episode of Ambā,” the 66th of the minor parvans of Mhbhr.
Cf. Ambopākhyāna). § 573. Questioned by Duryodhana
why he would not slay Śikhaṇḍin, Bhīṣma said: After
Śāntanu's death and Citrāṅgada's demise, obedient to the
counsels of Satyavatī I installed, according to the ordinance,
Vicitravīrya as king. I repaired on a single car to the
svayaṃvara of the daughters of the king of Kāśi: Ambā
(the eldest), Ambikā (the second), and Ambālikā (the
youngest), who were vīryaśalkāḥ. Challenging all the
kings, I took the three maidens upon my car, and repeatedly
told my name to the kings, and vanquished them all. Then
I came back to Hāstinapura and made over those maidens,
intending them for Vicitravīrya, to Satyavatī (V, 173).
Satyavatī became very glad. When the nuptials approached,
Ambā said that she had before mentally chosen the Śālva king
(the lord of Saubha, v. 6076, etc.) as her lord, and that he,
without her father's knowledge, had privately proposed to
her (V, 174). I then laid the matter before Satyavatī and
our counsellors (mantrin), ṛtvijes, and purohitas, and permitted
Ambā to depart. She came to the city of the Śālva king,
escorted by a number of old brahmans, accompanied by
her nurse. But he would no longer have her as his wife,
because she was to be wedded to another. It was of no avail
that she declared she had been carried away by force, weeping
and against her will; for Śālva was in terror of Bhīṣma.
She cursed Bhīṣma, her father, herself (because she had not
leapt down from Bhīṣma's car), Śālva, and Dhātṛ (the
creator). She resolved that her vengeance should fall upon
Bhīṣma. She repaired to a hermitage of ascetics (tāpasāḥ),
and stayed there that night. There was the great brahman
Śaikhāvatya, a preceptor in the scriptures and the Āraṇyakas
(śāstre cāraṇyake guruh) (V, 175). The ascetics counselled
her to repair to her father's abode; but she would not, lest
she should be slighted by her relatives; she wished to practise
ascetic austerities. Then came her maternal grandfather, the
Sṛñjaya king, the R.-ṛ. Hotravāhana, and advised her to go to
Rāma Jāmadagnya, who would slay Bhīṣma in battle if
Bhīṣma did not obey his behest; he always dwelt on the
Mahendra mountain with Ṛ., G., and Aps. While they were
speaking there appeared Akṛtavraṇa, a dear companion of
Rāma; he said that Rāma would come the next morning
to see Hotravāhana; Hotravāhana related the history of
Ambā to Akṛtavraṇa (V, 176). The next day Rāma
appeared with his disciples, his bow in hand, etc. (de-
scription). Ambā asked him to slay Bhīṣma (V, 177).
Rāma said he would not take up arms except at the command
of brahmans. Akṛtavraṇa supported the demand of Ambā.
The next morning they all set out for Kurukṣetra with the
maiden, and quartered themselves on the banks of Sarasvatī.
On the third day Rāma sent a message to Bhīṣma, who came
and worshipped him. Rāma demanded that he should bestow
Ambā upon Vicitravīrya, which Bhīṣma refused. Rāma
threatened to slay him in battle; Bhīṣma said that Rāma
had himself taught him the four kinds of arms (iṣvastraṃ
caturvidhaṃ; see the note of PCR.); and quoted a śloka in the
Purāṇa, sung by Marutta (v. 7074). Having first gone to
Hāstinapura and represented everything to Satyavatī, Bhīṣma
set out for Kurukṣetra on his car (description). Gaṅgā
(“worshipped by Si. and Cā,” v. 7095) in vain endeavoured
to make them desist (V, 178). Bhīṣma asked Rāma to mount
on a chariot; but Rāma said that the earth was his chariot,
the Vedas his steeds, the wind (Mātariśvan) his charioteer,
and the mothers of the Vedas (Vedamātaraḥ; see the note of
PCR.) his harness. Bhīṣma saw him stationed on an
excellent car (description), with Akṛtavraṇa as his charioteer.
Bhīṣma propitiated Rāma by worshipping him, on foot. The
combat lasted for many days; at last Bhīṣma, from pity and
reverence, would not strike Rāma any longer, and the combat
ceased at sunset (V, 179). Next morning the battle was
taken up again. Bhīṣma's Vāyavya weapon was neutralized
by Rāma's Guhyaka; Bhīṣma's Āgneya by Rāma's Vāruṇa.
At a momentary swoon of Bhīṣma, Akṛtavraṇa, Ambā, etc.,
were filled with joy; then Rāma fell into a swoon and
dropped down; the ascetics and Ambā comforted him.
A conflagration was caused in the welkin. At evening
Rāma withdrew (V, 180). The next day they fought
again, and at evening they desisted (V, 181). The next
day Bhīṣma's charioteer was slain; Bhīṣma, pierced by an
arrow, fell down to the earth; eight brahmans supported him
on their arms in mid-air; Gaṅgā was seen on his car; she
had controlled his steeds in the combat. Bhīṣma dismissed
her and fought till evening. When Rāma for a moment lost
his consciousness, Rāhu enveloped the sun, etc. At evening
the battle ceased; next day it was taken up again, and lasted
for twenty-three days (V, 182). During the night the
above-mentioned eight brahmans appeared to Bhīṣma in
a dream, comforted him, and said that the weapon Prasvāpa
(Prājāpatyaṃ Viśvakṛtam, v. 7259; PCR., “appertaining to
the lord of all creatures and forged by the divine artificer”)
would come to his knowledge, for it had been known to him
in his former life; neither Rāma nor any person on earth
was acquainted with it; Rāma would not be slain by it, but
he would fall asleep; “then thou wilt awaken him with
the weapon Sambodhana” (V, 183). Next day Akṛtavraṇa
must comfort Rāma. Bhīṣma and Rāma both used the
Brāhma weapon; the welkin seemed to be ablaze, and
D., As., Ṛ., G., and Rā. were greatly afflicted, etc. Then
the mantras for using the Prasvāpa weapon suddenly came
to Bhīṣma's mind (V, 184). Voices in the sky (the gods)
and Nārada forbade him to let off the Prasvāpa weapon against
Rāma, and the above-mentioned brahmans supported the words
of Nārada. Beholding the Prasvāpa weapon withdrawn,
Rāma declared himself to be vanquished. Rāma then beheld
before him his father and father's father, who forbade him
any more to fight with kṣattriyas, especially with Bhīṣma,
whom the gods forbade to fight with Rāma. “Arjuna has
been ordained by Svayambhū to be the slayer of Bhīṣma.”
The ascetics with Ṛcīka, Nārada, Gaṅgā, and the Pitṛs
succeeded in bringing about peace; the above-mentioned
eight brahmans ordered. Bhīṣma to go to Rāma, who,
summoning Ambā, said (V, 185) that he could do no more
for her. Ambā went away, resolved to devote herself to
austerities, that she might herself slay Bhīṣma. Rāma with
the ascetics departed for the Mahendra mountain; Bhīṣma
entered Hāstinapura, and was blessed by Satyavatī, and he
appointed spies to ascertain the doings of Ambā. Bhīṣma
became afflicted when he heard that she was resolved on
ascetic austerities (description), but was consoled by Nārada
and Vyāsa. After having lived for six months on air she
stood a year in the waters of Yamunā, etc., and thus went on
for twelve years. She then went into Vatsabhūmi (resorted
to by Si. and Cā.), etc. (α). Gaṅgā, angry because she observed
these vows for the destruction of Bhīṣma, cursed her, saying
that after death she would become a river crooked in her
course, etc. When Ambā once more came back to Vatsabhūmi
she there became the above-mentioned river, but in con-
sequence of her ascetic merit, only with half her body, while
as to the other half she remained a maiden as before (V, 186).
To the ascetics in Vatsabhūmi she said that she was resolved
to obtain manhood in order to be revenged on Bhīṣma. Śiva
appeared in his own form in the midst of those great ṛṣis,
and promised her that she would slay Bhīṣma and even
obtain manhood, and in a new body remember all the incidents;
born in the race of Drupada, she would become a mahāratha.
Then Śiva disappeared. Ambā burnt herself on the bank of
the Yamunā in the very sight of those great Ṛṣis (V, 187).
Questioned by Duryodhana how Śikhaṇḍin, having before
been born a girl, afterwards became a man, Bhīṣma related:
The eldest queen of king Drupada was childless. During
those years Drupada worshipped Śaṅkara for the sake of
offspring, resolving to bring about Bhīṣma's destruction, and
practising the austerest of penances. He begged Śiva for
a son; Śiva said he should have a child who would be both
female and male. In due time the queen conceived (as
told by Nārada), and gave birth to a daughter, whom Drupada
gave out for a son, and called her Śikhaṇḍin. Bhīṣma alone,
from his spies and from Nārada, knew the truth (V, 188).
In arrows and weapons she became a disciple of Droṇa.
They afterwards wedded her to the daughter of the Daśārṇa
king Hiraṇyavarman, quite assured that the words of Śiva
would become true. Śikhaṇḍin, after marriage, came back to
Kāmpilya. At the discovery of Śikhaṇḍin's sex a war was
about to break out with Hiraṇyavarman (V, 189). Drupada
was not naturally courageous, and became filled with fear,
and, in the presence of others, asked his queen about the
truth (though he knew everything) (V, 190). The queen
said that, childless as she was, when her daughter
Śikhaṇḍinī was born she had, from fear of her co-wives,
told Drupada that it was a son, remembering the words of
Śiva. Drupada prepared for war, and, with the queen,
prayed to the gods. Śikhaṇḍinī went to a forest, the haunt
of the powerful Yakṣa (Guhyaka, v. 7480) Sthūṇākarṇa,
who was a follower of Kubera, resolved on putting an end to
her own life. Repeatedly requested by Sthūṇākarṇa to ask
a boon, she told him the matter, and wished to become a man,
as long as Hiraṇyavarman had not left the city (V, 191).
He gave her his manhood and took her womanhood for a
certain period, i.e. till Hiraṇyavarman should have departed.
Śikhaṇḍin went home and informed Drupada, who with his
wife recollected the words of Śiva. Hiraṇyavarman sent
a brahman as an envoy to Kāmpilya, threatening to ex-
terminate Drupada with his counsellors, sons, etc. Drupada
sent a brahman as his envoy to Hiraṇyavarman, maintaining
that Śikhaṇḍin was a male; “let it be made clear by means
of witnesses; somebody has spoken falsely to thee.” Hiraṇya-
varman despatched a number of young ladies for ascertaining
it, and they attested that he was a male. Hiraṇyavarman
then passed some days with Drupada in gladness, gave much
wealth to Śikhaṇḍin, and then departed, having rebuked
his daughter. Kubera, hearing the matter from the Yakṣas,
cursed Sthūṇākarṇa, saying that his femininity should remain
as it was; as the Yakṣas began to soften him, he set a limit
to the curse, i.e. Śikhaṇḍin's death. When Śikhaṇḍin came
to redeem his pledge, Sthūṇākarṇa related his curse and let
him go. Drupada gave Śikhaṇḍin as a pupil to Droṇa,
who taught him the fourfold (catuṣpādaṃ) Dhanurveda,
along with the Dhārtarāṣṭras and Dhṛṣṭadyumna. It
was Ambā who had been born as Śikhaṇḍin. Bhīṣma had
made a vow not to shoot weapons against a woman, or
one that had before been a woman, or one bearing a feminine
name, or one whose form resembled that of a woman
(V, 192). Duryodhana asked in what time Bhīma, etc.
(α), could annihilate the hostile army. Bhīṣma said he
could do it in a month; Droṇa said the same; Kṛpa men-
tioned two months; Aśvatthāman, ten nights; Karṇa, five
nights. Bhīṣma ridiculed Karṇa, saying that he will think
otherwise when he had encountered Arjuna and Kṛṣṇa
(V, 193). Having learnt this from his spies, Yudhiṣṭhira
asked Arjuna the same question. Arjuna said that with
Kṛṣṇa as his ally he could exterminate the three worlds
with the gods, etc., in the twinkling of an eye; the weapon
given him by Paśupati (i.e. Śiva) as a hunter (Kairāte
dvandvayuddhe), which Paśupati used at the end of the yuga
for destroying created things, was not known to Bhīṣma, etc.
(β); he enumerated Yudhiṣṭhira's allies (γ); Yudhiṣṭhira
was himself competent to exterminate the three worlds
(V, 194). Next morning, under a cloudless sky, the Kaurava
army marched (description) to the field, first Vinda, etc. (δ);
Aśvatthāman, etc. (ε), in the second division; in the rear,
Kṛtavarman, etc. (ζ), with the Dhārtarāṣṭras at their head.
Duryodhana's encampment (description) looked like a second
Hāstinapura (V, 195). In the same way Yudhiṣṭhira also
ordered out his troops, headed by Dhṛṣṭadyumna, under
Dhṛṣṭaketu, etc. (η), (description); first Abhimanyu, etc.
(θ); then Bhīma and Arjuna in the second division; last of
all himself with Virāṭa and Drupada, etc. Then he disposed
his divisions in a different order, confounding the Dhārtarā-
ṣṭras: the Draupadeyas, etc. (ι), under Bhīmasena; in the
middle division, Virāṭa, etc. (κ); in that part where Yudhi-
ṣṭhira himself was, Cekitāna, etc. (λ). Yudhiṣṭhira was
followed by Saucitti, etc. (μ), (V, 196).