Shloka 4
अम्बाया निर्वेदः तपोव्रताभ्यर्थना च
Ambā’s Despair and Petition for Ascetic Vows
सत्यवत्यास्त्वनुमते विवाहे समुपस्थिते । उवाच वाक्यं सब्रीडा ज्येष्ठा काशिपते: सुता,सत्यवतीकी अनुमतिसे जब विवाहका कार्य उपस्थित हुआ, तब काशिराजकी ज्येष्ठ पुत्री अम्बाने कुछ लज्जित होकर मुझसे कहा--
satyavatyāstv anumate vivāhe samupasthite | uvāca vākyaṃ sabrīḍā jyeṣṭhā kāśipateḥ sutā ||
Bhīṣma said: When, with Satyavatī’s consent, the arrangements for the marriage had come to hand, the eldest daughter of the lord of Kāśī—Ambā—spoke to me, her words tinged with modest hesitation.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights that social authorization (here, Satyavatī’s approval for the marriage proceedings) does not erase the ethical need to listen to an individual’s voice—especially where modesty, personal intention, or prior attachment may be involved. It foreshadows a dharmic conflict between political arrangements and personal consent.
Bhīṣma narrates that once the marriage arrangements were underway with Satyavatī’s consent, Ambā—the eldest princess of Kāśī—approached him and spoke shyly. This introduces Ambā’s forthcoming statement that becomes pivotal to the later chain of events involving Bhīṣma.