Ambika, a prominent character in the Indian epic, the Mahabharata, is presented as the eldest daughter of the King of Kashi, and one of the wives of King Vichitravirya, the ruler of Hastinapura. After the premature death of her husband, Ambika along with her sister Ambalika, become part of a civil tradition called 'niyoga', where they were to conceive and bear children to carry on the Kuru dynasty.

In order to fulfill this, the wives of Vichitravirya were visited by Vichitravirya’s half-brother, the sage Vyasa. Ambika, however, closed her eyes during her union with Vyasa due to fright and as a result, her son, Dhritarashtra, was born blind - fully reflecting the symbolism and karma-driven narrative within the Mahabharata. Dhritarashtra later becomes the King of Hastinapura, and his blindness is thought to symbolise his 'moral blindness' and weaknesses, such as favoring his cruel and unrighteous sons, the Kauravas, over the virtuous Pandavas.