Sahadeva
Sahadeva was the youngest of the five Pandava brothers in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He and his twin brother Nakula were the sons of Madri, one of the wives of the Pandava patriarch Pandu, and Ashvini Kumaras, the divine twin physicians of the gods, whom she invoked to beget her sons due to Pandu's inability to progenate. Sahadeva is renowned for his wisdom, knowledge of astrology, and skill in swordsmanship.
Sahadeva was married to Draupadi, as were his four brothers. He was also married to Vijaya of Madra kingdom. He had two sons, Shrutasena and Suhotra, from his two wives respectively. Sahadeva played a crucial role during the Rajasuya of Yudhishthira, where he conquered the kings of the South. After Yudhishthira lost all of his possessions to Duryodhana in the game of dice, Sahadeva vowed to slay Shakuni, Duryodhana's maternal uncle, who had used loaded dice to unfairly win the game. Afterwards, the Pandavas and Draupadi were exiled for thirteen years, with the last year being a period of hiding called as Agyaata Vaasa. During the hiding, Sahadeva disguised himself as a Vaishya named Tantripala and worked as a cowherd in the kingdom of Virata. Sahadeva was a skilled warrior who fought in the Kurukshetra War between the Pandavas and their cousins, the Kauravas. On the 18th day of the war, he slew Shakuni. At the end of the epic, during the Pandavas' journey in the Himalayas to enter Svarga, Sahadeva was the second to fall, following Draupadi, due to his excessive pride in his wisdom.
Etymology
The word sahadeva is derived from two Sanskrit words saha and deva. Saha means ‘with’ and deva is a Hindu term used for ‘deity’. So literally, Sahadeva means ‘with the gods’ or ‘protected by the gods’. In southern India, he is regarded as a very accomplished astrologer, a face reader, and a master of all other forms of intuitive perception. He was known for his secretive nature; although he accurately understood a situation, he never revealed anything about it. Hence, presently, people who have a similar nature are called a Sahadeva.In the epic, various epithets for Sahadeva has been used. Prominent ones are the patronymics—Āśvineya, Aśvinīsuta—and matronymics—Mādrīputra, Mādreya. Other important other names are Bharataśārdūla, Bharatasattama, Kauravya, Kurunandana, Nakulānuja, Pāṇḍava and Pāṇḍunandana.
Literary background
The story of Sahadeva is told in the Mahabharata, one of the Sanskrit epics from the Indian subcontinent. Sahadeva also appears in later Hindu scriptures like the Harivamsa—which is regarded as khila of the Mahabharata—and Puranas like the Bhagavata Purana.Biography
Birth and early years
Sahadeva was one of the five brothers born to Pandu, a member of the illustrious Lunar dynasty lineage and the heir of the throne of Kuru. The collective name “Pandavas” originates from their father. However, Pandu was afflicted by a curse that would lead to his demise if he engaged in sexual relations with a woman. Consequently, Sahadeva and his brothers were born through a sacred mantra bestowed upon Pandu's first wife Kunti by the revered sage Durvasa during her maidenhood. Both of Pandu’s wives—Madri and Kunti—invoked different deities and were blessed with children.According to the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata, upon Pandu's behest, Kunti had used her boon three times to invoke celestial gods and gave birth to her three children—Yudhishthira, Bhima and Arjuna. Upon hearing about Madri's desire to give birth to a son, Pandu requested Kunti to share her boon with her. Madri, upon seeking divine assistance, invoked the twin celestial deities of health, the Asvins, and bore two sons—Nakula and Sahadeva—who were extolled to be unparalleled in earthly beauty. An ethereal voice proclaimed that these twins would surpass even the Asvins themselves in energy and allure. Despite invoking the gods only once, Madri obtained two remarkable sons. However, her co-wife, Kunti, fearing that Madri might surpass her in offspring, beseeched the king not to command her further, accepting this as her granted boon. Sahadeva, along with his brothers, spent his childhood in the company of sages at Shatashriga mountain. However he was orphaned after Pandu, who had a curse inflicted upon him by Kindama, attempted to engage in love making with Madri, resulting in his demise. Following this, Madri entrusted her children to Kunti, and followed him to his death by performing the ancient practice of sati, immolating herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. Kunti raised the twins alongside her own sons in Hastinapura, the capital of Kuru which was being ruled under Pandu's elder brother Dhritarashtra. Despite Sahadeva not being her biological offspring, Kunti held a special affection for him, making him her favorite among the Pandavas. The Pandava brothers were brought up with their paternal cousins, the Kauravas, and the education of all these boys was supervised by Bhishma.
Sahadeva and Nakula, along with the other princes, were instructed in the gurukula for by Kripa and Drona in warfare and use of weapons such as bow and arrows and martial art. He also mastered his skills in fencing and axe fighting. After completing their training, the Pandavas defeated Drupada, King of Panchala, as a gurudakshina for Drona. Notably, Sahadeva along with Nakula protected the wheels of Arjuna's chariot during this endeavor. Later, Duryodhana—the eldest son of Dhritarashtra and leader of hundred Kaurava brothers—plotted to burn the Pandavas alive by constructing Lakshagriha, a lac palace, in Varanavata. Fortunately, with the aid of their wise uncle Vidura, the Pandavas escaped through a secret tunnel.
Marriages and children
In the Adi Parva, two wives of Sahadeva are mentioned—Draupadi, the princess of Panchala who was also married to his four brothers as well, and Vijaya, the princess of Madras. It also narrates how he married them:Following the events at Lakshagriha, Sahadeva, accompanied by his mother and brothers, made the decision to conceal themselves from Hastinapura. During this period, Arjuna received information that Drupada, the ruler of Panchala, was organizing an archery tournament to determine the suitor for his daughter's hand in marriage and disguised as a Brahmin, emerged victorious in the tournament. Returning home, Arjuna jokingly referred to Draupadi as their "alms," prompting Kunti to inadvertently instruct her sons to share her. Yudhishthira, recalling sage Vyasa's prophecy that Draupadi was destined to marry five men, observed his brothers' mutual affection for her and agreed. Drupada, though initially hesitant, accepted the marriage as dharmic, and Draupadi wed all five Pandavas. To prevent discord, the brothers agreed that anyone intruding upon Draupadi in private would face a year of exile. Sahadeva was the fourth in line as Arjuna had broken the treaty, resulting in latter's exile. Shrutasena was born to Sahadeva and Draupadi. Sahadeva later also married Vijaya, the daughter of his maternal uncle Dyutimata of Madra, in a self-choice ceremony organised in Madra. She who bore him one son, Suhotra.
Later in the Ashramvasika Parva, the character Sanjaya mentions another wife of Sahadeva, described as the daughter of king Jarasandha of Magadha. Simon Brodbeck theorizes that this marriage might have taken place after the Kurukshetra War, as this unnamed wife is not mentioned elsewhere.
The Harivamsa, the appendix of the Mahabharata, adds Bhanumati as another wife of Sahadeva. According to the story narrated in the Vishnu Parva of the text, she was the daughter of the Yadava leader Bhanu. The Yadavas held a festival when Krishna traveled to the sacred palace known as Pindaraka with his entourage of Yadavas. Bhanumati was taken away by a demon known as Nikumbha at the event. This resulted from a curse placed on Bhanumati by Durvasa, whom Bhanumati had formerly disregarded during their meeting in Raivata's garden. After the curse, Durvasa had comforted her by telling her that she will be rescued. It is true that Bhanumati was rescued by the combined effort of Krishna, Arjuna and Pradyumna and wed Sahadeva on the suggestion of the divine-sage Narada.
Conquest and Rajasuya Yajna
Sahadeva played an active role in the establishment of his eldest brother—Yudhishthira—as a sovereign emperor. The Adi Parva narrates that after the Svayamvara ceremony of Draupadi, news of the Pandavas' survival and alliance with Drupada of Panchala reached Hastinapura. It led to mixed reactions among the Kuru elders and princes. King Dhritarashtra, influenced by the wise counsel of Vidura, Bhishma, and Drona, acknowledged the Pandavas’ right to the throne and decided to share the kingdom to avoid conflict. The Pandavas, Kunti and Draupadi were invited back to Hastinapura and were warmly received by the citizens. However, to prevent further discord, Dhritarashtra suggested that the Pandavas establish their domain in Khandavaprastha, a barren land. The Pandavas accepted the proposal and transformed Khandavaprastha into the magnificent city of Indraprastha, which became a thriving center of culture and commerce.Sabha Parva, the second book of the Mahabharata, describes the Pandavas' life at the Indraprastha court and Yudhishthira’s Rajasuya Yajna, which leads to the expansion of the Pandava brothers’ empire. Rajasuya was a grand Vedic ritual performed by ancient Indian kings to assert their sovereignty and demonstrate their supremacy. The epic states that Yudhishthira desired to perform the Rajasuya sacrifice not for personal power but to establish dharma and defend it across the world. The brothers including Sahadeva went for out in four directions for subjugating other kingdoms and rulers and collected huge bounties which enriched the treasury of Indraprastha kingdom immensely. Sahadeva was sent to south direction, specifically chosen for the southern campaign because of his expertise with the sword, and because Bhishma opined that Southerners are skilled with sword-fighting in general.
The Mahabharata mentions several kingdoms to the south of Indraprastha which were conquered by Sahadeva. Some of them are as under:
- Surasenas
- Pandyan dynasty
- Matsya, the king Dantavakra, kings Sukumara, Sumitra, other Matsyas and Patacharas.
- Kings of Lanka who claimed to be descendants of Vibhishana, the king of Lanka and brother of Ravana. He offered him diverse kinds of jewels and gems, sandalwood, celestial ornaments, costly apparel and valuable pearls. Sahadeva deputed his nephew, Ghatotkacha to collect these taxes considering the latter's Rakshasa lineage.
- At Kishkindha, the monkey-kings Mainda and Dvivida were defeated in a 7-day war.
- City of Mahishmati, which was ruled by King Nila. Since the kingdom had the blessings of Agni, a huge fire obstructed the army when Sahadeva tried to invade; later prayer to Agni enabled Sahadeva to complete the conquest.
- King Rukmi of Vidarbha and territories of Bhojakata
- Nishadas, the hill of Gosringa and King Sreenimath.
- Navarashtra, under King Kunti-Bhoja
- King Jamvaka, on the banks of the river Charmanvati.
- Territories lying on the banks of the Venwa.
- Kingdoms that lay on the banks of the Narmada.
- Avanti, kings called Vinda and Anuvinda, a town of Bhojakata
- King of Kosala
- King of Tripura
- King of Saurashtra
- Surparaka kingdom, Talakatas and Dandakas
- Mlechchha tribe living on the sea coast, Nishadas, the cannibals, Karnapravarnas, and the Kalamukhas and the whole area of the Cole mountains.
- Surabhipatna and the island called the Copper island, and a mountain called Ramaka.
- The town of Timingila and a wild tribe is known by the name of the Kerakas who were men with one leg.
- The town of Sanjayanti, countries of the Pashandas, Karahatakas, Paundrayas, Dravidas, Udrakeralas, Andhras, Talavanas, Kalingas and Ushtrakarnikas, Sekas and Yavanas
- Paurava kingdom
- A verse in the scriptures also mention that Sahadeva before his invasion south of Indraprastha, had forced tribute from Antioch, Rome and the City of the Greeks. His twin brother Nakula is said to have conquered the Huns along with Chinese to give tribute at the Rajasuya Yajna.