Shiva's Boon and Amba Enters the Fire

Verse 1 (5.187.1)

ततस्ते तापसाः सर्वे तपसे धृतनिश्चयाम् । दृष्ट्वा न्यवर्तयंस्तात किं कार्यमिति चाब्रुवन् ॥

tataste tāpasāḥ sarve tapase dhṛtaniścayām | dṛṣṭvā nyavartayaṃstāta kiṃ kāryamiti cābruvan

Then all those ascetics, seeing her set on austerity, tried to turn her back, my son, and asked, "What is it you seek to do?"

Verse 2 (5.187.2)

तानुवाच ततः कन्या तपोवृद्धानृषींस्तदा । निराकृतास्मि भीष्मेण भ्रंशिता पतिधर्मतः ॥

tānuvāca tataḥ kanyā tapovṛddhānṛṣīṃstadā | nirākṛtāsmi bhīṣmeṇa bhraṃśitā patidharmataḥ

Then the maiden said to those sages grown old in austerity: "I have been spurned by Bhishma and cast out from a wife's dharma.

Verse 3 (5.187.3)

वधार्थं तस्य दीक्षा मे न लोकार्थं तपोधनाः । निहत्य भीष्मं गच्छेयं शान्तिमित्येव निश्चयः ॥

vadhārthaṃ tasya dīkṣā me na lokārthaṃ tapodhanāḥ | nihatya bhīṣmaṃ gaccheyaṃ śāntimityeva niścayaḥ

My consecration is for his death, ascetics, not for winning higher worlds. Once I have slain Bhishma I shall find peace; that is my resolve.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Amba: the verse is wholly her speech, introduced by verse 2 (Wikisource prints no heading; the input carried भीष्म).

Verse 4 (5.187.4)

यत्कृते दुःखवसतिमिमां प्राप्ताऽस्मि शाश्वतीम् । पतिलोकाद्विहीना च नैव स्त्री न पुमानिह ॥

yatkṛte duḥkhavasatimimāṃ prāptā'smi śāśvatīm | patilokādvihīnā ca naiva strī na pumāniha

Because of him I have come to this unending life of sorrow, cut off from a husband's world, here neither woman nor man.

Note on the text: Corrected प्राप्तऽस्मि → प्राप्ताऽस्मि (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped vowel sign, the feminine prāptā; the critical edition reads prāptāsmi). Speaker set to Amba: the verse is wholly her speech, introduced by verse 2 (Wikisource prints no heading; the input carried भीष्म).

Verse 5 (5.187.5)

नाहत्वा युधि गाङ्गेयं निवर्तिष्ये तपोधनाः । एष मे हृदि संकल्पो यदिदं कथितं मया ॥

nāhatvā yudhi gāṅgeyaṃ nivartiṣye tapodhanāḥ | eṣa me hṛdi saṃkalpo yadidaṃ kathitaṃ mayā

I shall not turn back, ascetics, until I have slain the son of Ganga in battle. This is the resolve in my heart, as I have told you.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Amba: the verse is wholly her speech, introduced by verse 2 (Wikisource prints no heading; the input carried भीष्म).

Verse 6 (5.187.6)

स्त्रीभावे परिनिर्विण्णा पुंस्त्वार्थे कृतनिश्चया । भीष्मे प्रतिचिकीर्षामि नास्मि वार्येति वै पुनः ॥

strībhāve parinirviṇṇā puṃstvārthe kṛtaniścayā | bhīṣme praticikīrṣāmi nāsmi vāryeti vai punaḥ

Weary of womanhood, I am set on becoming a man. I mean to take my revenge on Bhishma; I am not to be held back again."

Note on the text: Speaker set to Amba: the verse is wholly her speech, introduced by verse 2 (Wikisource prints no heading; the input carried भीष्म).

Verse 7 (5.187.7)

तां देवो दर्शयामास शूलपाणिरुमापतिः । मध्ये तेषां महर्षीणां स्वेन रूपेण तापसीम् ॥

tāṃ devo darśayāmāsa śūlapāṇirumāpatiḥ | madhye teṣāṃ maharṣīṇāṃ svena rūpeṇa tāpasīm

Then the god Umapati, trident in hand, showed himself in his own form to the ascetic woman in the midst of those great sages.

Note on the text: Corrected महार्षीणां → महर्षीणां (misprint in Wikisource; a stray vowel sign; the critical edition reads maharṣīṇāṃ).

Verse 8 (5.187.8)

छन्द्यमाना वरेणाथ सा वव्रे मत्पराजयम् । हनिष्यसीति तां देवः प्रत्युवाच मनस्विनीम् ॥

chandyamānā vareṇātha sā vavre matparājayam | haniṣyasīti tāṃ devaḥ pratyuvāca manasvinīm

Offered a boon, she chose my defeat. "You shall slay him," the god answered the resolute woman.

Verse 9 (5.187.9)

ततः सा पुनरेवाथ कन्या रुद्रमुवाच ह । उपपद्येत्कथं देव स्त्रिया युधि जयो मम ॥

tataḥ sā punarevātha kanyā rudramuvāca ha | upapadyetkathaṃ deva striyā yudhi jayo mama

Then the maiden spoke again to Rudra: "How could victory in battle come to me, a woman, O god?

Note on the text: This verse is CE 5.188.9ab–cd; the critical edition divides verses 9–11 differently (CE 5.188.9–10), so the alignment left them unmatched.

Verse 10 (5.187.10)

स्त्रीभावेन च मे गाढं मनः शान्तमुमापते । प्रतिश्रुतश्च भूतेश त्वया भीष्मपराजयः ॥

strībhāvena ca me gāḍhaṃ manaḥ śāntamumāpate | pratiśrutaśca bhūteśa tvayā bhīṣmaparājayaḥ

Because I am a woman, lord of Uma, my heart has no fire for war; yet you have promised me Bhishma's defeat, lord of beings.

Note on the text: The first line is CE 5.188.9ef, the second CE 5.188.10ab (the critical edition divides these verses differently). Speaker set to Amba: the verse is wholly her speech, introduced by verse 9 (Wikisource prints no heading; the input carried भीष्म).

Verse 11 (5.187.11)

यथा स सत्यो भवति तथा कुरु वृषध्वज । यथा हन्यां समागम्य भीष्मं शान्तनवं युधि ॥

yathā sa satyo bhavati tathā kuru vṛṣadhvaja | yathā hanyāṃ samāgamya bhīṣmaṃ śāntanavaṃ yudhi

Make it so that the promise comes true, O god whose banner is the bull, so that I may meet Bhishma, son of Shantanu, in battle and slay him."

Note on the text: This verse is CE 5.188.10cd–ef (the critical edition divides these verses differently). Speaker set to Amba: the verse is wholly her speech, introduced by verse 9 (Wikisource prints no heading; the input carried भीष्म).

Verse 12 (5.187.12)

तामुवाच महादेवः कन्यां किल वृषध्वजः । न मे वागनृतं प्राह सत्यं भद्रे भविष्यसि ॥

tāmuvāca mahādevaḥ kanyāṃ kila vṛṣadhvajaḥ | na me vāganṛtaṃ prāha satyaṃ bhadre bhaviṣyasi

Then, it is told, the great god whose banner is the bull said to the maiden: "My word has never spoken an untruth; it shall come true for you, good lady.

Note on the text: Corrected वागमृतं → वागनृतं (misprint in Wikisource; म for न turns anṛtam "untruth" into amṛtam "nectar"; the critical edition reads vāg anṛtaṃ).

Verse 13 (5.187.13)

हनिष्यसि रणे भीष्मं पुरुषत्वं च लप्स्यसे । स्मरिष्यसि च तत्सर्वं देहमन्यं गता सती ॥

haniṣyasi raṇe bhīṣmaṃ puruṣatvaṃ ca lapsyase | smariṣyasi ca tatsarvaṃ dehamanyaṃ gatā satī

You will slay Bhishma in battle and gain manhood; and you will remember all of this when you have passed into another body.

Note on the text: Corrected लप्स्यति → लप्स्यसे (misprint in Wikisource; the verb must be second person like हनिष्यसि and स्मरिष्यसि around it; the critical edition reads lapsyase). Speaker set to Mahadeva (Shiva): the verse is wholly his speech to Amba, introduced by verse 12 (Wikisource prints no heading; the input carried भीष्म).

Verse 14 (5.187.14)

द्रुपदस्य कुले जाता भविष्यसि महारथः । शीघ्रास्त्रश्चित्रयोधी च भविष्यसि सुसंमतः ॥

drupadasya kule jātā bhaviṣyasi mahārathaḥ | śīghrāstraścitrayodhī ca bhaviṣyasi susaṃmataḥ

Born in the house of Drupada, you will be a great chariot-warrior, swift with weapons, a fighter of varied skill, and highly esteemed.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Mahadeva (Shiva): the verse is wholly his speech to Amba, introduced by verse 12 (Wikisource prints no heading; the input carried भीष्म).

Verse 15 (5.187.15)

यथोक्तमेव कल्याणि सर्वमेतद्भविष्यति । भविष्यसि पुमान्पश्चात्कस्माच्चित्कालपर्ययात् ॥

yathoktameva kalyāṇi sarvametadbhaviṣyati | bhaviṣyasi pumānpaścātkasmāccitkālaparyayāt

All this will happen just as I have said, fair lady. Later, in the course of time and by some cause, you will become a man."

Note on the text: Speaker set to Mahadeva (Shiva): the verse is wholly his speech to Amba, introduced by verse 12 (Wikisource prints no heading; the input carried भीष्म).

Verse 16 (5.187.16)

एवमुक्त्वा महादेवः कपर्दी वृषभध्वजः । पश्यतामेव विप्राणां तत्रैवान्तरधीयत ॥

evamuktvā mahādevaḥ kapardī vṛṣabhadhvajaḥ | paśyatāmeva viprāṇāṃ tatraivāntaradhīyata

Having said this, the great god Kapardin, whose banner is the bull, vanished on that very spot while the brahmins looked on.

Verse 17 (5.187.17)

ततः सा पश्यतां तेषां महर्षीणामनिन्दिता । समाहृत्य वनात्तस्मात्काष्ठानि वरवर्णिनी ॥

tataḥ sā paśyatāṃ teṣāṃ maharṣīṇāmaninditā | samāhṛtya vanāttasmātkāṣṭhāni varavarṇinī

Then, while those great sages looked on, the blameless and lovely maiden gathered wood from that forest,

Verse 18 (5.187.18)

चितां कृत्वा सुमहतीं प्रदाय च हुताशनम् । प्रदीप्तेऽग्नौ महाराज रोषदीप्तेन चेतसा ॥

citāṃ kṛtvā sumahatīṃ pradāya ca hutāśanam | pradīpte'gnau mahārāja roṣadīptena cetasā

built a very great pyre and set fire to it; and when the fire was blazing, great king, with a mind ablaze with fury,

Verse 19 (5.187.19)

उक्त्वा भीष्मवधायेति प्रविवेश हुताशनम् । ज्येष्ठा काशिसुता राजन्यमुनामभितो नदीम् ॥

uktvā bhīṣmavadhāyeti praviveśa hutāśanam | jyeṣṭhā kāśisutā rājanyamunāmabhito nadīm

crying "For the slaying of Bhishma!", the eldest daughter of Kashi entered the fire, O king, beside the river Yamuna.