~ 16. Vichitravirya Leaves Two Widows ~


When Vichitravirya died, he left behind two widows, the princesses of Kashi: Ambika and Ambalika. Both were childless.
"Who will be king of Hastinapura now?" Satyavati wailed. In desperation, she turned to Bhishma for help. "It is lawful for a dead man's brother to continue the family line," she told him. "You are his half-brother! You must marry the princesses."
"You of all people know I cannot do that," Bhishma replied. "Your father compelled me to renounce all offspring."
Satyavati then said something that took Bhishma completely by surprise. "Then I must summon my son. He is our only hope."



Inspired byThe Mahabharata: A Shortened Modern Prose Version by R. K. Narayan
Notes: This story is from Chapter 1: The Eighth Baby.



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