Shloka 5
Ambā’s Vow of Tapas after Paraśurāma’s Assessment (अम्बाया तपोव्रतनिश्चयः)
भगवन् पुत्रमिच्छामि भीष्म प्रतिचिकीर्षया । इत्युक्तो देवदेवेन स्त्रीपुमांस्ते भविष्यति
bhagavan putram icchāmi bhīṣma praticikīrṣayā | ity ukto devadevena strīpumāṁs te bhaviṣyati ||
Bhīṣma said: “O Blessed Lord, I desire a son—so that I may act against Bhīṣma.” Thus addressed, the God of gods replied: “For you, that child shall become both woman and man.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how intense resolve and the desire to act (praticikīrṣā) can invoke divine sanction, yet the resulting boon may unfold in complex, morally weighty ways—suggesting that intentions, vows, and destiny interact beyond simple human control.
Bhīṣma recounts a request for a son made to a supreme deity; the deity grants a boon that the child will become both woman and man—foreshadowing a pivotal figure whose altered gender identity becomes crucial in the events surrounding Bhīṣma and the Kurukṣetra conflict.