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,कुरुनन्दन! राजकन्या अम्बा करुणस्वरसे विलाप करती हुई इसी प्रकार कितनी ही बातें कहती रही; परंतु शाल्वराजने उसे सर्वथा त्याग दिया
evaṃ tāṃ bhāṣamāṇāṃ tu kanyāṃ śālvapatiḥ tadā | paritatyāja kauravya karuṇaṃ paridevatīm ||
Wahai Kauravya! Walau sang gadis terus berbicara sambil meratap pilu, pada saat itu juga penguasa Śālva menolaknya sepenuhnya.
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.