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)
![](16442_original.jpg)
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
:
https://sreenivasaraos.com/tag/jatila/