. Or, O king's daughter, if your thought turns back to that other matter, then I will engage the valiant lord of Shalva in this task.' Amba said: 'O descendant of Bhrigu, Bhishma released me only upon hearing that my heart had earlier been set on King Shalva.'
a4451c9a24fc · published Jul 17, 2026, 6:36:31 AM UTC
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In this chapter Amba's wish becomes a clearly formulated demand: not merely to find protection, but to see Bhishma requited. Akritavrana distinguishes two possible courses of action — compelling Shalva or punishing Bhishma — and shows that the root of Shalva's doubt lay precisely in Amba's forcible abduction. The appearance of Rama Jamadagnya lifts the matter into the realm of the highest dharma: an ascetic bearing arms listens to a woman's suffering, seeks a just resolution, and is ready first to send word, and only then, if that word is refused, to use force. Amba names Bhishma as the source of her misfortune and asks Rama to fulfill her long-held inner vow.