When he reached the royal palace he presented the maidens unto Queen Satyavati, who was well pleased, and at once gave many costly gifts to Bhishma. She decided that the captives should become the wives of her son, King Vichitra-virya. Ere the wedding ceremony was held, the eldest maiden, whose name was Amba, pleaded with the queen to be set free, saying: “I have been betrothed already by my sire unto the Rajah of Sanva. Oh, send me unto him now, for I cannot marry a second time.” Her prayer was granted, and Bhishma sent her with an escort unto the Rajah of Sanva. Then the fair Amba related unto him how she had been taken captive; but the rajah exclaimed, with anger: “Thou hast already dwelt in the house of a strange man, and I cannot take thee for my wife.” The maiden wept bitterly, and she knelt before the monarch and said: “No man hath wronged me, O mighty rajah. Bhishma hath taken a terrible vow of celibacy which he cannot break. If thou wilt not have me for wife, I pray thee to take me as thy concubine, so that I may dwell safely in thy palace.” But the rajah spurned the beautiful maiden, and his servants drove her from the palace and out of the city. So was she compelled to seek refuge in the lonely forest, and there she practised great austerities with purpose to secure power to slay Bhishma, who had wronged her. In the end she threw herself upon a pyre, so that she might attain her desire in the next life.[210] [210] She helps to kill Bhishma in the great war, having changed her sex with a Yaksha. Her two sisters, Amvika and Amvalika, became the wives of Vitchitra-virya, who loved them well; but his days were brief, and he wasted away with sickness until at length he died. No children were born to the king, and his two widows mourned for him. The heart of Queen Satyavati was stricken with grief because that her two sons were dead, and there was left no heir to the throne of King Bharata. Now it was the custom in those days that a kinsman should become the father of children to succeed the dead king.[211] So Queen Satyavati spake unto Bhishma, saying: “Take thou the widows of my son and raise up sons who will be as sons of the king.” [211] A similar practice is referred to in Genesis xxxviii; it was a regular institution among the ancient Hebrews. But Bhishma said: “That I cannot do, for have I not vowed never to be the sire of any children.” In her despair Satyavati then thought of her son Vyasa, and he immediately appeared before her and consented to do as was her desire.[212] [212] This custom is called “niyoga”, and was legalized by Manu, but only for the lower castes. Now Vyasa was a mighty sage, but, by reason of his austerities in his lonely jungle dwelling, he had grown gaunt and repulsive of aspect so that women shrank from before him; fearsome was he, indeed, to look upon.