| MAHABHARAT Story of Madhvi
Mahabharat (in contrast to Ramayan) is a complex composition spread over several layers, across varied periods; and, its elements are derived from diverse parts of the ancient Indian land. It also is not entirely the work of a single person. It has grown in stages across many traditions. Like the Indian jungle, it spreads out in an endless wilderness of trees entwined with creepers of bewildering sorts, inhabited by an astonishing variety of creatures, birds and beasts. It is a wonder piled upon wonders. There are several contradictions arrayed, one by the side of the other. Mahabharat is not one book; but, it is many books running into each other.
With that , let’s, first, look at the story in its brief and summarized form; and then discuss some of the issues it throws up.
The story :
1.1. It is said that Galav was a very devoted pupil of the sage – King- teacher Vishvamitra. He stayed and served loyally even when his teacher was passing through difficult circumstances. At the end of the academic period, the teacher, pleased with the pupil, blessed him and let him go. But Galav requested the teacher to state the fee (guru- dakshina) that he would accept. The teacher was content; but the pupil pressed on earnestly. Finally, with a little displeasure, as it were, Vishvamitra asked Galav‘present me with eight hundred white steeds of good pedigree; white as the rays of the radiant moon, and every one of it having one ear black in hue. Go Galav, delay not ’.
Ektaha shamkarna hayana chandravarchasam, Ashto shatani me dehi gaccha Galav ma Chiram- (Udog, 106;27)
1.2. Galav promptly sets out in search of such rare type of horses; but,he was unable to find any. While he was brooding in desperation, his friend Suparna offered help; and, took him to many kings who might possibly possess horses of such rare description. After much wandering, the two reached the court of King Yayati of Prathistan. Suparna, on behalf of his friend, submitted the plea and requested the king to help Galav to be free from the burden of Guru-dakshina.
But, the King Yayati, whose wealth by then had depleted, had no horses that satisfied their specification. Nevertheless, he, as a king, would not disappoint a needy one who came seeking help. Therefore, he gifted, instead, his beautiful daughter Madhavi (also called Drishadvati); and, suggested that by setting her as price they could secure from any king/s who owned the horses of their required specifications. Yayati added; Madhavi was capable of promoting every virtue (madhavi nama tarkshyeyamh sarva-dharma-pravadini); and , her beauty was so striking that any king would gladly give up his kingdom, if it were needed, to be with her even for a short while.
asyah sulkamh pradasyanti nrhpa rajyam api dhruvam/kim punah syamakarnhanamh hayanamh dve catuhsate – (Udyog, 113; 13)
Now, that there appeared a ray of hope, Suparna wished his friend well and took leave of him.
2.1. Galav first thought of the best of the kings, Haryashva of Ikshvaku race who ruled at Ayodhya. He was famed for his valour, wealth and large army. Galav offered Madhavi in marriage to the childless king Haryashva, in exchange for ‘eight hundred steeds’ born in good country, of lunar whiteness, and each with one ear black in hue’, saying ‘this auspicious and large eyed maiden will become mother of thy sons’. The king is struck with the beauty of Madhavi (raja Haryashvah kamamohitah). He observes that the six parts of this girl’s body which ought to be high are high, seven parts which ought to be slender are slender, three parts which ought to be deep are deep and five which ought to be red are red. Upon her resides every auspicious sign.
unnateshunnata shathsu; sukshma sukshmeshu saptasu; gambhira trishu gambhireshv ; iyamh rakta ca pañcasu; sronhyau lalathakakshau ca ghrahamh ceti shadhunnatam (Udyog, 05,114.002)
Haryashva cried out “I most desire to have this beautiful maiden; but, sadly I have only two hundred steeds of the kind you wanted. He pleads with Galav – asyam etam bhavan kamam sampadayatu me varam (Udyog; 114.9) – Let me fulfill my desire. I beg you; allow me to beget one son upon this damsel and you make take away all those two hundred steeds”.
2.2. Madhavi intervened and suggested to Galav “I am blessed by a sage with a special faculty that each time after childbirth I will regain my virginity. Accept the offer made by King Haryashva; take his two hundred excellent steeds and let him beget one son upon me. Thereafter you may collect me and take me to the next king and to another, in similar manner, until you obtain all your eight hundred steeds. And, that should set you free from the debt you owe to your teacher”.
mama datto varah kas cit kena cid brahmavadina / prasutyante prasutyante kanyaiva tvam bhavishyasi/sa tvamh dadasva mamh rajñe pratigrhya hayottaman / nrhpebhyo hi caturbhyas te purnhany astau satani vai / bhavishyanti tatha putra mama catvara eva ca/kriyatamh mama samharo gurvarthamh dvija sattama (Udyog; 114.11-13)
That idea seemed to be a workable arrangement; and, was acceptable both to Galav and the King. Galav became the owner of those two hundred steeds; but he let them continue in king’s care. In due time, Haryashva had a son by Madhavi. She thereafter, by the power of her wish, turned into a virgin again. The new born was as splendid as one of the Vasus; and was named Vasumanasa (also called Vasuprad– vasumana nama vasubhyo vasumattarah; vasuprakhyo narapatih sa babhuva vasupradah). He later grew up to be one of the wealthiest and greatest of the benefactors among all the kings.
2.3. Galav next took Madhavi to Divodas King of Kashi of great valor having a large army (mahaviryo mahipalah kasinam isvarah prabhuh;divodasa iti khyato bhaimasenir naradhipah). Divodas had already heard of Madhavi’s extraordinary beauty as also of her story (srutam etan maya purvamh). He rejoiced greatly upon the fortune to be with her. But, he too had only two hundred such steeds that Galav required. He agreed to beget only one a son from Madhavi in exchange for those two hundred steeds. Madhavi lived with Divodas till a son was born to her. He was named Pratardan , who later became a celebrated hero (madhavi janayam asa putram ekamh pratardanam) . Madhavi having regained her virginity left her second son with his father and returned to Galav.
2.4. The next was, King Ushinara of Bhojanagari (jagama bhojanagaramh drashtum ausinaramh nrhpam) , who also had only two hundred of such horses. He handed then over to Galav and lived with Madhavi till a son named Sibi was born (he later gained renown as the upholder of truth and justice – sibir namna abhivikhyato yah sa parthivasattamah). Madhavi turned a virgin once again.
2.5. Thereafter Galav collected Madhavi back from King Ushinara. By then, Madhavi had three sons : pratardano vasumanah sibir ausinaro . But, Galav had so far gathered only six hundred horses, and still needed two hundred more to fulfil the commitment to his teacher. Then, his friend Suparn (Garud) informs there were no more such horses; but makes a suggestion. As suggested by Suparn, Galav submits to his teacher the six hundred horses he had so far gathered, with a request to accept Madhavi in place of the remaining two hundred horses; and absolve him of the Guru-dakshina.
Visvamitra elated at the prospect of having Madhavi, accepts the offer gleefully and discharges the pupil of his obligation –
visvamitras tu tamh drstvah Galavm saha paksina/kanyam ca tam vararoham idam ity abravid vacah/kim iyam purvam eveha na datta mama Galav (Udog, 117;14-15) pratigrhnami te kanyam ekaputraphalaya vai/asvas casramam asadya tisthantu mama sarvasah
Madhavi bore to Visvamitra a son named Ashtak– atmajam janayam asa madhaviputram astakam (Ashtak later gained fame as the king who performed grand Ashva-megh yajns).
3.1. With his debt discharged, Galav retires into the forest. As he departs, he thanks Madhavi for saving him, as also her father and the three childless kings: ” Oh Madhavi, the beautiful maiden, You have borne one son who will be a lordly giver, a second a hero, another fond of truth and right; and yet another a great performer of Yajnas. Farewell to you, virgin of slim waist”.
jato danapatih putras tvaya suras tathaparah/satyadharmaratas canyo yajva capi tathaparah/tad agaccha vararohe taritas te pita sutaih/catvaras caiva rajanas tathaham ca sumadhyame (Udyog; 117.22)
After sometime, Vishvamitra retreats into the forest. He hands over the six hundred horses to his son Ashtak; and , sends Madhavi back to her father Yayati.
Yayati tries to arrange for Madhavi’s wedding, as many suitors (including the three kings who had sons from her) were eager to marry her. But, Madhavi is no longer interested in marriage or childbearing. She refuses all offers and retires into the forest as a hermit.
3.2. The recurring virgin Madhavi is not sovereign herself; but sovereignty passes through her to her four sons who grow up to become great kings whose deeds are celebrated in the Purans.
In the end, everyone except Madhavi had something to gain: Yayati had the satisfaction of helping a needy person; the three childless kings beget worthy sons and heirs; Vishvamitra gained six hundred of rarest horses as also the pleasure of living with the beautiful Madhavi; and, Galav extolled for his guru-bhakthi was relieved of the obligation to his teacher.
Madhavi’s salvation lies in her silence and her retreat into the woods. She prefers to select forest as her consort – Varam Vrivati Vanam (Udog, 120;5). Madhavi entered the forest, lived a peaceful life of a celibate – ‘living in the woods after the manner of the deer ’ – caranti harinaih sardham mrgiva vanacarini/ cacara vipulam dharmam brahmacaryena samvtta (Udyog, 118; 11)
Question of antiquity :
4.1. Though the story of the ‘salvation of the kings by a maiden’ is re-told in Mahabharat, its principle characters come from the distant Pre-Vedic or early Vedic times.
In the Tevijja-Sutta: The Threefold Knowledge (Digha-nikaya, I.No.13), the Buddh distinguishes between the later Brahman-teachers and the earlier Vedic-sages. Among these sages, the Buddh regards just ten as the ancient; as the true authors and the Rishis of the Riks.
The ten Rishis mentioned by the Buddh are: Astak, Vamak, Vamdev; Vishvamitra, Jamadagni, Angiras, Bharadvaj, Vashishth, Kashyap and Brighu.
Astak, mentioned by the Buddh as one among the ancient Sages, is said to be one of the sons of Madhavi, the daughter of the King Yayati.]
Yayati, the son of the legendry King Nahush, is a prominent figure in the early Indian mythological history. He is progenitor of a great dynasty – Chandravansh – that ruled for countless generations stretching up to the Pandavs and far beyond.
4.2. Yayati marks a watershed in the ancient Indian history. He is credited with bringing together two rival factions of the Angiras and the Brighus. Yayati, a follower of the Angiras, married Devayani the daughter of Shukracharya of the Bhrigu clan; and also married Sharmishta the daughter of Vrish Parvan, the King of Asur, who also was a follower of the Bhrigus.
4.3. Turvash and Yadu were sons of Yayati by Devayani of the Bhrigus; while Anu, Druhyu and Puru were his sons by Sharmishta of the Asurs. Yayati’s story indicates that the five great lines of Vedic rulers were born of an alliance of Dev and Asur kings, which also meant the coming together of the followers of the Angiras and the Bhrigu seers. Yayti’s marriage with the Bhrigu women was perhaps an attempt to reconcile two warring clans.
Yayati divided his kingdom among his five sons: to Tuvash he gave the south-east; to Druhyu the west; to Yadu the south and west in the Narmada – Godavari region; to Anu the north; and to Puru the centre . Purus ruled as the Supreme Kings of earth.
The ‘Battle of Ten Kings’ (Dasarajna) described in the seventh Mandal of the Rig Ved was fought between the Puru clan and the Turvash/Druhyu/Anu clans. The Kings involved in the Battle: Puru, Turvasha, Druhyu and Anu were all sons of Yayati.
4.4. The episode of ‘the eight hundred horses’ which we are now discussing mentions the hitherto un-named daughter of Yayati – Madhavi (but, her mother’s name is not mentioned).
Further, the Sukta No. 179 having three verses in the Tenth Mandal of Rig Ved invoking Indra, is jointly ascribed to the three sons of Madhavi:
- The first is Sibi the son of Ushinar;
- The second Pratardan King of Kashi and,
- The third Vasumanas son of Rauhidasva.
In this Sukt, Haryashva is named as Rauhidasva.
[Mantra Rig 10.179.001 ; Mantra Rig 10.179.002 ; Mantra Rig 10.179.003]
Madhavi’s story surfaces in Mahabharat. But she belongs to the very far-away pre-Vedic period. That is the reason I regard her story as of very ancient times.
5.1. As regards Vishvamitra, there were many kings and sages who went by that name. Vishvamitra who appears in the Madhavi-story may not be the same as the one who figures in the third Mandal of Rig Ved who envisioned the celebrated Gayatri Mantra; or the Vishvamitra of Aitareya Brahman, the adopted father of Sunashepa; or the father of Shakuntala; or even the quick-tempered sage in the Harischandra story.
5.2. This Vishvamitra of Kanyakubj in the Madhavi-story may not also be the Vishvamitra of Ramayan epic. Because, in the linage of kings (according to Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Purans; Vol 1 to Vol 5 by Swami Parameshwarananad ; page 187) Ram, son of Dasharath comes almost fifty generations after Haryashva the King of Ayodhya , the father of Vasumanas. Some names of the kings have either gone missing or are unclear.
[Haryashva – Vasumanas – Sudhanv – Tridhanva (Tirvashan) – Satyavrat (Trisanku) – Harischandra – Rohitashva – Harit – Chanchu – Sudev – Bharuk – Bahuk – Sagar – Asamanjas – Amsuman – Bhagirath – Srutanabh – Vedhas – Para – Nabhag – Ambarish – Sindhudweep – Ayutayus – Rtuparn – Sarvakam – Sudas – Mitrasakha (Kalmasapad) – Asmak – Mulak – Khatvarig – Dilip (Dlrghabariu) – Raghu – Aja – Dasharath – Ram].
Source :
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