| Subhadra | |
|---|---|
.jpg) A 20th century lithograph depicting Subhadra | |
| Other names | Bhadra, Chitra |
| Devanagari | सुभद्रा |
| Affiliation | Devi |
| Texts | Mahabharata,Bhagavata Purana |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | |
| Siblings |
|
| Consort | Arjuna |
| Children | Abhimanyu (son) |
| Dynasty | Yaduvamsha –Chandravamsha (by birth) Kuru Dynasty (by marriage) |
Subhadra (Sanskrit:सुभद्रा,romanized: Subhadrā,lit. 'auspicious') is a figure inHindu tradition, particularly revered inVaishnavism as the sister of the deitiesKrishna andBalarama. She is mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures, including the epicMahabharata and theBhagavata Purana. A princess of theVrishni clan and the daughter ofVasudeva, Subhadra married thePandava princeArjuna and became the mother ofAbhimanyu.
Subhadra is part of the triad of deities worshipped at theJagannath Temple atPuri, along with Krishna (asJagannatha) and Balarama (or Balabhadra). One of the chariots in the annualRatha Yatra is dedicated to her.
TheSanskrit nameSubhadrā is made up of two words:su andbhadrā. The prefixsu denotes goodness,[1] whilebhadrā is translated as fortune or excellence.[2] The name means 'glorious', 'fortunate', 'splendid', or 'auspicious'.[3]
Subhadra is referred to asBhadrā (भद्रा), literally 'fortunate', when she is introduced to Arjuna in theMahabharata.[4] According to the appendix of theMahabharata, theHarivamsa, her birth name wasCitrā (चित्रा) which means 'bright, clear, excellent, or colourful'.[5]
According to the epicMahabharata, Subhadra was born toYadava chiefVasudeva and his wifeRohini, making her the sister ofBalarama and half sister ofKrishna. She was the favourite daughter of Vasudeva. In a later alternate account found in theBhagavata Purana, Subhadra's mother is mentioned to beDevaki—another wife Vasudeva and the mother of Krishna, making her direct sibling of Krishna.[6]
Subhadra's marriage with Arjuna is first narrated in the sectionSubhadraharana Parva ofAdi Parva, the first book of theMahabharata. Different recension of the epic contain varying accounts of the story, with later derivative texts adding more details to it.[7]
According to theChaturdhara Recension of theMahabharata,Arjuna was in the midst of self-imposedpilgrimage, for breaking terms of the agreement he had withhis brothers regarding private time with their common wifeDraupadi. After he reached the city ofDvaraka and met his maternal cousinKrishna, he attended a festival held at Raivata mountain. There Arjuna saw Subhadra and was smitten by her beauty and wished to marry her. Krishna revealed that she wasVasudeva's andRohini's child, and his half-sister. Krishna stated that he could not predict Subhadra's decision at hersvayamvara (groom selection ceremony) and advised Arjuna to elope with Subhadra. After receiving agreement to a letter sent to Yudhishthira for permission, Arjuna drove a chariot to the hills and took Subhadra with him. After Subhadra's guards unsuccessfully attempted to stop them, the Yadavas, the Vrishnis, and the Andhakas held a meeting to discuss the matter. After Krishna comforted them, they agreed, and thus, Arjuna married Subhadra with Vedic rituals.[4] A similar story is included in theCritical Edition of the Mahabharata, compiled byBhandarkar Oriental Research Institute.[8]
TheKumbhakonam Edition (Southern Recension) of theMahabharata presents a distinct account of Subhadra's abduction, deviating from theChaturdhara version. This rendition transforms the narrative into a mutual love story, providing additional details about the events. According to this version, during his pilgrimage, Arjuna reached Prabhasa, where he encountered Gada, a Yadava chief. Gada told Arjuna about Subhadra, kindling Arjuna's desire to marry her. In pursuit of this goal, Arjuna adopted the guise of an ascetic, contemplating under a tree with the hope that Krishna would facilitate his marriage. Simultaneously, in Dvaraka, Krishna, using his divine abilities, became aware of Arjuna's aspiration and visited him at Prabhasa. Krishna guided Arjuna to the Raivataka mountain, the site of an impending festival for the prominent Yadavas. During the festivities, Arjuna, accompanied by Krishna, chanced upon Subhadra and was captivated by her allure. Krishna suggested the abduction of Subhadra, to which Arjuna agreed and decided to wait for a suitable moment. Post-festival, Balarama encountered the disguised Arjuna and extended him an invitation to reside in the Dvaraka palace, as a sign of hospitality. Subhadra assumed the caretaker role for the ascetic, while Arjuna, deeply enamored, openly admired her. Subhadra, upon observing him, recognised his resemblance to Arjuna, from him having been previously described by Gada and Krishna. Acknowledging Subhadra's reciprocation of affection, Arjuna disclosed his true identity. A grand ritual dedicated to the god Shiva was scheduled on an island near Dvaraka, prompting the Yadavas, led by Balarama, to depart for worship. Seizing the opportune moment, Arjuna eloped with Subhadra.[9][10][11]
TheBhagavata Purana describes Subhadra's role in choosing Arjuna. It also adds a detail about Balarama having pickedDuryodhana—one of theKauravas—as Subhadra's groom, without her consent. Knowing that after getting the news of Subhadra's having eloped, Balarama would wage a war against Arjuna, Krishna decided to be the charioteer for Arjuna. Arjuna proceeded to take Subhadra and with Krishna in tow, they left. After getting the news that Subhadra had eloped with Arjuna, Balarama consents and conducts the marriage of Subhadra with Arjuna in Dvaraka.[6][7]
Subhadra's marital life, as depicted in theMahabharata, reveals her significant role within the Pandava family. According to theAdi Parva, upon Arjuna's return from exile toIndraprastha—the capital of the Pandavas—with Subhadra, he received a warm welcome. Inquiring about his first wifeDraupadi, his brothers revealed her reluctance to meet anyone due to anger. Arjuna, in an attempt to reconcile, presented Subhadra to Draupadi disguised as a simple cowherd. Subhadra, portraying herself as a cowherder and Krishna's younger sister, entrusted Draupadi with her belongings, expressing herself as her maid. This gesture cultivated trust and affection, prompting Subhadra to humbly declare her reluctance to replace Draupadi. Touched by this display of love, Draupadi embraced Subhadra, embracing her as a younger sister and acknowledging her as Arjuna's wife.[12]
Subhadra stayed with Arjuna in Indraprastha where she gave birth toAbhimanyu. During the Pandavas'exile for thirteen years, Subhadra and her son resided with Krishna inDvaraka, as documented in theVana Parva. She later attended Abhimanyu's wedding inUpaplavya, as described in theVirata Parva. The death of Abhimanyu in theKurukshetra War caused her significant grief, evidenced by her lamentation to Krishna in theDrona Parva. Following the end of Kurukshetra War, Subhadra returned to Dvaraka with Krishna, according to theAshvamedha Parva. The same text also records her emotional distress, including instances of syncope, due to her son's death. Subhadra's role became crucial during the birth ofParikshit, Abhimanyu's posthumous son, when the Kuru lineage faced potential extinction due to the risk of a stillborn child. AsUttara underwent labour, and the royal women of the Kuru dynasty gathered, Subhadra, Parikshit's grandmother, reminded Krishna of his prior vow to restore the child. She invoked his virtues of dharma, satya, and satyavikrama, urging him to uphold his promise in accordance with ṛta, the cosmic order. This appeal prompted Krishna to perform a miraculous act, thereby ensuring the survival of the Kuru lineage.[7][13]
Subhadra subsequently travelled toHastinapura to attend Yudhisthira'sAshvamedha Yajna, as stated in theAshvamedha Parva, where she met her co-wivesUlupi andChitrangada. TheMahaprasthana Parva describes her later life as marked by sorrowful silence.[6] AfterPariksit was seated on the throne, while leaving for heaven,Yudhishthira gave the responsibility of keeping both the kingdomsHastinapura ruled by her grandson andIndraprastha being ruled by Vajranabha, great-grandson of her brotherKrishna in harmony. There is no specific mention in the epic about how and when she died but it is believed that after thePandavas along withDraupadi reached heaven, Subhadra and her daughter-in-law (Uttarā) went to the forest to dwell the rest of their lives as hermits.[14]
Subhadra is associated with goddessEkanamsha orYogmaya, both forms of primordial goddessShakti.Kushana images from 2nd-century CEMathura depict a triad of deities: two gods flanking a goddess. Comparable 9th-century representations inEtah andEllora mirror this composition. This is identified as theVrishni triad, featuringSamkarshana (Balarama),Ekanamsha, andVāsudeva (Krishna). Here, Ekanamsha is an ancient goddess worshipped by theVrishni people and is identified with Subhadra; later this triad becomes popular inJagannath sect.[16][17]
In Krishna's life, Yogamaya plays the role of the facilitator of his earthly birth and his guardian. She takes birth as the daughter of cowherdNanda andYashoda, after which her place is swapped with Krishna to protect the latter from the tyrant rulerKamsa. After warning Kamsa about his impending death, Yogamaya vanishes. According toDevdutt Pattanaik, the scriptures don't clarify if Yogmaya becomes Subhadra after fulfilling her role, but the name 'Yogamaya' is synonymous with Subhadra inPuri, Odisha, where she is worshipped prominently.[18] Professor Lavanya Vemsani believes that the only way to understand Subhadra's connection with the goddesses is by considering her as reincarnation of Ekanamsha, who in turn is the Earthly manifestation of Yogmaya. According to her, Yogamaya descends on Earth as Ekanamsha— the daughter of Nanda and Yashoda—and later reincarnates as Subhadra.[7]
Subhadra is one of the three deities worshipped at the Jagannath temple atPuri, along withKrishna (asJagannatha) andBalarama (or Balabhadra). The idol of Subhadra is a carved and decorated wooden stump with large round eyes and a symmetric yellow coloured face, contrasting Jagannath's black complexion and Balabhadra's white complexion. She is decorated with red and black garments and has iconographical elements similar to that of goddessBhubaneswari which includes a lasso (pasha) and an elephant goad (ankusha). One of the chariots in the annual Ratha Yatra is dedicated to her and is calledDwarpadalana, symbolising destruction of evil.[18] Apart from it she is also believed to be worshipped by certain communities inOdisha,West Bengal,Gujarat andBangladesh.[19]
There is a village calledBhadrajun in the western part ofRajasthan where Subhadra is worshipped as Dhumda mata since the time ofMahabharata. It is believed that, after eloping with her loverArjuna and a gruelling journey of three days, the couple got married here.[20]
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In some texts like theBrahma Purana and theGarga Samhita, Subhadra is mentioned asDevi Shatarupa withArjuna beingSvayambhuva Manu.[21] She is also worshipped asMata Bhuvaneshvari in some sects. Apart from it, Subhadra is sometimes linked withGoddess Lakshmi by some Vaishnavas.[22]
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