Hotravahana said “You will see Rama, the son of Jamadagni, devoted to truth and endued with great strength in the great forest, practicing hard asceticism.

Rama ever dwells on that highest among the mountains, called Mahendra. Rishis conversant with the Vedas and Gandharavas and Apsaras also live there.

Go there and may you fare well. Tell him these words of mine after saluting that old devotee of firm vows by bowing down your head.

Tell him what you want, gentle ladyhearing my name Rama will do all you ask of him.

Rama is my friend, child, and he is my well-wisher and is highly pleased with me that hero, the son Jamadagni and the foremost of all wielders of weapons.

While Hotravahana that ruler of the earth was thus speaking to that girl, the devoted follower of Rama, Akritavrana, presented himself there.

Then did all those Rishis by thousands as also Hotravahana, the king of the Srinjayas, old in years, stand up.

Seeing him those dwellers of the forest united together did him the rites of hospitality and then sat down surrounding him, O chief among the Bharatas.

Then they began to converse cheerfully and delightfully on subjects that delighted one's heart and which were blessed and divine, O chief among kings.

Then at the end of the conversation, the royal sage Hotravahana, endued with a large soul, asked Akritavrana about Rama the foremost among the great Rishis.

“Where can I see at present the mighty son of Jamadagni, O you of long arms, 0 Akritavrana, that foremost among those conversant with the Vedas.

Akritavrana said Rama ever speaks of you, my lord, saying: The royal sage Srinjaya, that ruler of the earth, is my dear friend.

I think Rama will be here on the morrow. You will see him come here owing to your desire for seeing him.

O royal sage, why is the lady come to the forest, whose daughter is she and what is she to you? I desire to know it.

Hotravahana said She is my grand child, my lord, the beloved daughter of the king of the Kashis. O sinless one, she was desirous of choosing her own husband along with her two sisters.

This eldest daughter of the ruler of the Kashis is known as Amba and, O you whose only wealth is devotion, his two younger daughters are called Ambika and Ambalika.

Then was there assembled in the city of Kashi, the entire body of Kshatriya rulers of the earth and there were great rejoicing there, O regenerate Rishi of those princes.

Then did Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, endued with great heroism and energy overthrowing all those rulers of the earth, take away the three girls by force.

Bhishma of sinless soul, having conquered those rulers of the earth came to the city called after the elephant in company with those girls, OBharata.

That lord after submitting the case to Satyavati ordered for the wedding of his brother Vichitravirya.

This girl, seeing all the arrangements made for the wedding, said there to the son of Ganga in the midst of his councillors, O best among the twice-born.

The heroic king of Shalva has been chosen by me as my husband; O you conversant with virtue, it is not proper that you should give me, who am desirous of another, up in your brother.

Bhishma, hearing those words and consulting with his ministers, came to a decision and following the opinion of Satyavati sent her away,

Permitted by Bhishma this girl rejoicing went to Shalva the lord of Saubha in due time and said these words:

I have been dismissed by Bhishma; act righteously towards me for you had before been chosen by me as my husband, O best among the rulers of the earth.

Shalva, however being suspicious about her character, rejected her and she, coming to this hermitage, has become greatly bent on practicing asceticism.

She was recognized by me owing to her describing her parentage and she thinks Bhishma as the origin of this calamity of hers.

Amba said O lord, it is even as this ruler of the earth has said; the progenitor of my mother's self is this Hotravahana of the Srinjaya race.

I do not desire to go back to my father's city, O you whose wealth consists in asceticism, from fear of disgrace and out of shame, O great Muni.

0 best among the twice-born, it is my opinion that what the lord Rama points out to me would be my supreme duty, my lord.