Previous | Next

MBH's women are very powerful, some of them listed here -

1. Gangaa
Cursed by her father Brahmaa Jee Gangaa had to come on Prithvi and marry King Shaantanu. To help Vasu, to release them from the curse of Vashishth Jee, she had to put a condition of their marriage - "Whatever I do, you will never ask any question about that. The day you will ask, I will reply your question and will go away from your life." Blinded by fate Shaantanu accepted her condition and did not ask anything even after Gangaa had killed his seven sons. When she was about to kill his 9th son, the King could not remain silent and asked her why did she kill his seven sons? Gangaa replied - "O King, We both are here because of the curse of my father to you and me. And these seven sons whom I have killed, in fact I have not killed them, I have released them from their curse. This eighth child has to bear the fruits of his curse that is why you asked me this question. I have replied your question and as per our condition I after replying your question I am going back. I am taking our son, when he will be grown up and educated, I will hand over him to you." and she went away. She brought him back after 16 years.

2. Satyavatee
Satyavatee was the daughter of a fisherman. First she was chosen by Rishi Paraashar to give birth to the incarnation of Vishnu - Ved Vyaas Jee. Ved Vyaas Jee grew up as he was born and left her saying - "I am going so that you need not to worry about my upbringing." Satyavatee asked - "How can I see you again, My Son?" He replied - "Whenever you will remember me I will come." [Although there is nowhere any reference of her remembering him and coming to her like this. Once she had to call him, so she sent Bheeshm to bring him to her.

Later she was married to Shaantanu on the condition that only her children will rule Hastinaapur. Shaantanu could not reconcile this as he had already coronated Devavrat as the Crown prince of Hastinaapur, but his son Devavrat was so devoted to his father that he took two vows - renouncing the throne and remaining lifelong bachelor and married his father to Satyavatee.

When Satyavatee's two sons, Chitraangad and Vichitraveerya, had grown up, she thought of their marriage. Unfortunately Chitraangad was killed in a battle before he got married. Bheeshm brought Kaashee's three princes for Vichitraveerya. She freed Ambaa from becoming her daughter-in-law when she heard that she did not want to marry her son, and wanted to marry Shaalv. She sent her back to Shaalv with respect. She was so bold, that when her son Vichitraveerya died without leaving any heir to the throne of Hastinaapur, she asked her first-born son Ved Vyaas to produce children from her two widowed daughters-in law - Ambikaa and Ambaalikaa. He produced three sons from hem - Dhritraashtra from Ambikaa, Paandu from Ambaalikaa and Vidur from Ambikaa's maid.

3. Ambaa
Satyavatee had two sons from King Shaantanu, Chitraangad and Vichitraveerya. Unfortunately Chitraangad was killed in a battle before he got married. Bheeshm brought Kaashee's three princes for Vichitraveerya Ambaa, Ambikaa and Ambaalikaa. When they had come to Hastinaapur, Ambaa told her that she did not want to marry Vichitraveerya, she loved Shaav. So she freed Ambaa from becoming her daughter-in-law, and also she sent her back to Shaalv with respect. Unfortunately Shaalv did not accept her, so she came back to Hastinaapur and blamed Bheeshm for all this mishap. If he did not bring her forcefully to Hastinaapur, she could have married to Shaalv. Since now Shaalv did not accept her, she belongs to nowhere. On asking what did she want, she told that she wanted to marry Bheeshm. Bheeshm clearly refused to marry her as he was bound to his vows given to Satyavatee's father.

Ambaa took it as her insult and took a vow to take her revenge from Bheeshm that she would be the cause of Bheeshm's death. She pleased Shiv Jee and got a boon from him to be successful in her mission. She was born as Shikhandee in Drupad's house and took her revenge becoming the cause of Bheeshm's death.

4. Gaandhaaree
Gaandhaaree, the wife of Dhritraashtra, was a great devotee of Shiv Jee. She had already had a boon from Shiv Jee to have 100 sons before her marriage. After hearing this only Bheeshm considered her to marry her to Dhritraashtra. She was such a Pativrataa, that as she heard that her husband is blind, she tied a cloth strip on her eyes, saying that "What her husband cannot see, she also has no right to see it." She kept her eyes closed till the end of her life. She loved Duryodhan very much. She had so much power that when her only one son, Duryodhan, remained alive, she wanted to save him. She got ready to open her eyes just to look at him only once so that she could make his body of steel. She remembered Bheem's vow and she was afraid that he would certainly fulfill his vow. She asked him to come to her naked so that his whole body is of steel, but Duryodhan covered his loin part with a cloth and when Gaandhaaree opened her eyes and had a look of him, his whole body became of steel except that loin part, because of being covered with cloth. Gaandhaaree beat her head.

When the MBH War was finished and Krishn came to console Gaandhaaree, she said to Him - "Krishn, You could have stopped this war but let it happen, you killed my sons, I curse you that as you have my all children, your whole Vansh will also be finished like this." krishn accepted her curse and came back from there.

Her third incident comes when the MBH war is finished and both Dhritraashtra and Gaandhaaree come out of the city to offer their Jalaanjali to their children and other dead people, Yudhishthir stands in front of her expressing his sorrow on the death of her children. Gaandhaaree looks through her cloth strip at the feet of Yudhishthir with so much hatred that his nails get blue. Yudhishthir is so much surprised to see this.

5. Kuntee
Kuntee was the daughter of Raajaa Shoorsen, sister of Vasudev and paternal aunt (Buaa) of Krishn. There she was known as Prithaa. She was given to Kuntibhoj, the cousin (Paternal aunt's son) and friend of Shoorsen, as Kuntibhoj was childless, so Vasudev had promised him to give his first-born child to him. His first-born child was a daughter, so he gave that daughter to him. This adopted daughter was renamed Kuntee in Kuntibhoj's house. There she was given the responsibility of taking care of coming Braahman and guests. She herself did not have any power, buy by serving once one Braahman, Durvaasaa, she got a Mantra from him. It could be used to invoke any Devtaa and that Devtaa had to give her a child. Because of this boon, she herself bore three sons from Dharm Raaj, Pavan Dev and Indra Dev and even got a twins for Maadree too from Ashwinee Kumaar.

6. Vidur's Wife
Vidur's wife is a very least-known and least-talked personality of the MBH. Most people do not know her name even. But she was a great devotee of Krishn. When Krishn went as a Peace Messenger to Hastinaapur, He did not accept the hospitality of Duryodhan instead He went to stay with Vidur Jee. When Krishn arrived at the house, Vidur was not there and his wife was taking bath, that He called at her door - "I am Krishn. I am hungry." Hearing His voice she immediately came out half naked and opened the door for Him. Krishn said - "I am very hungry, give me some food." She immediately brought banana, peeled it and gave its peel to Him to eat and threw the pulp. In love of God she forgot that she was sitting half naked before Him and she offered Him only the peel of the fruit, not the fruit itself.

In the meantime Vidur Jee came and got surprised to see all that. Then he himself took the banana, peeled it gave its pulp to Krishn and threw the peel. Krishn said - "You came at the wrong time. You disturbed me from enjoying the Bhakti of my Bhakt."

7. Hidimbaa (Wife of Bheemsen)
After the Paandav escaped from Baaranaavat fire, it was Bheem guarding the family in the night. A Raakshas named Hidimb lived nearby. He smelt human beings so he asked his sister Hidimbaa to bring the human bein g to him as he had not eated human flesh for a long time. So Hidimbaa came to take human being, but as she saw Bheem she fell in love with Bheem. Bheem at first refused her love. In the meantime Hidimb also came there. Bheem killed him and on Hidimbaa's request and with Kuntee and Yudhishthir's permission he married her on the condition that as soon as they will have son he will leave her as he had to take care of the brothers and mothers. Hidimbaa requested Kuntee that she should let him be with her. She would take him to lot many places and drop him with them in the night. After some time Hidimbaa had a son named Ghatotkach. Ghatolkach greeted his father and told him that whenever they want him, he should just think of him and he will appear in front of them. Nothing more is known later about Hidimbaa, but Ghatotkach has appeared several times. So although Yudhishthir was the eldest but Bheem was married first, and the first grandson of Kuntee was Ghatokach. Being the first son, Yudhishthir loved him very much and trusted him a lot.

In spite of being a Raakshasee, she knew her limits. She never compared herself to other wives of Paandav, rather she prepared her son to serve Paandav very well as his elders. Ghatotkach had always been helpful to his father and uncles. He was loved by all. He was killed by Karn and when he died he killed thousands of soldiers by falling on them.

8. Draupadee alias Paanchaalee or Krishnaa
Draupadi was the daughter of King Drupad of Paanchaal Kingdom. While the Paandav were wandering in forest after the escape from Baaranaavat fire, they attended the Swayamvar of Paanchaalee. The same was attended by Duryodhan and Karn also. Arjun wins the archery contest and married Draupadee. When Arjun announces to his mother while entering the house that he has won a "prize," , Kuntee tells him to share with his brothers, before seeing Draupadee. Like an irrevocable vow, her statement, even by mistake, can't be undone, so all five brothers marry Draupadee and she becomes he wife of all the Paandav. Although she became the wife of all the Paandav, but she she had a special liking to Arjun. For everything her first call was to Arjun. It was Naarad who arranged the  arrangement of living of Draupadee among Paandava brothers so that there is no quarrel among them. But Paanchaalee had special admiration to the physical power of Bheem. She remembered Bheem to kill Keechak, and then when the people of Keechak were going to burn her with Keechak, only Bheem came to rescue her. Only Bheem broke Duryodhan's thigh which he showed to Draupadee to sit on in the Dice assembly court. Only Bheem fulfilled Draupadee's vow to tie her hair only after washing her hair with the blood of Dushaasan's chest.

Draupadee had five sons born from each of the Paandav. Nothing more is told about them except that Dhrishtdyumn took them to Paanchaal when Paandav were in exile for 13 years. And after the expiry of exile period when they came, the MBH war broke and they were killed on the last day in the night by Ashwatthaamaa. Yudhishthir's son was Prativindhya, Bheem's son was Shrutasom, Arjun's son was Shrutakeerti, Nakul's son was Shataaneek, and Sahadev's was Shrutakarmaa.

Paanchaalee was slightly pride of herself in nature. She laughed at Duryodhan when he was visiting Yudhishthir's Royal Court, when he stepped in water at a place thinking the water as a plane dry ground. His clothes got wet. 

Carried away by the intoxication of the dice game, Yudhishthir lost all that he possessed: his lands, his kingdom, his brothers, even himself, and eventually Draupadee too. She was dragged before the court by her hair. Her clothes were taken off and at that time, she left her hair loose, telling that it will be tied only after applying blood from Dushaasan's chest. To do this Draupadee lived in the battlefield and tied her hair only when Bheem had brought the blood of Dushaasan's chest. Fearing with all this Dhritraashtra gave her all the things back. Later Yudhishthir had to play the dice game again and he lost it again. This time Paandav had to to go for 13 years of exile including one year of A-gyaatvaas. She had to suffer a lot after Raajsooya Yagya of Yudhishthir. She punished some while she forgave a a few. During the final journey, it was Draupadee who fell down first, because of her special affection to Arjun.

9. Other wives of Paandav
--Yudhishthir had another wife Devikaa and a son named form her named Yaudheya from her. Vishnu Puraan mentions her name as Yaudheyee and her son's name as Devak.
--Bheem had another queen wife. Her name was Balandharaa - and son born to them in the wedlock was Sarvag.
--Arjun had three wives more besides Draupadee. He married all of them when he was on pilgrimage after he entered the room while Paanchaalee was with Yudhishthir to take his weapons. The first one was a Naag Kanya by name Uloopee. His another wife was his wife Subhadra and the son born to them was Abhimanyu. Subhadra was the sister of Krishn and Balaraam. Balaraam had intention to marry her to Duryodhana. But Krishn, interfered and made her elope with Arjun. Abhimanyu was married to Uttaraa and was killed in MBH war. Uttaraa gave birth to his son Pareekshit after Abhimanyu's death.
--Nakul had his wife Karenumatee and son born is Niramitra
--Sahadev had another wife by name Vijayaa and the son born to her was Suhotra.

So the co-wives of Paanchaalee are Devakee, Balandharaa, Subhadraa, Karenumatee and Vijayaa.
MBH says that her co-wives lived with her other, although their names are not giving there. But as it seems from the description given in MBH, that Uloopee did not live with Arjun. Subhadra did live with her.

10. Uttaraa
Uttaraa was the daughter of Raajaa Viraat. Arjun taught her dance and music during the period of one year of A-gyaatvaas. Later she was married to Abhimanyu. Abhimanyu died during the war. The son born to them was after the death of Abhimanyu. His name was Pareekshit. He was educated by Kripaachaarya. Paandav coronated Pareekshit as the king of Hastinaapur before they went on Swragaarohan.