Subhadra was Krishna’s half-sister; some say she was yogmaya, a reincarnation of Durga, sent down to be part of the cause of the wicked Kamsa’s death. When there was danger of Subhadra being married off to the clearly unsuitable Duryodhana, Krishna suggested that Arjuna abduct her. It was befitting of a Kshatriya to abduct a woman who loved him. Once that was done, there still remained the problem of appeasing the first queen Draupadi. Arjuna suggested that Subhadra offer herself to Draupadi as a humble servant. So, stripping off all her regal finery, she humbly served Draupadi. Eventually, Draupadi lovingly accepted her as a co-wife.
The Story Of Subhadra
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Subhadra and Arjuna had a son, Abhimanyu, the brave young warrior who had learnt the secret of entering the chakravyuha formation in war while still in his mother’s womb. The pregnant Subhadra had listened fascinated when Arjuna narrated how to enter the chakravyuha. However, she fell asleep when he narrated how to get out of it and thus Abhimanyu never learnt that art of coming out of the chakravyuha. As a result, he died in battle.
Related reading: When Lord Krishna Taught Arjuna To Choose Love Over Vanity
Subhadra’s son Abhimanyu provided the sole heir
When the 18-day Mahabharata war ended, Arjuna and Subhadra were left with their son’s widow Uttara and her unborn child. Draupadi had lost all her sons. When Uttara’s son Parikshit grew up, his grandfather and granduncles left him in charge of the kingdom and retreated from life. It was thus through Subhadra that the regal line continued.
The story after the Mahabharata, when the Pandavas and Draupadi are on their way to heaven, makes no mention of Subhadra. Draupadi was famously jealous of Arjuna’s love for Subhadra, yet she was the only wife who accompanied him on his final journey.
That was her role. Subhadra’s whole purpose of being appears to have been to provide an heir who won a crucial battle for them and was instrumental in continuing the bloodline.
What then did Subhadra mean to Arjuna? What was her place in the larger scheme of things?
By now, I think we begin to understand that in Indian mythology, stories about couples are not just stories about the couple. The two individuals are two bits of a larger whole, and thus their stories emanate from and retreat into this larger whole. The Mahabharata is a case in point, where it was imperative that the virtuous Pandavas defeat their wicked cousins.
The love story of Subhadra and Arjun
Arjun was besotted with Subhadra’s beauty but in the Mahabharata, there is not much mention that Subhadra was madly in love with Arjun. But many modern-day re-telling of the stories of the Mahabharata says that Subhadra had started loving Arjun even without seeing him ever. It was only the stories she heard from brother Krishna that made her fall in love with Arjun. Krishna ensured that he kept adding fire to this fervent love for Arjun because he was the only one who knew that Subhadra had a destiny which she had to fulfil and that was only possible if she married Arjun. So the whole idea of abducting Subhadra was given to Arjun by Krishna.
Related Reading: Mahabharata’s Bhima May Have Married The Most Modern Woman Ever. Find Out Who!
Everyone had their particular role to fulfil in Mahabharata
Marital relations were never meant to overwhelm one’s life. Draupadi was acknowledged as a senior wife. Arjuna’s other two wives, Uloopi and Chitrangada, never lived with him. A man’s many wives and his limited association with each of them, the concept of patrani was an accepted norm those days. There’s really no record of Subhadra having questioned Arjuna about any of the others. But there is a hint that probably Arjuna loved Subhadra more than he loved Draupadi, which the latter found hard to accept. But since Subhadra flung herself at the service of Draupadi from day one, she had no choice but to accept her with open arms. And when Draupadi left home with the Pandavas it was Subhadra who brought up her sons along with her own.
There is, however, another aspect to be considered. Women had important political roles to play in addition to being someone’s second or third wife. Uloopi was the only daughter of an underwater snake king in the Ganges and she remained there to take charge of her father’s kingdom. Chitrangada was the daughter of the king of Manipur and her son Babruvahana inherited his grandfather’s reign. Subhadra (her name means ‘auspicious’), the beloved sister of Krishna and Balarama is, till date, revered along with her brothers at the Jagannath temple in Puri.
Related Reading: Nalayani, Who Was Cursed To Be Reborn As Draupadi Because…
How the other wives of Arjuna were involved in saving his life
Bhishma was Ganga’s son. When Arjuna kills him through treachery on the twelfth day of the war, Bhishma’s brothers (the Vasus, celestial beings) curse him. Uloopi appeals to the Vasus and they manage to have the curse mitigated. Babruvahana is to kill Arjuna, and Uloopi is to appear on the scene with a gem that will revive him. Thus they play out their assigned roles.
Each of us is born for a purpose. Sometimes we arrive at that purpose through marriage. Some women remain unmarried to care for old parents or a disabled sibling; sometimes men remain unmarried for the same reason. Sometimes a marriage ends with alimony; at other times it is just a means to help us learn an important lesson in our life. Sometimes, when a marriage ends, it is important to remember that ‘being married’ is not the goal. The goal is perhaps that we become more patient or compassionate.
Related Reading: Bheeshma’s Oath: Was It Only For Satyavati and Shantanu Or Was It Something Else?
What happened to Subhadra after her death?
Krishna had asked Arjuna to take Subhadra to the deep end of a pond and push her in. He was surprised at Krishna’s command but he did as he was told. Subhadra emerged from the water as a woman in a demonic form and then died. Apparently, in her earlier birth, she was a demon called Trijata who lived in Ravana’s empire when Sita was brought there. She had helped Sita immensely and because of her good deeds was blessed by Ram to be born as sister to Krishna. So she went back to her old form and then died. It’s all about fulfilling one’s destiny in the end.
Here’s The Story Of What Happened To Radha After Krishna Left Her
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Kavyanjali, I am delighted that the article did something for you.
“What then did Subhadra mean to Arjuna? What was her place in the larger scheme of things?” – These two lines just hit me.
There is something about this article I can’t put into words. I mean it altered something inside me. Something profound. It altered my perspective on marriage.
I am a strong headed woman with her own set of dreams. And, as I am standing in my crucial twenties, marriage to me always seemed like an iceberg in the scheme of my things. But now, I see the broader side to it.
And for this, I can’t thank you enough.
I might not be ready for marriage yet. But when I do feel ready, I am going to hold onto your words to understand my journey to that part of my life more meaningfully.
Thank you Swati. SO glad you enjoyed this article and its perspective.
Wow! What a fresh persperctive to one of the most amazing epics! Enjoyed this one thorougly.. I like where the author says – “The inequality is heavily in favour of the men. There is however, another aspect to be considered. Women had important political roles to play in addition to being someone’s second or third wife. ”
However, somehow I get the feeling that women are not as celebrated as they should be for playing key roles in epics or real political Hostory. I am glad that this piece was written and shared on this platform.