"Vaishampaayana said, 'O you of Kuru's race (Janamejaya), after Chitraangada was slain, his successor Vichitravirya being a minor, Bhishma ruled the kingdom, placing himself under the command of Satyavati. When he saw that his brother (Vichitravirya), who was the foremost of intelligent men, attained to majority, Bhishma set his heart upon marrying Vichitravirya. At this time, he (Bhishma) heard that the three daughters of the king of Kashi, all equal in beauty to the Apsaras themselves, would be married on the same occasion, selecting their husbands at a Swayamvara. Then that foremost of chariot-warriors (Bhishma), that vanquisher of all enemies, at the command of his mother (Satyavati), went to the city of Varanasi in a single chariot.
"There Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, saw that innumerable monarchs had come from all directions; and there he also saw those three women that would select their own husbands. When the (assembled) kings were each being mentioned by name, Bhishma chose those maidens (on behalf of his brother). O monarch (Janamejaya), taking them upon his chariot, Bhishma, that first of attackers in battle, addressed the kings and said in a voice deep as the roar of the clouds, 'The wise have directed that when an accomplished person has been invited, a lady may be given on him, decked with ornaments and along with many valuable presents. Others again may give their daughters by accepting a couple of cows. Some again give their daughters by taking a fixed sum, and some take away maidens by force. Some wed with the consent of the women, some by drugging them into consent, and some by going to the women's parents and obtaining their sanction. Some again obtain wives as presents for assisting at yagnas. Of these, the learned always applaud the eighth form of marriage. Kings, however, speak highly of the Swyamvara (the fifth form as above) and themselves wed according to it. But the sages have said that, that wife is dearly to be prized who is taken away by force, after the slaughter of opponents, from middle the assembly of princes and kings invited to a Swayamvara. Therefore, O monarchs, I bear away these ladies hence by force. You strive, to the best of your might, to vanquish me or to be vanquished. O monarchs, I stand here resolved to fight!'
"Kuru prince (Bhishma), endued with great energy, thus addressing the assembled monarchs and the king of Kashi, took upon his chariot those (three) ladies. Having taken them up, he sped his chariot away, challenging the invited kings to a fight.
"The challenged monarchs then all stood up, slapping their arms and biting their lower lips in anger. Loud was the uproar produced, as, in a great hurry, they began to put off their ornaments and put on their armour. O Janamejaya, the motion of their ornaments and armour, brilliant as these were, resembled meteoric flashes in the sky. With eyebrows contracted and eyes red with anger, the monarchs moved in impatience, their armour and ornaments dazzling or waving with their agitated steps. The charioteers soon brought handsome chariots with fine horses attached thereto.
"Those splendid warriors then, equipped with all kinds of weapons, rode on those chariots, and with uplifted weapons pursued the retreating chief of the Kurus. O Bharata (Janamejaya), then occurred the terrible encounter between those innumerable monarchs on one side and the Kuru warrior (Bhishma) alone on the other. The assembled monarchs threw at their enemy (Bhishma) ten thousand arrows at the same time. Bhishma, however speedily checked those numberless arrows before they could come at him by means of a shower of his own arrows as innumerable as the down on the body.
"Then those kings surrounded him from all sides and rained arrows on him like masses of clouds showering on the mountain-chest. But Bhishma, arresting with his arrows the path of that arrowy downpour, pierced each of the monarchs with three arrows. The latter, in their turn pierced Bhishma, each with five arrows. O king (Janamejaya), but Bhishma checked those by his capability and pierced each of the contending kings with two arrows.
"The combat became so fierce with that dense shower of arrows and other missiles that it looked very much like the encounter between Devas and the Asuras of ancient times, and men of courage who took no part in it were struck with fear even to look at the scene. Bhishma cut off, with his arrows, on the battlefield, bows, and flagstaffs, and coats of armour, and human heads by hundreds and thousands. Such was his terrible bravery and extraordinary lightness of hand, and such the skill with which he protected himself, that the contending chariot-warriors, though his enemies, began to applaud him loudly. Then that foremost of all wielders of weapons having vanquished in battle all those monarchs, pursued his way towards the capital of the Bharatas (Hastinapura), taking those ladies with him.
"O king (Janamejaya), it was then that mighty chariot-warrior, king Shaalva of immeasurable prowess, from behind called Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, to an encounter. Desirous of obtaining the ladies, he came upon Bhishma like a mighty leader of a herd of elephants rushing upon another of his kind, and tearing with his tusks the latter's hips at the sight of a female elephant in heat.
"Shaalva of mighty arms, moved by anger addressed Bhishma and said, 'Stay, Stay.' Then Bhishma, that tiger among men, that grinder of hostile armies, provoked by these words, flamed up in anger like a blazing fire. Bow in hand, and eyebrow furrowed into wrinkles, he stayed on his chariot, in obedience to Kshatriya practice having checked its path in expectation of the enemy. All the monarchs seeing him stop, stood there to become spectators of the coming encounter between him and Shaalva.
"The two then began to exhibit their prowess (upon each other) like roaring bulls of great strength at the sight of a cow in rut. Then that foremost of men, king Shaalva covered Bhishma, the son of Shantanu with hundreds and thousands of swift-winged arrows. Those monarchs seeing Shaalva thus covering Bhishma at the outset with innumerable arrows, wondered much and uttered shouts of applause. Seeing his lightness of hand in combat, the crowd of regal spectators became very glad and applauded Shaalva greatly.
"That subjugator of hostile towns, Bhishma, then, on hearing those shouts of the Kshatriyas, became very angry and said, 'Stay, Stay'. In anger, he commanded his charioteer, saying, 'You lead my chariot to where Shaalva is, so that I may slay him instantly as Garuda slays a snake.'
"Then the Kuru chief (Bhishma) fixed the Varuna astra on his bow-string, and with it pained the four horses of king Shaalva. O tiger among kings (Janamejaya), the Kuru chief (Bhishma), then, warding off with his weapons those of his enemy, slew Shaalva's charioteer. Then that first of men, Bhishma, the son of Shantanu, fighting for the sake of those ladies, slew with the Aindra weapon the noble horses of his adversary. He then vanquished that best of monarchs (Shaalva) but left him with his life. O bull of Bharata's race (Janamejaya), Shaalva, after his defeat, returned to his kingdom and continued to rule it as per Dharma. O conqueror of hostile towns (Janamejaya), the other kings also, who had come to witness, the Swayamvara returned to their own kingdoms.
"That foremost of attackers - Bhishma, after defeating those monarchs, set out with those ladies, for Hastinapura from where the Dharmic Kuru prince Vichitravirya ruled the earth like that best of monarchs, viz., his father Shantanu. O king (Janamejaya), passing through many forests, rivers, hills, and woods abounding with trees, he arrived (at the capital) in no time. Of immeasurable prowess in battle, the son of the ocean-going Ganga (Bhishma), having slain numberless enemies in battle without a scratch on his own person, brought the daughters of the king of Kashi to the Kurus as tenderly if they were his daughters-in-law, or younger sisters, or daughters.
"Bhishma of mighty arms, driven by the desire of benefiting his brother, having by his prowess brought them thus, then offered those ladies possessing every accomplishment to Vichitravirya. Knowledgeable with the dictates of Dharma, the son of Shantanu (Bhishma), having achieved such an extraordinary feat according to (kingly) custom, then began to make preparations for his brother's wedding. When everything about the wedding had been settled by Bhishma in consultation with Satyavati, the eldest daughter of the king of Kashi (Amba), with a soft smile, told him these words, 'At heart I had chosen the king of Saubha for my husband. He had, in his heart, accepted me for his wife. This was also approved by my father. At the Swayamvara also I would have chosen him as my lord. You are knowledgeable with all the dictates of Dharma, knowing all this, do as you like.'
"Thus addressed by that woman in the presence of the Brahmanas, the heroic Bhishma began to think as to what should be done. As he was knowledgeable with the rules of Dharma, he consulted with the Brahmanas who had mastered the Vedas, and permitted Amba, the eldest daughter of the ruler of Kashi to do as she liked. But he gave with due rites the two other daughters, Ambika and Ambaalika on his younger brother Vichitravirya. Though Vichitravirya was virtuous and self-disciplined, yet, proud of youth and beauty, he soon became lustful after his marriage.
"Both Ambika and Ambalika were of tall stature, and of the complexion of molten gold. Their heads were covered with black curly hair, and their finger-nails were high and red; their hips were fat and round, and their breasts full and deep. Endued with every auspicious mark, the friendly young ladies considered themselves to be wedded to a husband who was every way worthy of themselves, and extremely loved and respected Vichitravirya.
"Vichitravirya also, endued with the prowess of Devas and the beauty of the twin Ashwins (Ashwini Devas), could steal the heart of any beautiful woman. The prince (Vichitravirya) passed seven years uninterruptedly in the company of his wives. He was attacked while yet in the prime of youth, with phthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis). Friends and relatives in consultation with one another tried to effect a cure. But in spite of all efforts, the Kuru prince (Vichitravirya) died, setting like the evening sun. The Dharmic Bhishma then became plunged into anxiety and grief, and in consultation with Satyavati caused the funeral rites of the deceased (Vichitravirya) to be performed by learned priests and the several of the Kuru race.'"
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