Shloka 4

अम्बाया निर्वेदः तपोव्रताभ्यर्थना च

Ambā’s Despair and Petition for Ascetic Vows

Devanagari script

सत्यवत्यास्त्वनुमते विवाहे समुपस्थिते । उवाच वाक्यं सब्रीडा ज्येष्ठा काशिपते: सुता,सत्यवतीकी अनुमतिसे जब विवाहका कार्य उपस्थित हुआ, तब काशिराजकी ज्येष्ठ पुत्री अम्बाने कुछ लज्जित होकर मुझसे कहा--

Transliteration

satyavatyāstv anumate vivāhe samupasthite | uvāca vākyaṃ sabrīḍā jyeṣṭhā kāśipateḥ sutā ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：当在萨蒂娅瓦蒂的允准之下，婚事的筹备已至可行之时，迦尸之主的长女安芭便带着几分羞怯，对我开口说道。

Word by Word

सत्यवत्याःof Satyavatī

तुbut/indeed

अनुमतेwhen permission/consent (was given)

विवाहेat/in the marriage

समुपस्थितेhaving arrived / being at hand

उवाचsaid/spoke

वाक्यम्a statement/words

सब्रीडाwith modesty/shamefaced

ज्येष्ठाeldest

काशिपतेःof the lord of Kāśī (king of Kāśī)

सुताdaughter

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Satyavatī

Ambā

Kāśī (Vārāṇasī)

King of Kāśī (Kāśipati)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that social authorization (here, Satyavatī’s approval for the marriage proceedings) does not erase the ethical need to listen to an individual’s voice—especially where modesty, personal intention, or prior attachment may be involved. It foreshadows a dharmic conflict between political arrangements and personal consent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that once the marriage arrangements were underway with Satyavatī’s consent, Ambā—the eldest princess of Kāśī—approached him and spoke shyly. This introduces Ambā’s forthcoming statement that becomes pivotal to the later chain of events involving Bhīṣma.