Bhishma said Then did I, submitted the matter before our advisers, priests and spiritual guides,

Grant that eldest among the girls, Amba to go away, 0 ruler of men; and the girl too, obtaining the permission, went to the capital of the king of the Shalvas.

She was escorted by old twice born men and followed by maid servants; and after traveling the whole distance she reached the presence of that king.

She, going to the king of the “Shalvas, said these words:-"I have come, O you of long arms, expecting to be united with you, O you of great intelligence."

The king of the Shalvas, however said to him with a laughter, O lord of the universe, "O you of good complexion, I do not desire to take you for my wife for you had before been taken by another.

Go therefore, gentle lady, again to Bhishma. I dot desire to have you who had been taken away by Bhishma by force.

At that time were you cheerfully led away by Bhishma who vanquished all the kings.

O you of fair complexion, I do not desire as my wife, yourself who had been accepted by another, for how can a king like us accept a girl

A king, who is familiar with every science and who lays down laws for others. Go wherever you please, gentle lady, and do not waste your time.”

Amba, being struck with the darts of love, said to that king:-“Do not speak thus, O ruler of the earth, it can not be so by any means.

Never was I cheerfully led away by Bhishma, O chastiser of enemies. Weeping, I was led away by force after he had vanquished the lords of the earth.

Accept me, O lord of the Shalvas, accept a girl who is innocent. No religion approves of the direction of the devoted.

I have come here without any loss of time after taking leave of the son of Ganga, who never turns back from the field of battle and with his permission.

That Bhishma of long arms does not want me, O lord of the universe and this exertion of Bhishma is for the sake of his brother, I have heard.

Those two sisters of mine, Ambika, and Ambalika, who had been led away, have been made over by the son of Ganga to his younger brother Vichitravirya.

I do not, O lord of the Shalvas, desire any husband save yourself, O foremost among men, I swear by my heart.

O chief among kings, I do not come to you as one who has before been ravished by another. I am speaking the truth, O lord of the Shalvas, I swear by my soul and by truth.

Accept me, O you of big eyes, who am a girl and have come of my own will desirous of your favours, and without having been ravished by another, O chief among kings."

Shalva however abandoned that daughter of the ruler of the Kashis who spoke thus, O chief among the Bharatas, like a serpent casting off its slough.

The king of the Shalvas did not look graciously on that girl who spoke in this and several other strains.

Then did that eldest daughter of the ruler of the Kashis struck with grief say with eyes bathed in tears in a voice choked with tears.

Being abandoned by you I shall go wherever I please, O lord of the universe, making the righteous my refuge, for truth is indestructible.

At that time the lord of the Shalvas thus abandoned that girl, O Kaurava, who spoke to him plaintively.

Shalva said to her again and again “go, go, I fear Bhishma, O you of beautiful hips, for you are Bhishma's capture."

Being thus spoken to by that Shalva of short foresight, she issued out of that city sorrowing, weeping like a she osprey.

Bhishma said As she sorrowfully issued out of the capital she thought within herself: “In this world there is no young woman in a more difficult situation than myself.

I have been robbed of my friends and wronged by Shalva nor am I capable of going back to the city called after the elephant.

The reason being that I was permitted by Bhishma to leave him with the object of going to Shalva. Whom shall I blame, myself or Bhishma who is hard to be approached,

Or that foolish father who made arrangements for the selection of a husband by myself. It was a fault of mine own that at that time from Bhishma's chariot,

I did not leap down to join Shalva, when Bhishma was engaged in fierce battle. The result of that is this, namely that I have been made a fool of.

Shame on Bhishma, shame on my idiotic father of foolish heart that fixed velour to be my dower as if I were a woman who could be sold at a price,

Shame on myself, shame on king Shalva, shame also on the creator through whose fault I am now placed in this difficulty.

In all circumstances does a man go through his share of worldly happiness and misery but Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, is the prime cause of this difficulty.

I now see that for the present I should have revenge on that Bhishma either by austerities or by battle, for in my opinion he is the cause of my misery.

What ruler of the earth would venture to fight with Bhishma." Thinking thus she went out of the city,

To a hermitage of a great souled anchorite of virtuous ways of life and she stayed there for the night surrounded by anchorites.

That lady of sweet smiles told them, everything about herself in due order, O Bharata, in detail, the story of her abduction, her liberation and her abandonment by Shalva.

There lived a great Brahmana of rigid vows Shaikhavatya by name, old in devotion and a preceptor of the holy books and the Arariyakas.

That anchorite, of eminent devotion, said to that chaste lady who was in extreme difficuity and who was sighing in grief and distress.

Such being the case, gentle lady, what can be done by devotees residing in this hermitage, of great parts and great souled though they be?

She however thus replied, O king: "Show me this favour. I desire to wander about and to practice hard devotion.

The deeds that had been done by me in a previous life out of folly are certainly misdeeds and this is surely the result of that.

I do not venture to go back to my kindred, O devctees, rejected and rendered cheerless and y. nged by Shalva.

I wish to be instructed here (in asceticism), O ascetics, whose sins have been washed off by you who are god-like; let kindness be shown to me."

He then comforted that lady by citing instances and examples and consoled her by promising to do her work along with others among the twice-born.