Vichitravirya
Encyclopedia
Vichitravirya in the Hindu
epic Mahabharata
is the younger son of queen Satyavatī
and king Śaṅtanu
. His elder brother, Chitrāngada
, had initially succeeded their father to the throne of Hastinapura
, but when he died childless, Vichitravirya succeeded him.
Vichitravirya was still a child when he was crowned king, thus Bhishma
ruled as his regent. When the young king became at proper age to marry, Bhishma
searched for him for a suitable bride. And he heard the king of Kasi was holding a swayamvara
for his three daughters. Since Vichitravirya himself was yet too young to stand any chance of being chosen by the young women, Bhishma
himself went to the swayamvara
.
Bhishma
won the swayamvara
and brought the Princesses Amba, Ambika and Ambalika
to marry Vichitravirya. But Amba had already given her heart to Salva, therefore Ambika and Ambalika were married to Vichitravirya.
Unfortunately, shortly after his marriage, Vichitravirya died of consumption tuberculosis
. As he died without an heir, Bhishma
was asked by Satyavatī to produce the next generation by Vichitravirya's wives, Ambika and Ambalika. But Bhishma
declined this as he had already vowed to remain celibate for life. He instructed Satyavatī to instead summon her son Vyasa
to father grandchildren for her. Ambika subsequently gave birth to Dhritarashtra
, while Ambalika bore Pandu
.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
epic Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
is the younger son of queen Satyavatī
Satyavati
Satyavati was the queen of the Kuru king Shantanu of Hastinapur and the great-grandmother of the Pandava and Kaurava princes . She is also the mother of the seer Vyasa, author of the epic...
and king Śaṅtanu
Santanu
Shantanu was a Kuru king of Hastinapura, who is mentioned in the great epic of the Mahābhārata. He was a descendant of the Bharata race, of the lunar dynasty and the ancestor of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The Rigveda mentions Shantanu. He was the youngest son of King Pratipa of Hastinapura...
. His elder brother, Chitrāngada
Chitrangada
Chitrāngada , was the elder son of Shantanu and Satyavati. Since his elder half brother Bhishma took a vow of not ascending the throne of Hastinapura, he became the king after Shantanu and was very successful. Unfortunately, his success angered a Gandharva king of the same name...
, had initially succeeded their father to the throne of Hastinapura
Hastinapura
Hastinapur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-History:Hastinapur was the capital of the kingdom of the Kauravas, belonging to the Kuru dynasty of kings. The throne of this city was the prize over which the Kurukshetra War of the epic...
, but when he died childless, Vichitravirya succeeded him.
Vichitravirya was still a child when he was crowned king, thus Bhishma
Bhishma
Bhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
ruled as his regent. When the young king became at proper age to marry, Bhishma
Bhishma
Bhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
searched for him for a suitable bride. And he heard the king of Kasi was holding a swayamvara
Swayamvara
Swayamvara , in ancient India, was a practice of choosing a husband, from among a list of suitors, by a girl of marriageable age. Swayam in Sanskrit means self and vara means choice or desire ....
for his three daughters. Since Vichitravirya himself was yet too young to stand any chance of being chosen by the young women, Bhishma
Bhishma
Bhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
himself went to the swayamvara
Swayamvara
Swayamvara , in ancient India, was a practice of choosing a husband, from among a list of suitors, by a girl of marriageable age. Swayam in Sanskrit means self and vara means choice or desire ....
.
Bhishma
Bhishma
Bhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
won the swayamvara
Swayamvara
Swayamvara , in ancient India, was a practice of choosing a husband, from among a list of suitors, by a girl of marriageable age. Swayam in Sanskrit means self and vara means choice or desire ....
and brought the Princesses Amba, Ambika and Ambalika
Ambalika
Ambalika was the daughter of Kashya, the King of Kashi and queen of Vichitravirya, King of Hastinapura.Along with her sisters Amba and Ambika, she was taken by force by Bhishma from their Swayamvara, the latter having challenged and defeated the assembled royalty...
to marry Vichitravirya. But Amba had already given her heart to Salva, therefore Ambika and Ambalika were married to Vichitravirya.
Unfortunately, shortly after his marriage, Vichitravirya died of consumption tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. As he died without an heir, Bhishma
Bhishma
Bhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
was asked by Satyavatī to produce the next generation by Vichitravirya's wives, Ambika and Ambalika. But Bhishma
Bhishma
Bhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
declined this as he had already vowed to remain celibate for life. He instructed Satyavatī to instead summon her son Vyasa
Vyasa
Vyasa is a central and revered figure in most Hindu traditions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa , or Krishna Dvaipayana...
to father grandchildren for her. Ambika subsequently gave birth to Dhritarashtra
Dhritarashtra
In the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...
, while Ambalika bore Pandu
Pandu
In the Mahābhārata epic, King Pandu is the son of Ambalika and Rishi Ved Vyasa. He is more popularly known as the father of the Pandavas and ruled Hastinapur.-Birth:...
.