| Madri | |
|---|---|
 A print on Madri byRaja Ravi Varma | |
| Personal Information | |
| Spouse | Pandu |
| Children | SonsStep-sons (Kunti) |
| Relatives | Shalya (brother) |
| Origin | Madra |
Madri (Sanskrit:माद्री,IAST:Mādrī) is a princess from theMadra Kingdom mentioned in the Hindu epic, theMahabharata. She became the second wife ofPandu, the king of theKuru Kingdom, and was the mother of the twinsNakula andSahadeva, the youngest of the fivePandava brothers who play a central role in the epic.
Madri was also the sister ofShalya, and her marriage to Pandu was arranged byBhishma, the elder of the Kuru dynasty. Following a curse placed upon Pandu, which would lead to his death if he engaged in intimate relations, Madri accompanied him in his self-imposed exile, along with Pandu's first wife,Kunti. With Pandu's consent and Kunti's divine assistance, Madri invoked the twin deities Nasatya and Darsa, collectively known as theAshvins, receiving their blessing and subsequently giving birth to her sons, Nakula and Sahadeva.
Madri was renowned for her beauty and is described in the epic as being exceptionally attractive; as a result, Pandu one day succumbed to desire and attempted to make love to her, which led to his death due to the curse. Overcome with remorse and grief, Madri entrusted her sons, Nakula and Sahadeva, to Kunti’s care and chose tojump into Pandu's funeral pyre, joining him in death.
Madri is a character of theMahabharata, one of theSanskrit epics from theIndian subcontinent. The work is written in Classical Sanskrit and is a composite work of revisions, editing and interpolations over many centuries. The oldest parts in the surviving version of the text may date to near 400 BCE.[1]
TheMahabharata manuscripts exist in numerous versions, wherein the specifics and details of major characters and episodes vary, often significantly. Except for the sections containing theBhagavad Gita which is remarkably consistent between the numerous manuscripts, the rest of the epic exists in many versions.[2] The differences between the Northern and Southern recensions are particularly significant, with the Southern manuscripts more profuse and longer. Scholars have attempted to construct acritical edition, relying mostly on a study of the "Bombay" edition, the "Poona" edition, the "Calcutta" edition and the "south Indian" editions of the manuscripts. The most accepted version is one prepared by scholars led byVishnu Sukthankar at theBhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, preserved atKyoto University,Cambridge University and various Indian universities.[3]
Apart from the Mahabharata, Madri is briefly referenced in laterPuranic texts, particularly in discussions about the genealogy of the Pandavas.[4]
IndologistMonier Monier-Williams explains that theSanskrit feminine nameMādrī is derived fromMadra (lit. 'joy' or 'happiness'), the name of her native kingdom in the northwestern Indian subcontinent. Therefore, Mādrī means 'princess of Madra'.[5] According to anthropologistIravati Karve, the term is more of a title, granted to every princess of the kingdom.[6]
Madri belonged to theBahlika clan, which originated fromBactria in Central Asia. Thus, she is also referred to as Bahliki (Bāhlikī) in few instances in the epicMahabharata.[7] When Madri is introduced in the epic, she is described asrūpeṇāsadṛśī, literally 'unparalleled in beauty'.[8]
Madri is mentioned as an incarnation of a minor goddess named Dhriti ('Endurance').[9] Madri is described being dark complexioned and exceedingly attractive.[10] Her entire life, from her introduction to her death, is recounted in theAdi Parva, the opening book of theMahabharata.[11]
Madri was the daughter of the king of theMadra Kingdom and the sister ofShalya.Bhishma, a prominent statesman of theKuru Kingdom and the grandsire of the royal family, traveled to Madra to secure Madri's hand in marriage forPandu, the king of the Kuru Kingdom. The Madra king consented, but in accordance with Madra family custom, Bhishma presented him with a dowry, consisting of wealth, gold, elephants, and horses. Bhishma then brought Madri toHastinapura, the capital of Kuru, where she was married to Pandu.[11][12]
Pandu had a first wife,Kunti, with whom Madri shared an amicable relationship, despite an underlying rivalry between the two.[13] Shortly after his marriage, Pandu embarked on a series of military conquests to expand his kingdom’s influence. Following these successful campaigns, he went totapovana (forest of austerities) south ofHimalayas, accompanied by both his wives, Kunti and Madri. During the expedition in a forest, he observed a pair of deer in the act of coitus and desiring to hunt them, shot arrows at them. Upon approaching, he realized that the deer were, in fact, the sageKindama and his wife, who had assumed the form of deer to enjoy privacy. As he lay dying, the sage pronounced a curse upon Pandu, decreeing that he would die instantly should he ever engage in sexual relations. Disturbed by the gravity of his actions and seeking repentance, Pandu chose to relinquish his royal duties and live an ascetic life in the forest. Both Kunti and Madri accompanied him in his self-imposed exile. After travelling to various pilgrim sites, they settled in the Shatashringa forests under the care of sages who lived there.[11][14]
Kunti, the first wife ofPandu, possessed amantra granted by the sageDurvasa prior to her marriage, which allowed her to summon any deity of her choice and bear a child by them. She had kept this boon a closely guarded secret. During his exile, Pandu, hindered in fulfilling his religious duties due to his lack of an heir, discussed the matter with Kunti, urging her to "raise offspring in this time of distress." He cited six types of sons as recognised by religious doctrines, with an additional six types in a supplementary list. At this juncture, Kunti disclosed her boon, though she initially resisted using it. Only after Pandu’s fervent pleas did Kunti invoke her boon, resulting in the birth of her three sons—Yudhishthira,Bhima, andArjuna—each fathered by a different god chosen by Pandu after an interval of one year each.[11] When Pandu requested Kunti to bear more children, Kunti firmly refused, stating that doing so would diminish her dignity and reduce her to the status of a prostitude.[12]
Madri, in a private moment with Pandu, expressed that she felt overshadowed by Kunti, as her position seemed secondary to Kunti’s in both Pandu’s affections and household dynamics, a feeling intensified by Madri’s awareness of her own superior birth. She conveyed her grief over being childless and requested that Pandu seek Kunti’s assistance to allow her to become a mother. However, Madri was hesitant to approach Kunti directly, referring to her as her 'rival'. Upon Pandu's request, Kunti generously shared the boon with Madri, who invoked the twin-gods, theAshvins, to begetNakula andSahadeva at once. TheKaunteyas (lit. 'sons of Kunti') andMadreyas (lit. 'sons of Madri') are raised together in the hermitage, and they are collectively referred to as thePandavas.[11]
After some time, Madri, through Pandu, asked Kunti for the assistance to bear more children. However, Kunti firmly refused the request, expressing her frustration by noting that Madri had "deceived" her by using a single mantra to gain two sons. She voiced her regret, fearing that Madri might end up with more children than herself, and admitted she would have also summoned the Ashvins to obtain twins had she known. Concluding her response, Kunti insisted that Pandu "not come to [her] again" with requests to give Madri the mantra.[12][15]
During spring—the season linked witherotism in Hindu tradition—in the forest of Shatashringa,Pandu was deeply influenced by the intensity of the atmosphere. One day, while walking alone with Madri in this setting, Pandu saw her in translucent clothes and succumbed to desire. Despite Madri’s repeated protests, Pandu made love to her, forgetting the curse placed upon him by the sage Kindama, which forbade him from intimate relations on penalty of death. The curse took immediate effect, and Pandu fell dead in Madri’s arms.[11] Upon Pandu’s death, Madri cried out in sorrow, summoningKunti but asking her to come alone, leaving the children behind. Kunti, seeing Pandu and Madri together, blamed Madri for the incident. Madri explained that despite her resistance, Pandu’s overwhelming desire fulfilled the curse's terms. Kunti sorrowfully noted that Madri was "fortunate" to have seen Pandu's face radiant in intimacy—a moment Kunti herself had never experienced[12][11] Following this, Kunti, as the senior wife, claimed the religious duty to accompany Pandu in death, believing it her responsibility to follow him to the afterlife. She asked Madri to relinquish his body and take on the task of raising their children. In the Southern recension of the Mahabharata, Pandu's death occurred on the day ofUttara Phalguni Nakshatra, coinciding with Arjuna's birthday.[8]
Madri, however, resisted Kunti’s request, stating that she felt bound to Pandu by an unfulfilled union, as he had approached her in desire at the time of his death. Madri expressed her wish to follow Pandu into the afterlife to fulfill his desire,[16] also fearing she might not be able to raise Kunti’s children with equal dedication and affection. She appealed to Kunti to care for her own children, Nakula and Sahadeva, in her absence, trusting in Kunti’s ability to provide for them impartially. During Pandu's funeral, Madri jumped into Pandu's burning pyre, thus performing the act ofsati.[note 1][12][16][18]
However, this account is contradicted by the very next stanza, which states that her dead body and that of her husband were handed over by sages to the Kaurava elders inHastinapura for the funeral rites.[19]
TheSvargarohana Parva (the final book of theMahabharata) mentions that in the afterlife, Madri resides in theheavenly realm of the godIndra.[11]
Madri is traditionally portrayed as apativrata, or "devoted wife,"[20] who follows her husband's death out of love.[8] For her decision to commitsati (self-immolation) after Pandu’s death, Indologist Pradeep Bhattacharya positions Madri within a broader pattern of dependent female characters in theMahabharata, such asAmbika,Ambalika, andGandhari, who conform to social or marital expectations. This is in contrast to a different class of characters called thekanyas, like Kunti,Draupadi, andSatyavati, who are powerful independent figures with great influence in shaping the narrative of the epic.[12] Iravati Karve views Madri as a tragic figure, whose life is indirectly ruined by Bhishma. However, she also notes that Madri attains liberation from the more arduous life, which is endured by Kunti, who survives and faces various hardships and plots, while caring for both of Madri’s children, even more than her own.[6] MythologistDevdutt Pattanaik further highlights the distinction between the two co-wives, noting that while Kunti’s sons—Yudhishthira, Bhima, and Arjuna—become central figures in the epic, Madri’s twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, play relatively minor roles.[21]
Assessments emphasize Madri’s renowned beauty and high status as a princess ofMadra, which are presented as surpassing that ofKunti.[15][8][6] According to Indologist andMahabharata scholar Pradip Bhattacharya, Madri’s charms and physical appeal allowed her to winPandu’s favoritism,[22] as seen when he grants her the freedom to choose her divine partner without the restrictions that were earlier imposed on Kunti.[12] Other critics observe that Madri’s beauty, while notable, reduces her character in the epic to that of merely an "beloved wife," overshadowing her individuality and eventually being blamed for Pandu's demise.[8] The authors also highlight Madri’s strategic thinking and cleverness—rather than directly asking Kunti, she convinces Pandu by making it about his legacy and also manages to gain two children in a single opportunity, the latter of which Kunti views as "wicked" and "deceitful".[8][6][23]
This tension between the two co-wives is a recurring theme in the Mahabharata, portraying a rivalry common in polygamous settings.[8][6][13] While discussing her desire for children with Pandu, Madri affirms that Kunti is her rival and does not shy away from expressing her sensitivity in seeking Kunti's favour.[8] Bhattacharya points out that Kunti similarly expresses resentment over Madri’s ability to outmaneuver her, particularly at the moment of Pandu’s death when she finds Madri in his arms. This is further evident when Kunti, feeling betrayed by Madri's use of her generosity to outdo her in the number of children, refuses to share her mantra again.[12][8] According to Baisakhi Ghosh, a Sanskrit scholar and author, their rivalry stemmed from Kunti's belief that Madri was favored by the king due to her beauty, while Madri felt that Kunti, as the chief queen, enjoyed a status she herself deserved, fueled her belief that she is equal to or even exceeds Kunti in some ways.[13] However, Madri finally accepts Kunti's nobility before her death, acknowledging her resilience and leadership. Bhattacharya sees Madri’s recognition of Kunti as an honest tribute to her own limitations, reflecting her lack of the “firmness of will” needed to rise above rivalry and ego.[12]
Madri’ssati (the act of immolation of a widow on her husband's funeral pyre) has been studied by scholars as a way to gain insights into the practice of sati during the ancient epic period. However, her case stands out as an exceptionally rare instance in theMahābhārata, where widows—aside from a few in later-added chapters—do not perform sati.[24][18][25][26] Traditionally, it is believed that Madri committed sati by mountingPandu’s funeral pyre, based on a specific verse (1.117.28) from theMahābhārata. Yet a subsequent verse (1.117.30-31), found in all manuscript traditions, offers an alternative account. In this version, after Pandu’s death, sages bring both Pandu’s and Madri’s bodies toHastinapura for proper funeral rites, contradicting the claim that Madri perished with Pandu on the pyre.Nilakantha, a prominent 17th-century commentator on theMahābhārata, tried to reconcile these conflicting verses by suggesting that the word "sarīra" (typically meaning "body") in the second verse actually refers to "asthi" (bones or remains). By this interpretation, Madri did indeed immolate herself with Pandu, and the “bodies” brought to Hastinapura were, in fact, their ashes or charred remains, not their intact corpses.[6] This interpretation, while considered the most compelling explanation, has not gained widespread acceptance.[19][25]
While the scene is included in the Critical Edition of theMahābhārata,V. S. Sukthankar, the General Editor of the Critical Edition, expressed his dissatisfaction with Nilakantha’s interpretation, drawing on the views ofEdward Washburn Hopkins. Although Sukthankar did not explicitly argue that the verses were spurious, he acknowledged the internal contradictions and the challenge of reconciling the two accounts. Building on Sukthankar and Hopkins, scholar M. A. Mehendale contends that the conflicting accounts are due to textual conflation from an interpolation, where an external narrative was inserted into the text without consideration for internal consistency. He rejects Nilakantha’s explanation and, based on internal and external evidence, suggests that the verses regarding Madri’s self-immolation are likely spurious.[19]Devdutt Pattanaik argues that such inconsistencies reflect later cultural and textual interpolations during the medieval period. Pattanaik points to further contradictions inMahābhārata episodes, such as the account ofKrishna’s death, where some of his wives perform sati while others choose asceticism, and other episodes in which widows, like those of theKauravas or figures from the other epicRamayana likeTara andMandodari, do not immolate themselves. These discrepancies suggest that later writers may have modified the scenes to reflect medieval values that promoted widow immolation as a mark of honor and loyalty. Regarding the alternative account, Pattanaik suggests that if Madri’s body was indeed delivered to Hastinapur, it is likely she died immediately alongside Pandu due to the curse placed on him byKindama, since Pandu's arrows had killed both the sage and his wife.[25]
