Shloka 23
अम्बोपाख्याने तापसानां विचारः तथा होत्रवाहनस्य उपदेशः
Ambā among ascetics; Hotravāhana directs her to Paraśurāma
एवं तां भाषमाणां तु कन््यां शाल्वपतिस्तदा । परितत्याज कौरव्य करुणं परिदेवतीम्
evaṃ tāṃ bhāṣamāṇāṃ tu kanyāṃ śālvapatiḥ tadā | paritatyāja kauravya karuṇaṃ paridevatīm ||
कुरुनन्दन! वह कन्या करुण स्वर में विलाप करती हुई इसी प्रकार बहुत कुछ कहती रही, पर उस समय शाल्वराज ने उसे पूरी तरह ठुकरा दिया।
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between social honor and compassion: when decisions are made solely to protect reputation or rigid notions of propriety, they can become morally callous and trigger far-reaching harm.
Amba pleads and speaks at length, lamenting her plight; nevertheless, King Shalva refuses to accept her and decisively abandons her, a turning point that intensifies her grievance and drives the later chain of events involving Bhishma.