Ambalika

2022-04-18T05:55:27Z

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{{Primary|date=October 2020}}
{{short description|Mother of King Pandu in the Mahabharata}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}
{{for|the Nepalese author|Ambalika Devi}}
{{Infobox epic character
| info-hdr = Information
| image = Bhisma fight in Swayamvara.jpg
| caption = [[Bhishma]] abducting princesses [[Amba (Mahabharata)|Amba]], Ambika and Ambalika from the assemblage of suitors at their swayamvara
| spouse = [[Vichitravirya]]
| children = [[Pandu]]
| family = '''Parents''' {{bulleted list|Kashya (Father)}} '''Sisters''' {{bulleted list|[[Amba (Mahabharata)|Amba]]|[[Ambika (Mahabharata)|Ambika]]}}
Brothers
Senabindu
| relatives = [[Pandavas]] (grand children)
| color = #FFC569
}}
In the epic ''[[Mahabharata]]'', '''Ambalika''' ([[Sanskrit]]: अम्बालिका, ''ambālikā'') is the daughter of Kashya, the King of [[Kingdom of Kashi|Kashi]], and wife of [[Vichitravirya]], the King of [[Hastinapur]].

==Legend==
[[File:Mahabharata_Partial_Family_Tree.png|thumb|''Mahabharata'' Kuru Family Tree]]
Along with her sisters, [[Amba (Mahabharata)|Amba]] and [[Ambika (Mahabharata)|Ambika]], Ambalika was taken by force by [[Bhishma]] from their [[Swayamvara]], the latter having challenged and defeated the assembled royalty. He presented them to [[Satyavati]] for marriage to Vichitravirya. Ambalika and her sister spent seven years in their husband's company. Vichitravirya was affected with phthisis, ([[tuberculosis]]) and died from the disease.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01103.htm |title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CII |publisher=[[Sacred-texts.com]] |access-date=2012-08-15}}</ref><ref name=B>{{cite book|title=Myths and Legends from India - Great Women|last=Bhanu|first=Sharada|publisher=Macmillan India Limited|year=1997|location=Chennai|isbn=0-333-93076-2|pages=35-6}}</ref>

After Vichitravirya's death, his mother Satyavati sent for her first born, [[Rishi]] [[Vyasa|Veda Vyasa]]. She asked him to father children on the widowed queens of Vichitravirya according to the prevalent custom of [[Niyoga]]. Veda Vyasa had come from years of intense meditation and as a result, he looked tremendously unkempt. When he approached [[Ambika (Mahabharata)|Ambika]], she closed her eyes in fear. As a result the blind [[Dhritrashtra]] was born. When he approached Ambalika, she turned pale in fear. Her son [[Pandu]], the result of the ''[[niyoga]]'', was born with a pale appearance.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01106.htm |title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CV |publisher=Sacred-texts.com |access-date=2012-08-15}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01107.htm |title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CVI |publisher=Sacred-texts.com |access-date=2012-08-15}}</ref>

After the death of Pandu, Ambalika accompanied her mother-in-law Satyavati and sister Ambika to the forest and spent the rest of her days in spiritual retreat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01129.htm |title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CXXVIII |publisher=Sacred-texts.com |access-date=2012-08-15}}</ref>

Amablika is also referred to as Kausalya in the Sambhava Parva when her son, Pandu, dies. After Kunti returns with the corpses of Pandu and Madri with the Pandavas, arrangements are made for the funeral of the dead couple. Seeing her son on the funeral pyre, Kausalya faints out of grief.<ref>PC Roy Mahabharata, Sambhava Parva, Adi Parva, Page 297 Link: http://www.holybooks.com/mahabharata-all-volumes-in-12-pdf-files/</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/maha/index.htm KMG ''Mahabharata'']

{{Mahabharata}}
{{HinduMythology}}

[[Category:Characters in the Mahabharata]]

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Ambalika