Ambā / Śikhaṇḍī
Eldest of three Kashi princesses (Amba, Ambika, Ambalika); kidnapped by Bhishma at the svayamvara as a wife for Vichitravirya. Revealed her prior love for Salwa, king of Saubha; Bhishma honorably released her; but Salwa rejected her as defiled by abduction, and Vichitravirya rejected her likewise. Returned to Bhishma demanding marriage; Bhishma's vow forbade; sent away. Sought revenge through Parashurama, who fought Bhishma in a 23-day stalemate-duel on her behalf and lost. Undertook twelve years of severe ascetic penance; pleased Shiva, who granted her the boon of becoming the cause of Bhishma's death in her next birth (since Bhishma's vow forbade fighting a woman). Self-immolated to enable the rebirth. Reborn as Shikhandini, daughter of King Drupada of Panchala (the same king whose later sacrifice produced Draupadi and Dhrishtadyumna). Drupada raised her as a male per Shiva's prophecy. After her marriage to a princess of Dasharna led to the discovery of her female sex and threatened war, fled to the forest and exchanged sexes with the yaksha Sthuna; the exchange became permanent when Kubera cursed the yaksha to retain the female sex. On the tenth day of Kurukshetra, placed before Arjuna in the chariot to nullify Bhishma's vow against fighting one born female; Bhishma recognized Shikhandi as reborn Amba and lowered his bow; Arjuna shot from behind, pinning Bhishma to the bed of arrows. The Shiva-boon fulfilled. Killed by Ashvatthama on the eighteenth night during the sleeping-camp massacre.
Powers
- Brings about Bhīṣma's fall in battle
- Exchanges sex with a yakṣa to become a man
Relations
- sibling: Dhrishtadyumna
- enemy: BhīṣmaReciprocal of hindu_bhishma.enemyMahabharata Adi Parva 102; Udyoga Parva 170-194 (primary)
- parent life 1: the king of Kashi (father of Amba, Ambika, and Ambalika in life-1) · HinduKing of Kashi (entry pending). First-life father.Mahabharata Adi Parva 102 (primary)
- parent life 2: Drupada (king of Panchala, father of Draupadi and Dhrishtadyumna and Shikhandi, in life-2 of Amba) · HinduKing Drupada of Panchala (entry pending) — second-life father (Shikhandini-Shikhandi).Mahabharata Udyoga Parva 189-193 (primary)
- sibling life 1: Ambika (sister of Amba and Ambalika, mother of Dhritarashtra by Vyasa via niyoga) · HinduAmbika, second of the three Kashi princesses (entry pending).Mahabharata Adi Parva 102-103 (primary)
- sibling life 1: Ambalika (sister of Amba and Ambika, mother of Pandu by Vyasa via niyoga) · HinduAmbalika, youngest of the three Kashi princesses (entry pending).Mahabharata Adi Parva 102-103 (primary)
- sibling life 2: Dhrishtadyumna (son of Drupada, brother of Draupadi, commander of the Pandava forces, slayer of Drona) · HinduSecond-life half-sibling — Dhrishtadyumna and Draupadi were Drupada's later fire-born children (entry pending for Dhrishtadyumna).Mahabharata Adi Parva 167; Udyoga Parva 189 (primary)
- sibling life 2: DraupadīSecond-life half-sibling — Drupada's later fire-born daughter.Mahabharata Adi Parva 167 (primary)
- rejected suitor life 1: Salwa (king who rejected Amba after she had been won by Bhishma in the swayamvara abduction) · HinduSalwa, king of Saubha (entry pending). The pre-svayamvara love who rejected her after her abduction-defilement by Bhishma.Mahabharata Udyoga Parva 173-176 (primary)
- nemesis: BhīṣmaBhishma — the kidnapper of her first life and the structural cause of her revenge-rebirth as Shikhandi. Her presence on the tenth day of Kurukshetra war was the structural cause of his fall.Mahabharata Adi Parva 102; Udyoga Parva 170-194; Bhishma Parva 107-119 (primary)
- sex exchange with: Sthuna (the yaksha who exchanges sex with Shikhandini/Shikhandi, enabling her transformation to male in the Amba reincarnation cycle) · HinduYaksha Sthuna (entry pending). Made the temporary sex-exchange permanent through Kubera's curse on the yaksha.Mahabharata Udyoga Parva 191-193 (primary)