In this Episode We Will continues the tale after Shantanu marries Satyavati, and explores how Bhishma inadvertently creates a tragedy in his attempt to secure the future of the Kuru dynasty.
So, Shantanu made a heavy sacrifice — he let his own son’s life fade away, just as Yayati had exchanged his youth with his son’s.
Shantanu and Satyavati had two children together. The first was Chitrangada, a brave but somewhat arrogant prince, and the second was Vichitraveerya — whose name means “strange or unusual masculinity”—a reflection of the struggles that were yet to come in retaining the dynasty.
One day, Chitrangada went out into the forest. There, he came across a gandharva, a celestial warrior from a higher world — and to his astonishment, this gandharva was also called Chitrangada.
When the gandharva asked, “Who are you?”, Chitrangada boldly replied, “I am Chitrangada — that is my name.”
The gandharva grew angry and said, “How dare you call yourself Chitrangada? I am Chitrangada. Change your name immediately — you are not worthy to bear it.”
The young prince stood up boldly in protest. “How dare you say that? It looks like you’ve lived long enough. Come — let’s settle this in battle. My father gave me this name, and I will keep it.”
They fought fiercely. In the end, Chitrangada fell in battle, defeated by the gandharva, and his life came to a tragically early close.
The Strange Man.
Now there was only one son left — Vichitraveerya.
The name Vichitraveerya means “strange or unusual masculinity” — reflecting something unusual or different about him.
We do not know exactly what that meant. Perhaps he was unwilling to get married, or maybe he was incapable of having children.
Getting a wife or having children was not a small matter in those days — it was the most important thing for a king. Without a son, there would be no heir to carry forward the dynasty.
Every day, wars were being fought. Anyone could lose their life in battle. So, a king’s greatest concern was: “Who will continue the family’s name after me? Who will protect the throne?”
If there was no son, the dynasty might fade away, and the kingdom might fall into chaos.
That’s why marriage and securing heirs were considered essential — much more than just a matter of happiness or companionship.
Vichitraveerya was unwilling to take a wife. Bhishma was unwilling to take a wife. Chitrangada was dead. So the Kuru dynasty was at a standstill — there was no heir to carry forward the family’s name.
In this difficult situation, the king of Kashi announced a swayamvara for his three daughters. Traditionally, a swayamvara was a ceremony where a princess chose her own husband from the princes who came to seek her hand in marriage.
The king of Kashi, however, did not send an invitation to the Kuru dynasty — the greatest and most respected dynasty of the time. This was a deliberate insult, a way to show that he did not want his daughters to be married to Vichitraveerya, about whose masculinity there were rumors and doubts.
Bhishma, a man whose loyalty to the Kuru dynasty was greater than his own happiness or well-being, could not ignore this insult. So he decided to attend the swayamvara anyway, to protect the dignity, prestige, and future of his family.
Bhishma Kidnaps Amba.
A swayamvara was a ceremony where a young woman chose her own husband from among the princes who came to seek her hand in marriage. It was meant to be her choice — no one was supposed to interfere or force her.
All three daughters of the king of Kashi — Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika — came to their swayamvara together.
Amba was already in love with King Salva, whose name was Salva, and she wished to choose him as her husband.
The custom was simple: the princess would be presented with a garland, and she would walk around and place it around the neck of the man she chose — thereby declaring him as her husband.
Amba walked up to Salva and placed the garland on him, choosing him as her life’s companion.
Vichitraveerya married Ambika and Ambalika, but he refused Amba.
Just then, Bhishma arrived at the swayamvara. The other warriors grew nervous when they saw him — they feared him because he was a great warrior. At the same time, they knew Bhishma had taken a vow of celibacy and would never married. So they began to taunt him: “Why has this old man come here? Is there no warrior in the Kuru dynasty who can win a wife? Or is Bhishma looking for a wife for himself?”
This insult filled Bhishma with rage. He decided to redeem his dynasty’s honor. So he defeated all the princes who challenged him — even King Salva, who was there to win Amba’s hand — and forcibly carried away all three princesses.
This marked a dramatic departure from the way marriage normally happened — previously, a woman chose her own husband; now they were taken away by force.
As they were on their way back to Hastinapur, Amba was in tears. She said to Bhishma, “What have you done? I was already in love with King Salva. I placed my garland on him — he is my husband. How can you take me away against my will?”
Bhishma replied, “I have captured you. What I take belongs to the Kurus.”
Then Amba asked, “Will you at least marry me yourself?”
Bhishma said, “No. I cannot break my vow of celibacy. You must be married to Vichitraveerya.”
But Vichitraveerya refused Amba, stating, “She placed her garland upon someone else. Her heart belongs to another. I cannot take her as my wife.”
Amba’s Plight.
Amba was completely confused and stranded. “What am I supposed to do now?” she cried.
Bhishma felt sorry for her and said, “I will arrange for you to be sent back to Salva.” Amba was quite happy with this and rushed back to Salva — but she was in for a shock
Salva turned her away, saying, “I will not take a woman who is a charity. I lost in battle. The old warrior defeated me, and now he is sending me a wife as a form of kindness. I cannot accept that. Please go back.”
It was a dramatic moment — 5,000 years ago — a princess was rejected by everyone.
She couldn’t return to her father’s home; she had no husband, and the man she chose refused to be with her.
Amba then went back to Hastinapur and insisted to Bhishma: “You destroyed my life! You forced me away from the man I love, and now he will not take me back. You must be the one to redeem my fate — you must marry me.”
But Bhishma remained firm in his vow. “My loyalty is to my nation, and I have sworn I will not break my vow of celibacy.”
Completely desolate, Amba walked away, not knowing where to go.
Picture this moment — 5,000 years ago, a princess, stranded, without a home, without a future, and without a family, wanders away in deep sorrow and uncertainty.
To Be Continued...
