Madri

Character Overview

Madri is a princess of the Madra kingdom who became the second wife of King Pandu of Hastinapura. In the Mahābhārata she is known chiefly for invoking the Ashvini Kumaras through the sacred mantra that her co-wife Kuntī had received, and thus becoming the mother of the twins Nakula and Sahadeva. Her life is marked by duty, devotion, and a poignant end: when Pandu died after an unfortunate lapse into desire, Madri joined him on the funeral pyre.

Madri stands as a figure of noble birth and calm dignity. She is respectful of household duties and traditions, careful to honor Kuntī and the sanctity of the boon Kuntī held. Her story is short in the epic but carries strong emotional and symbolic weight—she embodies loyalty to husband and family, the complexities of shared motherhood, and the tragic consequences of fate and curses in epic narrative.

Relationship with Krishna

There are no prominent direct conversations between Madri and Krishna recorded in the core Mahābhārata text. Krishna's chief relationships in the epic are with the Pandavas as a whole and especially with Kuntī, Arjuna, and the surviving sons. Through Krishna’s love and protection of the Pandavas, Madri's children, Nakula and Sahadeva, come under his care and guidance. Krishna treats the Pandavas with affection and respect, thereby upholding Madri’s honor indirectly. In later retellings and devotional readings, Krishna's presence is understood as a sustaining force for the family into which Madri gave birth.

Notable Conversations and Incidents

• Receiving the boon: Madri requests Kuntī to use the brahmāṇḍa-mantra (the divine formula for invoking gods) so that she may bear children. Kuntī shares the mantra with her sister co-wife in an act of compassion and duty, enabling Madri to invoke the Ashvini Kumaras.

• Birth of the twins: The Ashvini Kumaras, the twin divine physicians, are invoked and father Nakula and Sahadeva. Their birth is celebrated as the arrival of handsome and capable princes, whose skills and character later reflect both parental lineages.

• Pandu’s death and Madri’s end: When Pandu, overcome by desire, forgets the curse that forbids him from intimacy and dies in Madri’s arms, Madri chooses to go with him on the funeral pyre. Her self-immolation is presented in the epic as an act of loyalty and an attempt to free Kuntī from the burden of raising all five sons alone.

Interesting Facts and Nuances

• The Ashvins: Madri’s children are fathered by the Ashvini Kumaras—divine twin deities associated with medicine, healing, and youthful vigour. This connection explains many traditional attributions about Nakula and Sahadeva’s beauty, skill, and complementary talents.

• Madra heritage: As a princess of Madra, Madri brings the prestige of an important northwestern kingdom into the Hastinapura household. The Madra connection also explains certain cultural notes associated with her sons, especially Nakula, who is often linked with expertise in horses and swordsmanship in later tradition.

• Kuntī and Madri: Their relationship shows devotion and sacrifice in a complex blended family. Kuntī’s giving of the mantra is an act of generosity; Madri’s acceptance and later self-sacrifice are portrayed as expressions of duty rather than rivalry.

• Reception in later commentary: Later retellings and devotional reflections often emphasize Madri’s nobility and courage, treating her final act as an exemplar of spousal devotion, though some modern readers read the episode as tragic and reflective of limited options for women in the epic’s social framework.

Legacy and Lessons

Madri’s story carries lessons about duty, shared motherhood, and the cost of fate. She is often remembered for:

• The dignity with which she accepted the role given to her in the household.
• Her responsible use of a sacred gift (the mantra) to bring sons into the world, ensuring the future of the Kuru line.
• Her final sacrifice, which prompts reflection on love, honor, and the tragic outcomes that can result from curses and misfortune.

Her legacy survives through Nakula and Sahadeva, who are honored among the Pandavas. Devotional remembrances focus on her loyalty, calm courage, and the sorrowful nobility of her end.