Shloka 7
अम्बोपाख्याने तापसानां विचारः तथा होत्रवाहनस्य उपदेशः
Ambā among ascetics; Hotravāhana directs her to Paraśurāma
त्वं हि भीष्मेण निर्जित्य नीता प्रीतिमती तदा । परामृश्य महायुद्धे निर्जित्य पृथिवीपतीन्,'भीष्मने उस महायुद्धमें समस्त भूपालोंको हराकर तुम्हें जीता और तुम्हें उठाकर वे अपने साथ ले गये। तुम उस समय उनके साथ प्रसन्न थीं
tvaṁ hi bhīṣmeṇa nirjitya nītā prītimatī tadā | parāmṛśya mahāyuddhe nirjitya pṛthivīpatīn ||
“For you were won by Bhishma in combat and then taken away, and at that time you went with him willingly and with gladness. Having challenged and overcome the kings of the earth in that great battle, he carried you off.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma frames the episode in terms of kṣatriya norms: victory in battle and the public act of carrying off a bride are presented as socially legible grounds for a claim. Ethically, the verse highlights how dharma-arguments can hinge on contested facts such as willingness (prītimatī) and the legitimacy of force in war.
Bhīṣma recalls that he defeated rival kings in a great contest and took the woman with him, asserting that she accompanied him gladly at that time. The statement functions as a justification within the dispute surrounding her marital status and the consequences of Bhīṣma’s earlier actions.