Shloka 1
Ambā’s Vow of Tapas after Paraśurāma’s Assessment (अम्बाया तपोव्रतनिश्चयः)
इस प्रकार श्रीमह्ा भारत उद्योगपर्वके अन्तर्गत अम्बोपाख्यानपर्वमें अग्बाका अग्निमें प्रवेशविषयक एक सौ सत्तासीवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ ॥/ १८७ ॥। अपने-आप छा अर: 2 अष्टा शीर्त्याधिकशततमोब् ध्याय: अम्बाका 3326 28 पदके यहाँ कन््याके रूपमें जन्म
duryodhana uvāca | kathaṁ śikhaṇḍī gāṅgeya kanyā bhūtvā purā tadā | puruṣo 'bhūd yudhiśreṣṭha tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||
Duryodhana berkata: “Wahai Gāṅgeya, putera Sungai Gaṅgā, wahai datuk, pahlawan terunggul di medan perang—bagaimanakah Śikhaṇḍī, yang dahulu lahir sebagai perempuan, kemudian menjadi lelaki? Beritahulah aku.”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharmic inquiry: understanding the causes behind a person’s condition and role in war. It points to the Mahābhārata’s ethical emphasis that present outcomes—especially those shaping conflict—are rooted in prior actions and complex destinies, inviting careful discernment rather than superficial judgment.
At the start of the Ambā episode, Duryodhana addresses Bhīṣma and asks how Śikhaṇḍī, said to have been born female, later became male. This question introduces the backstory that will explain Śikhaṇḍī’s identity and significance in the events leading toward the Kurukṣetra war.