Background of the Story

Satyavathi was married to King Santanu of Hastināpura, after a solemn vow by his son Devavrata - that he would renounce all claims to the throne and remain celibate lifelong. This terrible and noble vow earned Devavrata the name Bhishma. The throne was reserved for the progeny of Satyavathi; and Bhishma relinquished his claim to the throne. 1

The Story

From her marriage to Santanu, Satyavathi had two sons: Citrāṅgada and Vicitravīrya. Citrāṅgada became king after Santanu’s passing but was soon killed in battle by a Gandharva of the same name. Vicitravīrya, still a boy, was crowned king under Bhishma’s protection. Bhishma ruled the country with Hastinapur as his capital, but he also sought the advice of Satyavathi in all matters of importance.

When Vicitravīrya came of age, Satyavatī desired suitable brides for him. Bhishma learned that the king of Kāśī was holding a svayaṁvara (ceremonial bride-choice) for his three daughters - Amba, Ambika, and Ambālika. But the king had not invited the Kurus, seeing Vicitravīrya as too young and unproven.

Bhishma’s Mission to Kāśī: A Matter of Dharma?

Bhishma, riding a chariot like a blazing comet, stormed the court of Kāśī king, defeated the assembled kings in combat, and carried away the three princesses by force. He invoked Kshatriya Dharma to the assembled kings and challenged them to fight with him. All the kings fought, but failed. The king of Sālva desa, Sālva had a reciprocal love with Amba, the eldest daughter of the Kāśī king. He stopped the passage of Bhishma and a great battle took place. But soon he was defeated by Bhishma with ease.

Satyavatī rejoiced, and the marriage of Ambika and Ambālika with Vicitravīrya took place. However, Amba revealed that she had already given her heart to Sālva, a prince who had been defeated by Bhishma. She begged to be released. Bhishma, respecting her wishes, let her go, and with all dignity, he sent her to Sālva.

Meanwhile, Vicitravīrya lived in pleasure with his two queens for seven years but fell ill and died childless.

The Dilemma of Lineage: Dharma-Sūkṣmatā Begins

With both sons gone, the Kuru lineage was in peril. Satyavathi approached Bhishma and requested him to marry the widowed queens to preserve the dynasty. Bhishma, though deeply respectful, refused. His vow, once taken, was irreversible, and it was not just a personal promise-it was a binding spiritual commitment (mahāpratijñā) and a pillar of dharma he had sworn before his father (for details of Bhishma Pratigna, please refer the previous story- “Story 21 - Bhishma Pratigna (a story from Vedavyasa Mahabharata”

When Satyavathi was in agony, Bhishma suggested, ‘Oh Mother! In these circumstances, I rather suggest a Sanatana Kshatra Dharma which is acceptable by dharmic people. You can depute any virtuous Brahmin to the wives of Vicitravīrya to beget children’.

Sathyavathi listened, and with a shy, she started telling her own escapade of meeting with Parāśara in a boat and the birth of Veda Vyasa (for details, refer the previous story - “Story 13 - Birth of Vedavyasa”). ‘If it is acceptable to you, I can call my son, Veda Vyasa and request him to beget children with Ambika and Ambālika’. Bhishma gracefully agreed her request.

Satyavathi was happy and summoned Veda Vyasa to her place. No sooner she remembered, Vyasa appeared on the scene and did salutations to his mother.

Vyāsa, committed to preserving the family’s spiritual and royal legacy, agreed to abide the words of his mother. But he said, ‘Oh Mother! The two queens- Ambika and Ambālika have to undergo rigorous vratam (religious observance) for a year as suggested by me to get themselves purified. An unpurified woman cannot reach me’.

But Satyavathi was in hurry.

अराजकेषु राष्ट्रेषु प्रजानाथा विनश्यति |
नश्यन्ति च क्रिया: सर्वाः न वृष्टिर्न च देवाताः || 2 – Adi Parvam 105.44

(In the absence of king in the State, the people perish without a protector. All dharmic activities shall come to a pause, and there shall be no rains. Gods’ benevolent blessings get stopped’)

‘Hence, I request you to render गर्भाधानं - garbhādhānaṃ and impregnate the queens. Let Bhishma raise up the progeny’

Vedavyasa had no choice. He said, ‘Yes! I shall oblige your request provided Ambika and Ambālika bear my uncanny demeanour, distasteful odour and uncouth outlook’.

Satyavathi agreed and went up to her daughter-in-law, Ambika. ‘Bharatha vamsam is getting extinguished in the absence of lineage. It is in your hands to restore Kuru lineage. In the interest of the State and people, you follow the age-old tradition of respecting Niyoga Dharma and procreate children.

She further said,

कौसल्ये देवरास्तेस्ति सोsद्यत्वानुप्रवेक्ष्यति |
अप्रमत्ता प्रतीक्षैवं निशीधेह्यागमिष्यति || 3 – Adi Parvam 105.2

(Oh, Virtuous lady! You have a brother-in-law, and he will reach you this night for गर्भाधानं - garbhādhānaṃ. Wait for him).

Ambika was clueless as to who would come to her on that night. Her mind was on Bhishma and many other statesmen of Kuru clan - (साऽचिन्तयत् तदा भीष्ममन्यांश्च कुरुपुङ्गवान् - sā’cintayat tadā bhīṣmamanyāṃśca kurupuṅgavān)

When Vyasa approached, she saw a black man with a long beard with brown reddish hair and having pointed eye balls. She was aghast, and out of fear, she closed her eyes totally terrified.

Satyavathi was anxious to know as to what kind of boy would come out of the union. Veda Vyasa said, ‘Oh Mother! Ambika shall have a boy, and he will be highly knowledgeable and courageous with the strength of ten thousand mighty elephants. But, due to the mother’s behaviour, he will be born-blind’. In due course of time Ambika delivered a blind boy who was named as Dhritarashtra.

‘Oh Maharhi! A blind man cannot rule Hastinapur. You need to bless one more child to Ambālika’, said Satyavathi.

Satyavathi arranged for the union of Veda Vyasa with Ambālika. When Vyasa approached, she was also aghast and became pale out of fear.

Veda Vyasa said, ‘since she looked pale, she shall beget a child of पाण्डु- pāṇḍu or anaemic or pale complexion’. Meanwhile Ambālika gave birth to a whitish pale child who was named as Pāṇḍu. Satyavathi was not very happy at the turn of events and asked for one more child to Ambika.

This time Ambika ignored the request of her mother-in-law Satyavathi and deputed her servant maid after decorating her with all ornaments, and Satyavathi was kept in the dark.

The maidservant, in Ambikā’s place, received Veda Vyasa with all diligence. met him with calmness and respect. She bore a wise and virtuous son- Vidura. Vidura was the very incarnation of Lord Yama Dharmaraja, and he was born upon the earth due to a curse given by Maharshi Māṇḍavya.

Vysampayana narrated the entire story of the birth of Dhritarashtra, Pāṇḍu and Vidura to the king Janamejaya. Janamejaya was inquisitive to know why Maharshi Māṇḍavya cursed Lord Yama. We shall look into Maharshi Māṇḍavya story in our next episode.

Points to Ponder

  1. Reflections on Dharma and Its Subtleties (Dharma-Sūkṣmatā)
    Bhishma’s abduction of the Kāśī princesses: While modern ethics may see the act as violent, in the context of kṣatriya dharma, such acts were acceptable forms of marriage (like rakṣasa vivāha), especially for royal purposes. Bhishma did not act for himself but to fulfil his duty to the throne and his mother. He treated the women with dignity and gave Amba full freedom upon learning of her prior attachment. For knowing acceptable modes of marriages in Mahabharata times, one can refer my previous story in the same website - “Story 15 - Story of Sakunthala and Dushyantha”.

  2. Niyoga Dharma and Consent:
    According to ancient dharma, a practice called niyoga (also known as DEVARA NYAYA permitted a qualified man -often the brother of the husband, or a close relative or sage-to beget children on a widow or a woman whose husband was either incapable, impotent or not upon the earth -with the sole intent of continuing the lineage. The child would be regarded as that of the husband, not of the biological father. Today, assigning someone to cohabit with a widow without her explicit consent would be deeply unethical. However, in Vedic and early epic traditions, niyoga was practiced under social customs where personal freedom, especially of women, was limited, and the survival of the lineage (kula) and dharma was paramount. This practice is not viewed as adultery,but as a duty-based ritual, performed under specific conditions.

    Yet, it must be noted:

    • Satyavatī sought cooperation from the queens.
    • Veda Vyasa did not force himself; the reactions of Ambika and Ambālika imply that while they may have been under obligation, they were not assaulted.
    • Conditions for niyoga:
      • Must be done with permission from elders.
      • Can only occur a limited number of times (usually once or twice).
      • The niyukta puruṣa must be a dhārmika person.
      • The woman must observe a period of impurity and rest after conception.
      • The biological father shall not have a continued marital bond.

    Cultural and Philosophical Framing of Niyoga:
    - Dharma over personal will: In the Vedic worldview, the duty to uphold family and kuladharma outweighs personal preferences.
    - Preservation of lineage (kulavṛddhi) was a moral obligation, not merely a social need.
    - Consent was not defined in modern terms but implied through the authority of elders and the community’s collective dharma.

    What do the law-books tell about Niyoga?
    Manusmṛti 9.59–67
    “भ्रातेतरस्तु भगिनीं नियुक्तः सुतमात्मनः। धर्मेण प्राप्नुयान्नैव स्वार्थे तु भजेत्सुतम्॥”
    (‘If a man dies without a son, a brother or appointed person may beget a son on his wife in accordance with dharma. The child belongs to the husband.’)
    Apastamba Dharma Sūtra 2.6.13
    “यस्तु नियोगेन पुत्रं जनयति, स सुतः स्यात् स्वर्ग्यश्च। न तु जातः स्वार्थाय।। 4”
    (‘The son born of niyoga is a legitimate heir and the one through whom the father attains heaven, not for personal benefit.’)

  3. Bhīṣma’s Vow vs. Lineage:
    His refusal to marry or beget children, even in dire circumstances, reflects his steadfastness to sātvika dharma-where inner integrity outweighs external pressures. He was not just preserving a lineage but upholding the sanctity of his word as the foundation of Kuru dharma.

  4. Kṣatriya Dharma - Can Kshatriyas attend Svayaṁvara & War even Without Invitation?
    Yes, this sentiment has a basis in both epic tradition and kṣatriya dharma. It is not phrased exactly in the form of a śloka but is a commonly observed convention in the Mahābhārata and Itihāsas.

    In Mahābhārata’s Adi Parva, Bhīṣma declares before taking the princesses:

    “Kṣatriyas are free to attend svayaṁvaras, whether invited or not. It is a dharma-yuddha among the assembled to win the bride.”

    This is implied kṣatriya conduct, rooted in rakṣasa vivāha-a valid form among the 8 types of marriages described in dharmaśāstra.

    1. Kṣatriya Dharma - Attending Svayamvara Without Invitation
      Bhīṣma’s act of attending the Kāśī svayaṁvara without invitation is based on the principle:

      “युद्धं च स्वयंवरं च क्षत्रियस्य निमन्त्रणं विना सिध्यति।”

      (‘A kṣhatriya needs no invitation to battle or to a svayaṁvara.’)

      This is not a formal śloka from a Dharmaśāstra, but a widely accepted principle in epic tradition.

      • Mahabharata, Adi Parva (Sambhava Parva):

        Bhishma says: ‘It is in accordance with kṣatriya dharma to attend a svayaṁvara and win the bride through valour.’

      • Manusmṛti 3.33:

        “राक्षसस्तु विवाहः स्याद्धर्म्यः क्षत्रियसेवितः।”

        (‘The Rākṣasa form of marriage - abduction after defeating rivals - is lawful for kṣhatriyas.’)

    2. Dharma-Sūkṣmatā:
      The Mahabharata and Dharmaśāstra acknowledge that dharma is subtle, contextual, and often bound by societal needs. Niyoga and the abduction at svayaṁvara were not immoral in their time but upheld lineage and duty.

  5. यद्भावं तद्भवति - yadbhāvaṃ tadbhavati:
    Anbika got a blind son, while Ambālika got a son of whitish and pale complexion. The thoughts of the mother at the time of conception have strong effects on the children. Ayurveda system recommends music, laugh and peace of mind for the ladies during गर्भाधानं - garbhādhānaṃ and also during the course of pregnancy precisely for this reason.

Conclusion

The story from the Ādi Parva presents a vivid mosaic of dharma in action, bound by era-specific ethics, duties, and social values. Today’s reader might struggle with some moral choices depicted. But within the epic’s framework, actions were governed not just by personal desires but by cosmic order, family duty, and spiritual vows.

The Mahābhārata does not provide easy answers - it invites us to reflect on dharma-sūkṣmatā, the subtle, often painful balance between what is right, what is necessary, and what is dharmic.

Questions

  1. What is Niyoga? Explain in detail.
  2. What is Dharma- sūkṣmatā and how can you distinguish from Dharma?
  3. Explain different types of marriage as per Manu Dharmasastra.

  1. This Story is taken from Adi parvam of Mahabharata written by sage, Veda Vyasa, Gita Press. ↩︎

  2. arājakeṣu rāṣṭreṣu prajānāthā vinaśyati |
    naśyanti ca kriyā: sarvāḥ na vṛṣṭirna ca devātāḥ || – Adi Parvam 105.44 ↩︎

  3. कौसल्ये देवरास्तेस्ति सोsद्यत्वानुप्रवेक्ष्यति |
    अप्रमत्ता प्रतीक्षैवं निशीधेह्यागमिष्यति || – Adi Parvam 105.2 ↩︎

  4. “yastu niyogena putraṃ janayati, sa sutaḥ syāt svargyaśca। na tu jātaḥ svārthāya।।” ↩︎