Scene 1: In the palace of the queen mother Satyavati of Hastinapura to soon be married to Vichitravirya. Enter Amba.
Amba: What should I do? Should I ask him? I wonder if he will listen to my request… No, this isn’t right! I can’t just wait here to be married off to another man when my heart already belongs to someone. I have to plead to Bhishma to let me go.
Scene 2: In Bhishma’s chamber. Enter Bhishma.
Bhishma: What did you want to see me about?
Amba: I cannot go through with this wedding, I am already betrothed to the king of Shalwas and it would be a dishonor to be married to one man but constantly long for someone else.
Bhishma: I understand, you may leave at once.
Exit Bhishma
Amba: I can’t believe Bhishma let me go, just like that. I was ready to hurl myself on the floor in a fit of tears until he let me go. I need to hurry out and leave Hastinapura before Bhishma decides to change his mind and abduct me again. I’m finally on my way to King Shalwas’ palace! He must have been so worried with me being gone all this time. I can’t wait to see the surprised look on his face when he sees me again.
Narrator: And so she skipped happily on her way to King Shalwas’ palace with no idea of what was about to happen.
Scene 3: Entering King Shalwas’ palace. Enter King Shalwas.
Amba: King Shalwas, I have finally returned!
King: Why did you come back? You should have just stayed there and become married off to Vichitravirya.
Amba: I don’t… I don’t understand. I thought you would be happy to see me. I still sincerely love you and have never once strayed from that thought. I am still faithful to you as I have always been.
Narrator: Amba went on expressing her sincere love to the king but he was unmoved. His face still as night.
King: I can’t take you back, you are not the same innocent Amba I once knew.
Amba: Even though you are turning your back on me, the truth will always be on my side and I know I have never committed a wrong against you.
Exit King Shalwas
Scene 4: In the forest.
Narrator: Amba dashed out of the palace in tears with nowhere to go. She knew she couldn’t go back to Hastinapura after she already talked about being betrothed to someone else but now she wasn’t anymore. She also couldn’t bring herself to stay at her childhood home after all that had happened. She stayed in the forest and then visited the Ashram for help.
Amba: Where did it all go wrong? Why was I abandoned with nowhere to go?
Narrator: And then a thought struck Amba…
Amba: It was Bhishma! He is the one who abducted me in the first place and the reason that King Shalwas won’t take me back! He is the cause of all of my problems, I have to get revenge and turn my life back around.
Scene 5: Amba and Shiva.
Narrator: Amba did penance and fasted everyday eventually growing thinner but she did not care about her looks anymore. After many weeks of constant prayers, Shiva appears.
Enter Shiva
Shiva: What wish can I grant you for your dedication to penance all this time?
Amba: I wish to get revenge on Bhishma!
Shiva: That I can do for you, you will destroy Bhishma.
Amba: But how can I get my revenge on him if I’m here in the forest while he is in a palace full of guards?
Shiva: You will be reborn into a fierce and skilled warrior and will one day have the chance to slay Bhishma.
Narrator: Amba was determined to get her revenge no matter what. She prepared a fire and stepped to end her current tragic state and begin a new life.
Exit Amba
Author's Note: Amba along with two other princesses were abducted by Bhishma so Amba asked Bhishma if she could leave and go to the king of Shalwas who she intended to marry and Bhishma let her go but when Amba went back to the king of Shalwas, he rejected her and coldly sent her away with no affection. She had nowhere to go because she felt so ashamed that she was rejected on both sides so she went to an ashram where she felt that Bhishma was the source of all of her problems. Shiva showed up and said he would grant Amba a boon and she requested that she slay Bhishma but Shiva said she would need to be reborn into a different body who would grow into a fierce warrior to defeat Bhishma so Amba stepped into figure to be reborn.
This is one of my favorite scenes at the beginning of the Mahabharata because there is so much drama that happens and so much goes on in Amba's life from just this one scene. This scene is also crucial to the story line later on as Amba exacts her revenge. I thought this scene would be perfect to rewrite in the format of a play because of how dramatic it was so I did my best to try to write the scene as if people were acting out the scenes.
Author's Note: Amba along with two other princesses were abducted by Bhishma so Amba asked Bhishma if she could leave and go to the king of Shalwas who she intended to marry and Bhishma let her go but when Amba went back to the king of Shalwas, he rejected her and coldly sent her away with no affection. She had nowhere to go because she felt so ashamed that she was rejected on both sides so she went to an ashram where she felt that Bhishma was the source of all of her problems. Shiva showed up and said he would grant Amba a boon and she requested that she slay Bhishma but Shiva said she would need to be reborn into a different body who would grow into a fierce warrior to defeat Bhishma so Amba stepped into figure to be reborn.
This is one of my favorite scenes at the beginning of the Mahabharata because there is so much drama that happens and so much goes on in Amba's life from just this one scene. This scene is also crucial to the story line later on as Amba exacts her revenge. I thought this scene would be perfect to rewrite in the format of a play because of how dramatic it was so I did my best to try to write the scene as if people were acting out the scenes.
Amba being reborn :Deviant Art
Bibliography. "Amba" from Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists: Mahabharata by Sister Nivedita, web source
I really like that you wrote this story as a script for a play! I participated in a local community theatre during high school, so the story grabbed my attention right away. The story was written very well, and accurately captured the drama that effected Amba. It is quite tragic what happens to Amba and I feel like a director could show the the effects on her through costume design and makeup during the fasting scene.
ReplyDeleteRosa, I loved that you made this story a script! I did musical theatre in high school, so I thought it was a super creative way to present this story. As for the story itself, you really showed the drama that's going on and how it's all affecting Amba. It was a nice change of pace and a very original way to tell this story like a director would.
ReplyDeleteHey there Rosa! I really liked how you wrote your story in that format; it feels like I am reading Shakespeare story like those Romeo and Juliet stories. I was also surprise that you chose to write story of Amba. You also did a really great job showing tragic story behind Amba and how she would try to get revenge for it.
ReplyDeleteHello Rosa!
ReplyDeleteI really like your story about Amba. The way you wrote your story was super interesting and everything was detailed and understandable. It was like your directing a scene or sequence of a movie and it was really great. Getting revenge against Bhishma and asking Shiva to do that was really nice now she can have what she hope for. It was really nice to this story again.
Hi Rosa! Thank you for sharing your story with us! I really enjoyed the vernacular you used here, as well as the imagery! The plot kept the reader plugged in to the story and created a sense of beauty to the story in regards to the characters. thank you for writing this and i hope you have a great week eight!
ReplyDeleteHey there, Rosa!
ReplyDeleteI thought that this was a really good story! I could not help but feel terrible for Amba as she had no say in the events that were unfolding. I thought that her plan for revenge was pretty cool though. The fact that she was reborn to exact revenge on the person that ruined her life was pretty cool. Overall, this was an awesome story to read!