Mandavi (Sanskrit: माण्डवी, romanized: Māṇḍavī) is a princess of Videha in the Hindu epic Ramayana.[1] She is the wife of Bharata and is considered an incarnation of the conch shell of goddess Lakshmi. Mandavi is known for her sacrifice and perseverance.[2][3]
| Mandavi | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The wedding ceremony of Mandavi and Bharata. | |
| Affiliation | Avatar of Lakshmi's conch shell |
| Abode | Ayodhya |
| Texts | Ramayana and its other versions |
| Genealogy | |
| Born | |
| Died | |
| Parents | Kushadhvaja (father) Chandrabhaga (mother) |
| Siblings | Sita (adoptive cousin) Urmila (cousin) Shrutakirti (sister) |
| Spouse | Bharata |
| Children | Taksha Pushkala |
| Dynasty | Videha (by birth) Raghuvamsha-Suryavamsha (by marriage) |
Etymology
editThe name Mandavi is of Sanskrit origin. Her name means 'fit and competent'.[4]
Legend
editBirth
editSunayana and Chandrabhaga, the wives of Janaka and Kushadhvaja, gave birth to Urmila and Mandavi. Chandrabhaga later gave birth to her second daughter and Mandavi's younger sister, Shrutakirti.[5] She is considered as the incarnation of Lakshmi's conch shell.[6] Her father was the ruler of Samkasya, but Mandavi and Shrutakirti were brought up in Mithila, along with Sita and Urmila.[7]
Marriage to Bharata
editAfter Rama won the hand of Sita at her svayamvara, his father, King Dasharatha arrived in Mithila for his son's wedding. King Dasharatha noticed that Lakshmana had feelings for Urmila, but according to tradition, Bharata and Mandavi had to marry first. King Dasharatha arranged for Bharata to marry Mandavi and for Shatrughna to marry Shrutakirti, allowing Lakshmana to marry Urmila. Ultimately, all four sisters married the four brothers, strengthening the alliance between the kingdoms.[8] The wedding ceremony was conducted under the guidance of Shatananda.[9]
Mandavi and Bharata had two sons named Taksha and Pushkala. While, Taksha founded the city of Taksha-sila, to the east of Indus, Pushkala founded Pushkala-vati, to the west of the Indus.[10]
Bharata's exile
editWhen her mother-in-law Kaikeyi, compelled Dasharatha to make Bharata king and forced Rama to leave Ayodhya and spend a period of exile. Sita and Lakshmana willingly renounced the comforts of the palace and joined Rama in exile. Bharata decided to lead a life in exile at Nandigram, till the completion of Rama's exile. On his request, Mandavi stayed back in Ayodhya to look after her husband's aging parents.[11][12] Mandavi then decided to not meet her husband for those fourteen years, so that he could devotee his time for the welfare of Ayodhya and fulfill his brother's responsibilities.[13]
Death
editAccording to a legend in Tulsidas's Ramcharitmanas, Mandvi along with her sister Shrutakirti, became Sati with her husband, and died after her husband's samadhi. While, Urmila stayed in Ayodhya to look after her son's Angada and Chandraketu, and Sita's sons Lava and Kusha.[14]
Assessment
editThough she finds little mention in the original epic, Mandavi is known as a pious woman and an ideal wife. She dedicated herself in the service of her husband and his parents.[15] Kavita Kane said,
"Mandavi remains in the palace of Ayodhya as her husband Bharat resides in a hut in Nandigram and displays perseverance. She recede further into the background as the story progresses, her presence is felt through the turmoil that threatens to rip the family apart."[6]
Worship
editIn the Medak district of Telangana, there is a temple called Sri Kalyana Ramachandra Sannadhi that is dedicated to Bharata and Mandavi. This temple is the only one in India that has installed statues of Rama's brothers and their wives.[16][17]
In popular culture
editFilms
edit- Churni Ganguly portrayed Mandavi in the 1997 Hindi film Lav Kush.
Television
edit- Sulakshana Khatri portrayed Mandavi in the 1987 series Ramayan and the 1998 series Luv Kush.[18]
- Raji Sharma / Gulrez Khan portrayed Mandavi in the 1997 series Jai Hanuman.
- Rajni Chandra portrayed Mandavi in the 2002 series Ramayan.
- Krupa Chandera portrayed Mandavi in the 2008 series Ramayan.
- Prithvi Hatte portrayed Mandavi in the 2015 series Siya Ke Ram.[19]
- Richa Dixit portrayed Mandavi in the 2019 series Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush.
- Sheersha Tiwari portrayed Mandavi in the 2024 series Shrimad Ramayan.
Books
edit- Mandvi by Shri Uma, published in 1996[20]
References
edit- ^ Dawar, Sonalini Chaudhry (2006). Ramayana, the Sacred Epic of Gods and Demons. Om Books International. ISBN 9788187107675.
- ^ Agarwal, Shubhi (20 April 2022). LakshmiLa : The Eternal Love Story. Om Books International. ISBN 978-93-92834-21-9.
- ^ Valmiki Ramayana, English verse translation by Desiraju Hanumanta Rao, K. M. K. Murthy et al.
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (21 September 2015). "Mandavi, Māṇḍavī: 9 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
- ^ Praśānta Guptā (1998). Vālmīkī Rāmāyaṇa. Dreamland Publications. p. 32. ISBN 9788173012549.
- ^ a b "Sita's Sisters: Conversations On Sisterhood Between Women Of Ramayana". Outlook India. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Ramayana | Summary, Characters, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 12 April 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- ^ Debroy, Bibek (2005). The History of Puranas. Bharatiya Kala Prakashan. ISBN 978-81-8090-062-4.
- ^ Valmiki. The Ramayana. pp. 126–145.
- ^ "The Ramayana and Mahabharata: Conclusion". www.sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ "Ramayana: Check 13 lesser-known facts". Jagranjosh.com. 5 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ Moor, Edward (1810). The Hindu Pantheon. J. Johnson. p. 316.
- ^ Goldman, Robert P.; Goldman, Sally J. Sutherland (18 January 2022). The Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki: The Complete English Translation. Princeton University Press. p. 255. ISBN 978-0-691-20686-8.
- ^ MacFie, J. M. (1 May 2004). The Ramayan Of Tulsidas Or The Bible Of Northern India. Kessinger Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4179-1498-2.
- ^ "Revisioning Subalternity: A critical study of Ramayana through Mandavi and Urmila". Rupkatha Journals.
- ^ "Sri Kalyana Ramachandra Swamy temple: Small wonder on a hillock". Deccan Chronicle. 3 December 2017.
- ^ "This unique Rama temple near Hyderabad where Hanuman finds no place". The News Minute. 17 April 2016.
- ^ "Ramayana cast and characters: A full list". www.timesnownews.com. 17 April 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ "Mera naam Prithvi hai, aur main ek ladki hoon' - Times of India". The Times of India. 8 May 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- ^ Uma, Shri (1996). Mandvi. Ayan Prakashan. ISBN 9788184956665.