what is the story of amba ambali and ambalika ?how did amba got the divine to kill bheeshma?what was the revenge of her against him?
Answers
Bhishma was trying to find a bride for his half-brother, king Vichitravirya. He abducted princesses Amba, Ambika and Ambalika of Kashi, from their swayamvara ceremony (a ceremony where princesses are allowed to choose their own spouse from the assemblage of potential suitors present there). Amba, the oldest of the princesses, was already in love with Salwa, the ruler of Saubala. The young king tried his best to stop the abduction, but was no match for the powerful Bhishma.
Upon reaching Hastinapura, Amba confided in Bhishma that she and Salwa were deeply in love with each other and they planned to wed each other very soon. Taking pity on her, he sent her back to Salwa, who, bitter from his humiliation at the hands of Bhishma, refused to accept Amba back into his life.
Amba then approached Bhishma and begged him to marry her. He refused, citing the reason that he had taken a vow of lifelong celibacy. Enraged at being disgraced thus, Amba vowed to avenge this insult, even if it meant having to be reborn again and again.
Amba left Hastinapura and sought refuge with Parashurama, who ordered Bhishma to wed Amba. The latter refused to accept the order, saying he would much rather give up his life than break his pratigya.
An angry Parashurama called him for a fight at Kurukshetra. At the battleground, Bhishma realized that he was on a chariot and Parashurama was on foot. He requested the latter to also take a chariot and armor, so that neither would have an unfair advantage. Parashurama then blessed him with divine vision and asked him to look again. This time, Bhishma could clearly see the whole of the Earth as his Guru's chariot. The four Vedas became the Lord's horses and the Upanishads were the reins. Lord Vayu (the Wind God) was his charioteer and the Vedic Goddesses, Gayatri, Savitri and Saraswati became his armor.
Humbled, Bhishma got down from his own chariot and fell at Parashurama's feet. He also sought his blessings to protect his dharma, along with the permission to fight his own beloved Guru. Pleased with his student's devotion towards him, Parashurama blessed him and advised him to protect his own vow.
The Lord, however, had given his word to Amba that he would fight Bhishma and hence, they fought for 23 whole days. The battle went on and on without conclusion, as each was too powerful to be defeated by the other.
In another version, on the 23rd day of battle, Bhishma tried to use the Praswapastra against his Guru. The use of this weapon, which could induce deep sleep, was not known to Parashurama. This could have worked to Bhishma's advantage. However, before he could release it, an akashavani (voice from the sky) warned him that if he used it, it would be a great, unforgivable insult towards his own Guru. His Pitrus (ancestors) then appeared before him and blocked his access to Parashurama's chariot, thereby preventing him from using the weapon against the latter. Then, Narada himself appeared before Parashurama and begged of him to end the battle. The latter agreed and the Gods jointly decided to declare the war a draw.After the battle, Parashurama narrated the events to Amba, also asking her to let go of her anger and seek Bhishma's blessings. She, however, refused to pay heed to his advice and stubbornly declared that she would achieve her objective of avenging herself.
She then undertook severe penance to appease Lord Shiva. Pleased, the Lord appeared before her and told her that, in her subsequent birth, she would be born as a man named Shikhandi. Shiva additionally assured her that she would recall her past and would eventually be instrumental in causing Bhishma's death, thus fulfilling her vow.
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