Shloka 16

अम्बोपाख्याने तापसानां विचारः तथा होत्रवाहनस्य उपदेशः

Ambā among ascetics; Hotravāhana directs her to Paraśurāma

Devanagari script

समनुज्ञासिषं कन्यामम्बां ज्येष्ठां नराधिप । भीष्मजी कहते हैं--नरेश्वर! तब मैंने माता गन्धवती कालीसे आज्ञा ले मन्त्रियों

Transliteration

samanujñāsiṣaṁ kanyām ambāṁ jyeṣṭhāṁ narādhipa | yathā śālvapate nānyaṁ varaṁ dhyāmi kathaṁcana | tvām ṛte puruṣavyāghra tathā mūrdhānam ālabhe ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“噢，国王，我先得太后允准，又咨询群臣、主祭婆罗门与家祭，便准许长公主安芭离去。她对沙尔瓦之主宣言：‘除你之外，我绝不思量任何夫君。噢，人中之虎，唯你一人；我抚顶为誓，作此庄严誓言。’”

Word by Word

• यथा: just as / as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• शाल्वपते: O lord of the Śālvas (Śālva king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शाल्वपति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अन्यं: another
• अन्यं: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वरं: husband / suitor / bridegroom
• वरं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ध्यायामि: I think of / contemplate
• ध्यायामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ध्यै
• Form: Present (Lat), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कथंचन: in any way / at all
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथंचन

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• ऋते: except / without
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ऋते

• पुरुषव्याघ्र: O tiger among men
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषव्याघ्र
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तथा: thus / in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• मूर्धानम्: head
• मूर्धानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आलभे: I touch / I lay hold of
• आलभे: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + लभ्
• Form: Present (Lat), 1st, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Amba
• Shalva (king of Shalva)
• Shalva kingdom
• queen-mother (Gandhavati/Satyavati, as referenced in the passage)
• ministers
• ṛtvij (officiating priests)
• purohita (family priest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage highlights the ethical weight of consent and prior commitment in marriage: Amba asserts exclusive choice of Shalva, and Bhishma—after due consultation—permits her to go, showing that dharma involves respecting declared intent and social-religious procedure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma recounts that he formally allowed the eldest princess Amba to leave, after consulting royal and priestly authorities. Amba then states to King Shalva that she has chosen him alone as her husband and reinforces her claim with a solemn gesture of touching her head.