Ambalika

Mother of Pandu in epic Mahabharata

Ambalika
Kuru Queen
SpouseVichitravirya
IssuePandu
HouseHastinapura
DynastyKashi (by birth)
Kuruvamsha-Chandravamsha (by marriage)
FatherKashya
MotherKausalya
ReligionHinduism

Ambalika (Sanskrit: अम्बालिका, romanized: Ambālikā) is the queen of Kuru Kingdom in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The youngest daughter of Kashya, the King of Kashi and Kausalya,[1] Ambalika is abducted by Bhishma during her svayamvara ceremony, and becomes the wife of Vichitravirya, the King of Hastinapura. She is the mother of Pandu and the grandmother of Pandavas.[2]

Legend

Mahabharata Partial Family Tree

Along with her sisters, Amba and Ambika, Ambalika was taken by force by Bhishma during their svayamvara, the latter having challenged and defeated the assembled royalty. He presented them to Satyavati for marriage to Vichitravirya.[3] Ambalika and her sister spent seven years in their husband's company. Vichitravirya was afflicted with tuberculosis, and died from the disease.[4][5]

After Vichitravirya's death, since he left no heirs, his mother Satyavati sent for her first born, the sage Vyasa. She asked him to father children with the widowed queens of Vichitravirya, according to the prevalent custom of niyoga. Vyasa had come from years of intense meditation and as a result, he looked tremendously unkempt. When he approached Ambika, she closed her eyes in fear. As a result, the blind Dhritrashtra was born. When he approached Ambalika, she turned pale in fear. Her son Pandu, as the result of the niyoga, was born with a pale appearance.[6][7]

Her son Pandu was married to Kunti and Madri. She is the grandmother of Pandavas – Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva, who were the central characters of the epic.[8][9]

After the death of Pandu, Ambalika accompanied her mother-in-law Satyavati, and sister Ambika, to the forest, and spent the rest of her days in spiritual retreat.[10]

In popular culture

References

  1. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (28 January 2019). "Story of Ambālikā". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  2. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (28 February 2012). "Ambalika, Ambālikā: 14 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  3. ^ Vicitravirya in: M.M.S. Shastri Chitrao, Bharatavarshiya Prachin Charitrakosh (Dictionary of Ancient Indian Biography, in Hindi), Pune 1964, p. 841
  4. ^ "The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CII". Sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  5. ^ Bhanu, Sharada (1997). Myths and Legends from India - Great Women. Chennai: Macmillan India Limited. pp. 35–6. ISBN 0-333-93076-2.
  6. ^ "The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CV". Sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  7. ^ "The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CVI". Sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  8. ^ "The five Pandavas and the story of their birth". aumamen.com. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  9. ^ "Pandava". Puranic Encyclopedia: a comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature. Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi. 1975. p. 562.
  10. ^ "The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CXXVIII". Sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  11. ^ "31 years of Mahabharat on Doordarshan: Interesting facts about one of most popular TV shows ever". The Financial Express. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  12. ^ "An epic for an epic, on small screen - All-new Mahabharata". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2020.

External links

  • KMG Mahabharata
  • Story of Ambalika
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