Desires!

Amba went to the shore of the Yamuna River, where she began to execute extraordinary austerities. For 6 months Amba gave up all food & drink while standing immovably, just like a wooden post, thus allowing her hair to become matted & her body covered with dirt. Thereafter she stood for one year in water while continuing to fast. The next year Amba stood on the tips of her toes & during that entire period she ate only one leaf that had fallen from a tree. Indeed, for 12 years she practiced austerities & as a result entire universe became heated

 

She wandered from Ashrama to asrama while visiting holy places of pilgrimage & saw great sages residing there, such as Cyavana, Visvamitra, Mandavya & Garga. One day, as she was bathing in the Ganga, Bhisma's mother approached Amba & inquired: My dear princess, for what purpose are you torturing yourself with such severe austerities? Amba said: The only objective of all my austerities is to kill the Kuru warrior, Bhisma

 

At this Ganga angrily cursed Amba, saying: You’re acting wickedly! After giving up your body, you’ll become a crooked river that will remain dry for 8 months of the year. Indeed, even during rainy season, no one will want to bathe in your water, for it will be infested with frightful alligators. After pronouncing this curse, Ganga departed & Amba continued her austerities undaunted, forgoing all food & water for eight to ten months at a time. Finally, after wandering about holy places for a long time, Amba came to Vatsabhumi

 

It is understood that at that place she became the river Ganga had described. However, due to Amba’s power of austerity, only half of her became the river while the other half kept the same identity as the princess of Kasi. The sages at Vatsabhumi inquired about Amba’s purpose while trying to dissuade her from her severe penance. Amba replied: O sages, my-goal is not like yours. You want to achieve an elevated birth in your next life, whereas I desire to become a powerful man so that I can take revenge against Bhisma

 

Sometime later Lord Siva appeared to Amba to offer her a benediction. Amba joyfully worshiped the lord & then submitted her request that Bhima be killed. Lord Siva replied: Dear princess, you can rest assure that you’ll one day be able to kill the son of Ganga & Santanu

 

Amba inquired: Lord, how will I, a woman, be able to kill Bhisma?

Lord Siva explained:  In your next life you will be born as the daughter of King Drupada

 

Krsna says:

icchā-dveṣa-samutthena dvandva-mohena bhārata
sarva-bhūtāni sammohaṁ sarge yānti paran-tapa

 

O scion of Bharata, O conqueror of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, bewildered by dualities arisen from desire and hate

 

When we desire for ourselves, hate immediately develops for others. But when our desires are spiritual, to serve the Supreme Lord, then there is no ill feeling against anyone, not even animals or any living beings for that matter

 

Our desires deludes & we dwell in dualities of dishonor & honor, misery & happiness, woman & man, pleasure & pain, etc.

 

Thoughts? #gameoflife