An Index to the Names in the Mahabharata, with Short Explanations and a Concordance to the Bombay and Calcutta Editions and P. C. Roy's Translation c5.s1.251

c5.s1.251

would come to his knowledge, for it had been known to him in his former life; neither Rāma nor any person on earth was acquainted with it; Rāma would not be slain by it, but he would fall asleep; "then thou wilt awaken him with the weapon Sambodhana" (V, 183). Next day Akytavraṇa must comfort Rāma. Bhishma and Rāma both used the Brāhma weapon; the welkin seemed to be ablaze, and D., As., R., G., and Rā. were greatly afflicted, etc. Then the mantras for using the Prasvāpa weapon suddenly came to Bhishma's mind (V, 184). Voices in the sky (the gods) and Nārada forbade him to let off the Prasvāpa weapon against Rāma, and the above-mentioned brahmans supported the words of Nārada. Beholding the Prasvāpa weapon withdrawn, Rāma declared himself to be vanquished. Rāma then beheld before him his father and father's father, who forbade him any more to fight with kshattriyas, especially with Bhishma, whom the gods forbade to fight with Rāma. "Arjuna has been ordained by Svayambhū to be the slayer of Bhishma." The ascetics with Reika, Nārada, Gaṅgā, and the Pitrs succeeded in bringing about peace; the above-mentioned eight brahmans ordered Bhishma to go to Rāma, who, summoning Ambā, said (V, 185) that he could do no more for her. Ambā went away, resolved to devote herself to austerities, that she might herself slay Bhishma. Rāma with the ascetics departed for the Mahendra mountain; Bhishma entered Hāstinapura, and was blessed by Satyavatī, and he appointed spies to ascertain the doings of Ambā. Bhishma became afflicted when he heard that she was resolved on ascetic austerities (description), but was consoled by Nārada and Vyāsa. After having lived for six months on air she stood a year in the waters of Yamunā, etc., and thus went on for twelve years. She then went into Vatsabhūmi (resorted to by Si. and Cā.), etc. (a). Gaṅgā, angry because she observed these vows for the destruction of Bhishma, cursed her, saying that after death she would become a river crooked in her course, etc. When Ambā once more came back to Vatsabhūmi she there became the above-mentioned river, but in consequence of her ascetic merit, only with half her body, while to the other half she remained a maiden as before (V, 186). To the ascetics in Vatsabhūmi she said that she was resolved to obtain manhood in order to be revenged on Bhishma. Ҫiva appeared in her own form in the midst of those great rshis, and promised her that she would slay Bhishma and even obtain manhood, and in a new body remember all the incidents; born in the race of Drupada, she would become a mahāratha. Then Ҫiva disappeared. Ambā burnt herself on the bank of the Yamunā in the very sight of those great Rshis (V, 187). Questioned by Duryodhana how Ҫikhaṇḍin, having before been born a girl, afterwards became a man, Bhishma related: The eldest queen of king Drupada was childless. During those years Drupada worshipped Ҫaṅkara for the sake of offspring, resolving to bring about Bhishma's destruction, and practising the austorest of penances. He begged Ҫiva for a son; Ҫiva said he should have a child who would be both female and male. In due time the queen conceived (as told by Nārada), and gave birth to a daughter, whom Drupada gave out for a son, and called her Ҫikhaṇḍin. Bhishma alone, from his spies and from Nārada, knew the truth (V, 188). In arrows and weapons she became a disciple of Droṇa. They afterwards wedded her to the daughter of the Daҫārṇa king Hiraṇyavarman, quite assured that the words of Ҫiva would become true. Ҫikhaṇḍin, after marriage, came back to Kāmpilya. At the discovery of Ҫikhaṇḍin's sex a war was