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All the guards are awake, Bhisma.
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With your arrangements, who can sleep?
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Greetings, Queen Mother.
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Solitude.
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I did not wish to insult you.
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But mother.... I never feel offended by your words.
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I know.
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But I also have a request of you.
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Do not be so hard on Vichitravirya.
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It's not his fault.
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When the loving shade of a father is removed from one's head.....
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....his experiences of life, its lessons and its seasons are more painful.
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To be strict is my duty, Queen Mother.
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A teacher is one in whose heart there is forgiveness, and in whose hands there is punishment.
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It is imperative that Vichitravirya do arduous work.
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The man whose training is soft, his heart becomes hard on its own.
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And..... to avoid years of his working hard, such a man gives hardship to others.
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No, Queen Mother.
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A king with a hard heart cannot be capable of sitting on the throne of Hastinapur.
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Then marry him off, Bhisma.
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Life's responsibilities is itself life's lessons.
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The King of Kashi has arranged for the swayamvar ("ceremony of choosing one's husband from a group of suitors") of his three daughters at this time.
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In other big kingdoms, there is no sign of any girl of marriageable age.
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If Vichitravirya's marriage is not conducted with the daughters of the King of Kashi, who knows how long we will have to wait?
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So...what is the solution Mother?
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You go as the representative of Hastinapur and bring those maidens by winning them.
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How is this possible, Mother?
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A girl marries a powerful man, not a powerful kingdom.
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Think of it this way, Bhisma.
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We are giving those girls the opportunity of becoming the Queens of a great kingdom like Hastinapur.
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We are doing them a favour.
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Forgive me Mother, but my mind doesnt agree.
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As Hastinapur's Queen Mother, I can also give you an order, Bhisma.
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And if you insult the Queen Mother's order, then you will have to leave the kingdom.
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And you are bound to this throne.
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By your own oath, you cannot even leave this kingdom.
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The King of Saubha..... Shalva is entering!
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The King of Kosala is entering!
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The Ruler of Trigarta, Prasenjit is entering!
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Look at this fragrance, Princess.
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This is Kampalya.
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This is Ambar.
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Elder sister (""Jiji") doesnt want your frangrances, maid.
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If there is a fragrance of the sea, then bring it.
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Why? Why the frangrance of the sea, elder sister Ambika?
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She is going to be marrying Shalva, the King close to the sea...isn't it?
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Elder sister has chosen her husband. Dont you know?
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My hands are though shaking, elder sister.
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How to choose a husband.... I though dont even know anything.
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And today in the swayamvar, around whose neck will I place the garland?
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Ambalika....
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When on seeing someone's face, your heart trembles instead of your hands....
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And the eyes forget to lower out of bashfulness....
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Then place the garland around his neck.
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Understood?
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But if such a man is not found.... then?
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Then understand, life will be filled with sadness and pain.
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Elder sister...
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But I have complete faith that you two will surely get such husbands....
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.... whom upon seeing, all the joys in the world will appear small.
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Now no obstacle can even come in the way of our happiness, Ambalika.
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All the Crown Princes of the Arya Empire!
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Kings!
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And Rulers!
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You are welcome in Kashi!
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By being present in the swayamvar of my three daughters, you have.....
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Hastinapur's greatly revered, Ganga's son, Bhisma is entering!
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Greetings, King of Kashi.
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I have come in the form of representative of the throne of Hastinapur.
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To ask the giving away of your daughters ("kanyadaan") for our Crown Prince, Vichitravirya.
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But respected Bhisma, I am conducting the swayamvar of my daughters.
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I accept this, King of Kashi.
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But this is also true....
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.... that to win a maiden by one's valour is the tradition of a swayamvar.
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Just as a tree always faces it leaves towards the sun.....
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........an inteliigent king will marry his daughter to a capable Crown Prince.
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And that in the entire world, there is no other kingdom as powerful as Hastinapur.....
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...this is also true.
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Hence, please give away your daughters to the Crown Prince of Hastinapur, Vichitravirya.
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And let them obtain the fortune of becoming the Queens of Hastinapur.
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If any of the assembled kings have any objection to my words.....
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......then that king has the right to test my strength.
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A warrior can never avoid the roll of dice and the twang of an arrow, son of Ganga!
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King Shalva!!
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King Shalva!!
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Who are you?
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Who gave you an invitation?
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So that you come here and make a display of your strength?
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If we had to choose our husbands on the basis of strength, then our father would have organized a contest in our swayamvar.
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Do you see any contest here?
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I have mentally accepted King Shalva as my husband.
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I want to marry not on the basis of power, but on love.
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Then how can you come here and disrupt my swayamvar?
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What is this that your daughter is saying, King of Kashi?
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Has she already chosen her husband from before?
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Yes!
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In this swayamvar, I was going to place the garland around King Shalva's neck....this was certain.
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Then this is not a swayamvar, but a trick.
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So many kings had travelled from their kingdoms to Kashi....
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....was all that in vain?
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If your daughter had already chosen her husband from before....
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.... then she should have been married off.
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What was the need to do this swayamvar conspiracy?
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In a religious work such as a swayamvar, if there is no purity in thoughts, then the results can be devastating.
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Do you not even know this?
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Respected Bhisma is saying the truth, King of Kashi.
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And this is an insult to all of us kings.
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Forgive me, respected Bhisma.
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I was not at all aware of this decision of Amba's.
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Now that respected Bhisma has won these girls, their marriage will only be in Hastinapur.
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No other king in the Arya Empire will accept them.
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I agree to this suggestion.
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But it is not agreeable to me, King of Kashi.
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Solely on the strength of power, Hastinapur cannot write lifelong sorrow and disappointment in any girl's future.
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Ask your daughters if they too have already chosen their husbands.
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Give an answer, daughters.
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No, respected Bhisma.
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Then conduct your eldest daughter's marriage with King Shalva.
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Hastinapur frees Lady Amba from the bonds of swayamvar.
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And gives the promise of bestowing her with presents and honour at her wedding.
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Please bid both your daughters farewell as they become Queens of Hastinapur.
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The auspicious time of partaking water has come, Queen Mother.
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Call the maidens.
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The maiden has arrived, respected Bhisma!
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Has come to get married on the wedding porch ("mandap") of Hastinapur.
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Who are you?
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I am the unfortunate daughter of the King of Kashi, Queen Mother.
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The very eldest daughter.
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Whose entire dreams, entire life has been crushed under respected Bhisma's feet.
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But Lady, I had given the permission to go to King Shalva.
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You had defeated King Shalva, Bhisma....
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In open court!
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When I went to him, he said to me....
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.... that I am just a prize object....
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....not a girl....
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....not a woman....
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....not a human....
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....just a prize object.
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King Shalva said to me that you had won me.
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So, only you have rights over me.
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Whatever I had done, I did with a pure heart Lady.
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There is no fault of mine in this.
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Whichever girl comes into the swayamvar, she comes without prior decision.
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This is what is believed.
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But whatever has happened with you, I am sad for it.
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And I myself will go with you to King Shalva.
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No!!!
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In marriage, man is the receiver of alms.
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Charity is given to the man.
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A woman gets rights, respected Bhisma.
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I dont want charity, but my rights.
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You had in open court, won me by displaying your strength.
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So if my marriage happens, it will only be with you.... Ganga's son, Bhisma!