Promulgation Poem by Namita Rani Panda

In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Amba is
the eldest daughter of the king of Kashi, who
considers the Kuru prince Bhishma
responsible for her misfortune as he
abducted her and her sisters from the
assemblage of suitors to take revenge on
her father and to win the princesses for his
step-brother Vichitravirya. Her sole goal in
life becomes Bhishma's destruction, to fulfil
which she is reborn as Shikandi (the son
of Drupada and the brother of Draupadi) .

Today I Amba
Promulgate before you all
to declare a war!
Beware of my clarion call!
Like a phoenix
I went on killing myself
without satisfaction
in any incarnation.
I choose my final incarnation
not as a Shikhandi
but Amba again
to avenge all those men
who hide their hypocrisy
under the mask of nobility
who with an enticing serpentine smile
pretend to love
and push into the life of dungeon,
to the pretentious good doers
and benevolent beasts of prey
who kill their prey
piece by piece, bit by bit
with love and care!

I still bear in my heart
the arrows of sorrow,
betrayal and humiliation,
the daggers of dishonour and depression.
One by one I'll pull them out
and with full force aim at you.

You Debabrata! The pious!
What a devoted son you are!
Took the oath of lifelong celibacy!
For the sake of your father
you vowed never to claim the throne.
What a great sacrifice!
What a great patriot you are!
For the honour of your kingdom
you punished a helpless father
by abducting his virgin daughters
from the assemblage of suitors!
You are surely a noble man.
You turned in no second
songs of mirth to mournful moans.
You shattered my dream
into bits of glasses
that could never be mended again.
What a fair judgment!
You merciful! You failed
to delve deep into my heart.
The cause of my untold misery,
you refused to accept me
in the plea of your terrible oath.
Now be ready to face my wrath.
I'm here, the invincible fighter!
Not a mere chariot.
Do you think I'm contented with your
mere suffering for just a few days
sleeping on the bed of arrows?
Since then till now for years
I have been living with arrows and daggers.

And you coward Salwa!
You loved but you broke away,
you promised but you failed.
Shame on you!
You failed to give protection
to your love from Bhisma's abduction.
For your own defeat you left me
to lead a life of humiliation!
The wound you inflicted
is deeper than others
as you were my loving lover.
How dared you turn me down?
I, Amba reject you now.
Remember!
If I can be your loving life,
I can also be your dreadful death.

You, great teacher and fighter Parshurama!
You advised me to seek Bhisma's protection!
You left my side due to Gods' persuasion.
Had I been your daughter?
Would you have given me the same offer?
I despise you holy man.
What a teacher you are!
What you preach and teach
to your actions that don't match.
So I warn you of my wrath.
And you my loving brave suitors!
Pity on you!
How chicken hearted you all are!
You stepped back all
for the fear of one fighter!
You all became mute spectators
of our exploitation
without any opposition.
Beware of my indignation!

Now I'm Amba,
reborn with an indomitable spirit
and Himalayan grit
to wipe out all the social evils.
Beware!
Those who think women as toys for
enjoyment and exploitation,
a means of only bearing and rearing
offspring,
those who force women to the pitiful life of
prostitution, humiliation, oppression,
aggression, discrimination, degradation,
those who are engaged in eve-teasing, bride
burning,
female fortitude and wife-battering,
those who deprive women from education
and nutrition
and life of liberty, life of dignity.
BEWARE!
I am Amba, the invincible here
to give you a befitting blow!