Jai Sriman Narayana !!
The great epic Mahabharath was composed by
Maharishi Veda Vyasa/Krishna Dwaipayana, son of Sage Parasara and Sathyavati, a
woman from fishermen clan. Mahabharath describes the legend of Bharatha
Dynasty. It was written in 18 Parva such as Adhi Parva,
Sabha Parva, Vana Parva, Virada Parva, Udhyoga Parva, Bhishma Parva, Drona
Parva, Karna Parva, Shalya Parva, Soupthika Parva, Stri Parva, Shanthi Parva,
Anushasana Parva, Ashwamedha Parva, Ashramavasika Parva, Musala Parva,
Mahaprasthanika Parva and Swargarohana Parva and each Parva has divided into
many Upaparva and has chapters in detail. Adhi Parva depicts
the life of King Dushyantha and his wife Shakunthala and their son
Sarvadhamanan, who was famously known as Bharatha, a righteous ruler of
Bharatha Empior.
Lord Brahma created deities, Sages and
Prajapathis. It was the beginning of the growth of human race from the
sixty daughters of Daksha Prajapathi. Pururavass, Yayathi,
Puru, Dushyantha, Bharatha, Shanthanu were born in the family of
Dithi, one of the daughters of Daksha Prajapathi.
Life of Amba, Ambika & Ambalika :
King Shanthanu married to Sathyavathi with a
promise that the child born to the couple would be the heir to the throne of
Hasthinapur. This couple had two sons Chithrangadha and Vichithraveerya.
King Shanthanu lived happily with Sathyavati for quite some time and
passed away. Chithrangadha was killed in a battle with a celestial
Gandharva. Vichithraveerya was declared as the King of Hasthinapur by Bhishma.
According to Sastra, legal heir to the throne should be married to pronounce
him as a King. During this period of time, the King of Kasi announced the
Swayamvaram of his three daughters Amba, Ambika and Ambalika.
The elder daughter Amba was already in love with the King Swalya of neighboring
country and was keenly waiting for the opportunity to get married to him.
Bhishma was assigned to meet the King of Kasi with the marriage proposal of
Vichithraveerya. Bhishma arrived at the glorious assembly of the King of
Kasi and declared his purpose of visit to Kasi, moreover his intention to take
three daughters with him to Hasthinapur. It created a huge chaos in the
assembly, King Swalya was furious at the declaration of Bhishma, eventually
they both had huge fight. King Swalya was defeated by Bhishma, the Kings
assembled were anxiously left without the courage to fight against
Bhishma. The three daughters of King of Kasi were brought in a
chariot to Hasthinapur. Ambika and Ambalika had no objection to marry
Vichithraveerya but Amba who was already in love with the King Swalya was
opposed to the marriage with Vichithraveerya. Bhishma advised her to
return to King Swalya. King Swalya was in utter shame and guilt refused
to accept Amba, he turned down Amba due to the abuse he had to undergo in the
Assembly. Amba was crestfallen at the decision of King Swalya, returned
to Hasthinapur with all the vengeance towards Bhishma. She blamed
Bhishma as the reason for her distress and insisted to marry her. Bhishma
revealed his inability to marry her as he was promised to remain unmarried all
his life.
Amba was totally distressed and wandered through
the wood land. Amba underwent severe penance for 16 years and worshipped
Sage Parasurama, Acharya of Bhishma to get fair judgment in her pathetic
life. Finally, Sage Parasurama appeared before her with a decision to
find solution for her wretched life, advised her to approach Bhishma who is
blameless, honorable and upright could help her to wave off her agonies.
Amba retaliated that Bhishma was the reason for her distress; she narrated her
pitiable state to Sage Parasurama with a request to kill Bhishma. A war
was conducted between Sage Parasurama and Bhishma and it continued for several
years. There was no sign of the end of the war, Lord Shiva appeared
before them and brought peace in them. Lord Shiva offered a boon to
Amba that she would be capable to kill Bhishma on her next birth as Shingandi.
Amba sorrowfully moved to the Kingdom of King Durpada, a
garland she had already received from Lord Subramanya with a promise that the
Kshatriya who wore the garland would be competent to kill Bhishma was hanged on
a tree in the palace of King Drupada. Soon, Amba sacrificed her life into
Yoga Agni.
Amba was born as Shigandini to King
Drupadha. Shigandini has the memories of her previous life, wore the
garland she had already preserved on the tree in the palace. King
Drupadha worried about her malicious act and exiled her from the Kingdom.
Shingandini wandered through the wood land and met celestial Gandharvas, with
their help she transformed herself into Shigandi. Shigandi had to wait
for several years until the great war of Mahabharath on the righteous of land
Kurushetra to encounter with Bhishma.
Jai Sriman Narayana !!
