How did Madri, mother of Nakula and Sahadeva die?
07.06.2025 01:45
There are heavy interpolations in the Southern recensions to show a great camaraderie between Kunti and Madri, though the two had mutual rivalry and jealousy, which was evident when Madri told Pandu –
(BORI CE, Chapter 109)
But, was Madri not supposed to die as per the sage’s curse to Pandu itself?
(BORI CE, Chapter 117)
Madri resisted, but could not escape. She was not aware of the curse, but didn't want Pandu to break his vow of celibacy. The two united then.
‘Pandu saw his five handsome sons grow up in that great forest on the mountain, protected by the strength of his arms. One day, it was the season of spring, when the forests are in full bloom and all beings are drunk and maddened. The king was roaming through the forest with his wives. Pandu saw the forest, with trees like palasha, tilaka, chuta, champaka, paribhadraka and many other trees that were laden with flowers and fruit. The ponds were beautiful with many different kinds of lotuses. On seeing this, his heart turned to thoughts of love. Like a god, he was wandering around happily.
How do schizophrenia symptoms change throughout the day?
The funeral ceremony of Pandu and Madri was held in Hastinapur, and described in detail in the text, further confirming that the funeral in mountains was an interpolation –
Coming to the second interpolation of the sage’s curse mentioning the ‘partner’ (wife) of Pandu too to die along with him upon attempted intercou inrse, it was obviously an interpolation as Madri didn't die immediately and was conversing with Kunti after the death of Pandu (she was not even mentioned in any pain, as if about to die), as if the effect of the curse was delayed on the female partner! (KMG smartly translated the curse as the woman ‘shall follow thee’ into the land of the dead, as if some leeway was allowed in her death). The curse was only for Pandu, and the line for the female partner was added later, converting the verse into a triplet (see ‘Comments’ section for the interpolated verse from Gita Press).
Thus, Madri neither died due to the sage’s curse nor due to Sati! Then, how did Madri die? Vyas only gave hints, and left it to the readers to arrive at the truth.
Is it true that most Indian men are gay and they just hide their feelings?
When Satyavati invited his son Vyas for Niyog with Ambika-Ambalika to propagate the clan (against their wishes), Ambika was mentioned to close her eyes during the act (ugly appearance of Vyas), with Vyas declaring her resultant son to be born blind (this won't be a curse, but a forecast). But, what happened with Ambalika is not properly understood.
Madri followed him, clad in a beautiful and semi-transparent garment. On seeing her youth through that garment, desire stirred in him, like a dense forest fire. The king stared at the one with eyes like that of a blue lotus, like his own. He could not control his desire and desire overpowered him. In that private place, the king forcibly seized her. The queen struggled and resisted, to the best of her strength. But his heart was taken over by desire. He did not remember the curse. Following the dharma of intercourse, he forcibly entered Madri. Under the control of love, the descendant of the Kuru lineage acted so as to end his own life. Pandu, the descendant of the Kuru lineage and supremely devoted to dharma, succumbed to the law of time (died) when united with his wife.
Madri was trapped under the body of Pandu, and kids were made to stay away. Taking advantage of the situation, Kunti killed Madri in a fit of rage and jealousy (by smothering using their clothes possibly)!
Should Pete Rose's record as the all-time hits leader be recognized and celebrated?
I have, O sinless one, also no complaint that though by birth I am superior to Kunti yet I am inferior to her in station.
To understand the events properly, one has to start from the time of birth of Pandu –
(Note: Those who are unknown to the fact that the text of Mahabharat is full of interpolations, with the truth behind several strange events only hinted by Vyas in the text, and never clarified properly, may kindly skip reading further, as it might hurt them!)
Scientists Spot Mysterious Object in Our Galaxy Pulsing Every 44 Minutes - futurism.com
Pandu was born infertile and didn't have children despite sporting with her wives for a month after marriage and then in woods.
(Disclaimer – The article is based on critical analysis of the text of Vyas Mahabharat and its interpolations. The author does not intend to vilify any character or hurt the feelings of any individual or group)
The trio stayed for a long time on Shatshringa mountains, getting the five Pandavs by Niyog. Pandu convinced Kunti to propagate the lineage by Niyog with Brahmans, citing his infertility (which was there since birth and not due to sage’s curse). Madri herself desired to get children, and volunteered for the process.
To recapitulate, this was the likely course of events –
(KMG, Adi Parv, Sec 113)
Overcome by desire, when you unite with your loved one, at that very instant, you will depart for the land of the dead. The woman with whom you unite in your last moments will also go to the land of the king of the dead…
(KMG, Adi Parv, Sec 127)
But, Ambika tricked her mother-in-law and sent her maid to Vyas, who thoroughly cooperated and enjoyed the act. Vyas was mentioned to 'spend all night with her' and get greatly pleased and satisfied (these were lacking in the previous two encounters)! He thus blessed her son to be the intelligent 'Dharmatma' Vidur, freeing her from servitude (Vidur was presented with a lot of wealth by Kauravs, and was not poor).
Pandu then got cursed by a sage upon killing a pair of mating deers. He then got remorseful and became an ascetic (say after one year) and moved to Shatshringa mountains. He asked his wives to move back to the palace, as he would observe tough vows, including that of celibacy (this further makes it clear that he was sporting with his wives this one year in forests too, and didn't conceive because of infertility). The wives said that they were ready to live a tough life with him, ‘giving up all desires’. They were supposed to observe celibacy, and at least Kunti observed the vow (with a heavy heart). Pandu didn't inform them about the sage's curse.
He had retired to woods only to let Dhritarashtra become the king and give heirs to the throne.
Having consulted with each other, those who are engaged in the welfare of all beings decided to go to the city of Nagasahrya, with Pandu’s sons in front of them. As soon as they decided, the ascetics set out at that very moment, with Pandu’s sons and wife and the two bodies… Now perform those rites that should be performed for them. These are the two bodies and here are the supreme sons.
To conclude, Madri supposedly died both as result of the sage's curse and then choosing to commit Sati on Pandu’s pyre. But both of these were interpolations. In reality, Kunti killed Madri, out of her jealousy and anger, upon seeing her mating with Pandu.
(Source: Annals of the BORI, Vol. 82, No. 1/4, 2001)
Kunti might have explained the Brahmans then that both of them had died due to the sage's curse.
Pandu returned after conquering the country after around a year. He would have expected to have two children by then (from both wives), but would have been disappointed finding none! He was mentioned to retire to the forests with his wives, "a little while after he returned". No reason was cited in the text for his voluntary exile. Pandu must have understood that he was infertile (both the wives didn't conceive) and thus handed over the kingdom to Dhritarashtra, so that the throne shall have heirs. He stayed luxuriously in the forest (forest resort), like a king, indulging in hunting and taken care of by D’rashtra –
Most people would think that Madri committed suicide (Sati) on Pandu's funeral pyre after his death –
Pandu and Madri were mating in the woods one day, when Pandu died due to the sage’s curse. Madri cried in panic, while engaged in the same position with Pandu, and Kunti and the kids started coming. Madri asked Kunti to ‘ensure children to stay away’ (children could not see them in that condition, unclad). Kunti got shocked seeing them sporting. She assumed that Pandu had been sporting with Madri all these years, but depriving her of the pleasures. She felt utterly cheated and jealous of Madri, and killed her in rage!
Embracing the senseless king in her arms, the miserable Madri began to repeatedly and loudly lament. Kunti and the Pandavas, who were her sons and Madri’s sons, all came to the place where the king was lying. O king! Madri called out to Kunti – “Come here alone and leave the children there.” Hearing these words, she asked the children to stay away. Coming closer, she screamed, “I am dead.” On seeing both Pandu and Madri lying on the ground, Kunti’s body was overcome with grief and she lamented miserably. “O Madri! You should have protected this king. Instead, why did you tempt him in this lonely place? O daughter of Bahlika! You are more fortunate than I. You have seen the lord of the earth’s face when he was happy.”’
Analyst sets date when Nvidia stock will hit $200 - Finbold
Pandu got smitten by desire one day, seeing Madri dressed in a translucent saree in a romantic season. He lost control over his mind and senses, and forcibly grabbed Madri.
(BORI CE, Chapter 106)
Ambalika was mentioned to turn pale (in anxiety) and Vyas mentioned Pandu to be born 'pale' (in complexion). How was a pale or fair complexion meant to be a disability? And, why did Satyavati force Ambika for Niyog again, if Pandu was only supposed to have a pale face?
What are the withdrawal symptoms of Klonopin 1mg?
Vaisampayana continued, 'Then Vidura, O Bharata, saying, 'So be it,' in consultation with Bhishma, fixed upon a sacred spot for the funeral rites of Pandu… Then friends, relatives, and adherents, wrapping it up in cloth, decked the body of the monarch with the flowers of the season and sprinkled various excellent perfumes over it... Then placing the covered body of the king with that of his queen on that excellent bier decked out so brightly, they caused it to be carried on human shoulders… The priests clad in white walked in the van of the procession pouring libations of clarified butter on the sacred fire blazing in an ornamental vessel… There they laid down the hearse on which the truthful and lion-hearted prince and his spouse lay…They then dressed it in a white dress made of indigenous fabrics. And with the new suit on, the king seemed as if he was living and only sleeping on a costly bed.
And, O king of kings, that best of monarchs then gave himself up to enjoyment in the company of his two wives as best he liked and to the limit of his desires. And after thirty days had elapsed, the Kuru king, O monarch, started from his capital for the conquest of the world.
Pandu might have been unaware of his infertility, and eagerly married Kunti and Madri in close succession (Bhishma might have chosen two wives for him, so that at least one of them would agree for Niyog to propagate the lineage). Pandu sported with his wives 'to the limit of his desires' for a month after his marriage (proving that he was potent). He then left to conquer the country (Digvijay) to prove his calibre on the battlefield too.
See photos: Miguel Angel Jiménez wins the Principal Charity Classic - The Des Moines Register
(BORI CE, Chapter 116)
Gita Press and KMG smartly replaced the ‘bodies’ with remains (asthi) to avoid confusion, and stress upon the narrative of Sati. BORI scholars have pointed this out in their annals as a type II interpolation –
Both of these were interpolations! Madri never committed Sati, and her ‘dead body’ was brought to Hastinapur by the Brahmans of Shatshringa, along with that of Pandu. The funeral ceremony was held in Hastinapur, not held in the forest!
The narration then shifted to (in next chapter) the Brahmans discussing about the “two dead bodies” of Pandu and Madri, with no details mentioned how she died! Kunti was shocked at the realisation that she was being cheated by Madri (and Pandu), and she alone was deprived of sex, while the two of them sported all this while. She cried “I am dead” from a distance, just upon seeing the two in that condition. And then, she expressed her jealousy saying that Madri was more fortunate than her. In a fit of jealousy and anger, Kunti then killed Madri!
(KMG, Adi Parv, Sec 123)
Sex was a dominant theme of the times, and men and women were largely promiscuous. Being fooled and deprived of sex for so many years could drive a woman crazy and make her kill her rival. But, such things cannot be stated openly in the epic, and hence Vyas just mentioned hints for Madri's death. Kunti killing her co-wife might send a wrong message to the society, and hence the interpolators mentioned Madri to have died be two alternate reasons.
With Kunti and Madri, Pandu lived in the forest, like Purandara’s handsome elephant between two cow elephants. As the descendant of the Bharata lineage roamed around with his wives, with swords, arrows and bows and clad in wonderful armour, the king who was brave and skilled in the use of all weapons seemed like a god to the forest-dwellers. On Dhritarashtra’s command, these men always gave him every object of desire and pleasure in the forest.
Vyas actually meant that Ambalika was pale (listless) and disinterested in the act, and hence her son Pandu would be similarly pale with listless gametes (infertile). Infertility doesn't mean impotency, and Pandu was quite potent (as detailed below). That was the reason Satyavati asked Ambika again for Niyog, so that a fertile king could be obtained to propagate the clan.
This is the narration of the events on the day, from my upcoming book, removing the interpolations –
Pandu died due to the sage's curse (excessive anxiety upon remembering the curse later might have lead to a heart attack) while mating with Madri, when Kunti discovered the truth and got shocked!
He got cursed by a sage to die upon attempted intercourse, after he killed a pair of mating deers while hunting.
(BORI CE, Chapter 116)
He became an ascetic then, and his wives agreed to observe tough vow, including that of celibacy.
This seems to be a straightforward question, and not deserving much attention. But, this could be one of the dark secrets of Mahabharat, and would come as a shock to everyone!
Having said this, the illustrious daughter of the king of Madra, wife by law to that bull among men, climbed onto the fire of that funeral pyre.’