Bhagavad Gita · Mahabharata Codex

Ambalika

अम्बालिका · ambālikā

Princess of Kashi; queen of Vichitravirya; mother of Pandu

She kept her eyes open and turned white with fear.

Ambalika was the youngest of the three Kashi princesses and the second queen of Vichitravirya. When her turn came to receive the sage Vyasa, she had been warned not to close her eyes as her sister had. She kept them open and went pale at the sight of him. Her son was born pale and was named Pandu, 'the pale one'. He became king in his blind brother's place.