Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 14,965

Date uploaded in London –  10 September 2025

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

xxxx  

 part six

In the Udyoga parva of Mahabharata chapters 113-120, the beautiful story of Princess Madhavi who went to bed with three different men , is narrated. There we get a list of good wives and legendary lovers. Here is the list-

Surya and Prabhavati,

Agni and Swaha,

Indra and Shachi,

Chandra and Rohini,

Yama and Dhumorna -5

Varuna and Gauri,

Kubera and Riddhi,

Bhumipati and Bhumi,

Dharmadeva and Dhriti,

Narayana and Lakshmi,-10

Rudra and Rudrani,

Brahma and Vedi,

Vasistha and Arundhati,

Chyavana and Sukanya,

Pulastya and Sandhya,15

Agastya and Lopamudra,

Bhrigu and Puloma,

Kashyapa and Aditi,

Jamadagni and Renuka,

Brihaspati and Tara, -20

Shukra and Sataparva,

Richika and Satyavati,

Manu and Sarasvati,

Narada and Satyavati,

Pulastya and Pratichya , 25

Satyavan and Savitri,

Pururuva and Urvashi,

Dushyanta and Shakuntala,

Nala and Dhamayanti,

Dhananjaya and Kumari- 30

Krishna and Rukmini

Divodasa and Madhavi – 32

That is the list in Udhyoga Parva.

***

My comments

Rudra and Rudrani and Varuna and Varunani were given as examples in 2700 year old Paninian Grammar.

Arundhati is in Sangam Tamil literature and later Tamil epics.

Strangely Rama and Sita are not included in the above list. Draupadi is not mentioned, probably she had five husbands. Though Madhavi went to bed with three men, she had a boon that she would remain a virgin after giving birth to babies. We know Kunti also had six sons with five Devas. Dhritarashtra and Gandhari is also not in the above list, probably it was an ancient list.

Elsewhere Mahabharata gives us the stories of

Kacha and Devayani, Ashtavakra and Suprabha,

Shvetaketu and Suvarchala and many more.

****

My previous post on Legendary Lovers

AMBIKAPATHY- AMARAVATHY LOVE AFFAIR! (Post No.6181)

Written by London swaminathan

Date: 11 March 2019

Post No. 6181

There are famous love stories and love affairs around the world. Romeo and Juliet , Chaudatta and  Vasanta sena and Vasavadatta and Udayana, Adi manthi and Attanathi of Sangam Tamil literature and many more. Puranas are full of such stories Rukmini- Krishna, Nala-Damayanti, Satyavan-Savitri and many more. In Tamil Nadu Amabikapathy- Amaravthy story is famous. Here is the brief version, without the Tamil poems.

Ambikapathy was the son of Tamil poet Kambar, who composed Ramayana in Tamil and attained great fame. Kambar’s son Ambikapahy was also a poet and was appointed as a poet in the court of Kulottunga Choza. He fell in love with king’s daughter Amaravathy. The love affair went on for some time in spite of protests from Kambar and the king. When it did not stop, the king ordered the execution of Ambikapathy by impalement.

Kambar was so overwhelmed with grief after his son’s execution, he retired from the court and led a secluded life. One day when the king’s son was coming from school, Kambar was said to have stabbed him with his stylus by way of revenge. He died of injuries. The king ordered Kambar to be brought before him and shot him with an arrow; Kambar however escaped that attack and went to the Pandya territory. Then Kambar cursed the king with a Tamil verse,

“There are two kinds of arrows on earth. Of which is one shot from the bow and the other from the mouth. Oh, Mighty ruler of the earth! The arrow from your bow has hit me in  my chest, but mine, the arrow from my mouth, has burnt up your race. (Vil  Ambu- Arrow from bow, Sol Ambu- arrow from mouth).

After the curse, Cholza race, particularly, Kulotunga’s line declined. Jayamkonda Choza Sathakam says thatKambar was also reduced to poverty and had to support himself by manual labour. He died at the age of sixty and was buried in sitting posture in Nattarasankottai in Ramnathapuram district of Tamil Nadu.

His rival Ottakuuthar mourned his death with an elegy  which said, “Is this the day Kambar died?  O, Sarasvati has become a widow while Lakshmi is blooming, and Parvati is sitting in majesty.”

There are lot of Tamil poems in small books that came after Kambar’s death, detailing such anecdotes.

–subham—

Tags- who is a good wife, part 6, list of good wives, Mahabharata