Ambika

Satyavati goes to her daughter-in-law Ambika in private. She explains that the Bharata lineage is on the brink of extinction and that Bhishma himself has advised a desperate measure to preserve it. The fate of the dynasty now rests on Ambika's consent.

Satyavati leads her daughter-in-law Ambika to bed, instructing her to wait for Vyasa to secure an heir. When the fierce-looking sage arrives, Ambika is so terrified she closes her eyes and cannot open them. Vyasa prophesies that her son will be mighty and wise, but blind.

When Ambika is again in season, she refuses to meet the fearsome Vyasa. Instead, she decks a maidservant in her own ornaments and sends her in her place. The maidservant receives Vyasa with respect, and he is pleased with her.

After the funeral rites for Pandu, the sage Vyasa sees the pervasive grief and foresees a terrible future of destruction for the Bharata lineage. He advises his mother, Satyavati, to retire to the forest to avoid witnessing the annihilation of her family. She agrees, persuades her daughters-in-law, and with Bhishma's permission, the three queens leave the court forever.