Wikipedia
In the epic Mahabharata, Ambika (अम्बिका) is the daughter of Kashya, the King of Kashi, and wife of Vichitravirya, the king of Hastinapura.
Along with her sisters Amba and Ambalika, she was taken by force by Bhishma from their Swayamvara. Bhishma challenged the assembled Kings and Princes and defeated them. He presented them to Satyavati for marriage to Vichitravirya. Vichitravirya married only Ambika and Ambalika, and refused to marry Amba since she had already given her heart to another.
After Vichitravirya's death, his mother Satyavati sent for her first born, Rishi Veda Vyasa According to his mother's wishes, he visited both the wives of Vichitravirya to grant them each a son under the Niyoga system. When Vyasa visited Ambika, she saw his dreadful, forbidding appearance and burning eyes. In her frightened state, she closed her eyes. Hence her son, Dhritarashtra, the father of the Kauravas, was born blind.
In a few versions of the Mahabharatha, Ambika is shown to have no strong motherly feelings towards her blind son Dhritarashtra, as he was a son unwanted to her.
After Dhritarashtra's birth, when Satyavati requested Vyasa to visit Ambika for the second time, she dared not go and sent her maid instead. The maid also bore a son, Vidura, who was raised as a brother of Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Much later, Ambika accompanied Satyavati and Ambalika to the forest and ended her life in austerities.
Ambika (born 16 August 1962) is an Indian film actress known for her works predominantly in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu films. She was one of the top heroines for an decade from 1978 to 1989. Her younger sister Radha was also an actress. They acted together in a number of south Indian films and during their peak careers they owned a movie studio called "ARS Studios". In 2013 they converted ARS Studios to a hotel complex.
In Jainism, Ambika (, "Mother") or Ambika Devi ( "the Goddess-Mother") is the "dedicated attendant deity" or "protector goddess" of the 22nd Tirthankara, Neminatha. She is also known as Ambai, Amba and Amra Kushmandini.
Ambika may refer to:
- Ambika (goddess), an avatar of the Hindu goddesses Durga, Parvati, and Shakti
- Ambika (Jainism), a Jain Yakshi goddess
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Ambika (given name), a Sanskrit given name, meaning "the mother", that is most popular in India
- Ambika (actress) (born 1968), Indian actress in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu films
- Ambika (Mahabharata), the wife of Vichitravirya
- Ambika-class replenishment ship, a class of vessel in the Indian Navy
- Ambika River, a river in Gujarat, India
- Any of several entities (e.g. Ambika Paul Foundation, Ambika P3, Ambika House) connected to Swraj Paul, Baron Paul
Ambika (pronounced "Ahm′-bik-uh") is a female given name. Ambika means "the mother" in Sanskrit and is most common in India. Variants include Ambikah, Ambyka, and Ambykah.
Ambika is one of the names of Parvati and/or Durga. She has eight arms, holding multiple weapons and riding upon a lion or tiger. She is also known as Kaushiki who emerged from the body cells of Parvati to kill the demons Shumbha and Nishumbha at the request of Gods. Ambika is a form of Parvati and Adi Shakti.