Ambika

Another name of Parvati, Shiva's consort.

In Mahabharata

Ambika (Sanskrit: अम्बिका, ambikā) was the daughter of Kashya, the King of Kashi, and wife of Vichitravirya, the king of Hastinapura. She was also the mother of Dhritarashtra and aunt of Pandu and grandmother to the Kauravas.

Along with her sisters, Amba and Ambalika, Ambika was taken by force by Bhishma from their Swayamvara, the latter having challenged and defeated the assembled royalty. He presented them to Satyavati for marriage to Vichitravirya, his step-brother. Ambika and her sister Ambalika were married to Vichitravirya and spent seven years in their husband's company. Vichitravirya was affected with phthisis, (tuberculosis) and died from the disease.

After Vichitravirya's death, his mother Satyavati sent for her first born, Vyasa. She asked him to father children on the widowed queens of Vichitravirya according to the prevalent custom of Niyoga. Vyasa had come from years of intense meditation and as a result, he looked tremendously unkempt. When he approached Ambika, she closed her eyes in fear. As a result the blind Dhritrashtra was born. When he approached Ambalika, she turned pale in fear. Her son Pandu, the result of the niyoga, was born with a pale appearance.

Ambika accompanied her mother-in-law Satyavati and sister Ambalika to the forest and spent the rest of her days in spiritual retreat.