Panchakanya is a group of five iconic heroines of Hindu epics, whose names are believed to dispel sin when recited. 'Panch' means five in Hindi and 'kanya' means girl in Hindi.
History
The Panchakanya are five legendary heroines of Hindu epics. Their members are Ahalya, Draupadi, Sita and/or Kunti, Tara and Mandodari. While Draupadi and Kunti are from Mahabharata, Ahalya, Tara, Mandodari and Sita are from the epic, Ramayana.
Ahalya
Ahalya also known as Ahilya, was created by the god Brahma as the most beautiful woman. She was married to a much older sage Gautama Maharishi. She was seduced by Indra, cursed by her husband for infidelity, and liberated from the curse by Rama.
Sita
Sita was the wife Rama, the seventh incarnation of the Hindu god, Vishnu, as well as the incarnation of his wife, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Sita was the adopted daughter of Janaka, the king of Videha. Rama won Sita in her svayamvara, she joined Rama was sentenced to a fourteen-year exile with his brother Lakshmana, despite Rama's wish for her to remain in his father's kingdom, Ayodhya. In the forest, Meenakshi tried to attack Sita so that Rama would be her husband. When that failed, Sita got kidnapped by Ravana, and imprisoned in a garden within the golden city of Lanka. Eventually, she was rescued by Rama, who slays Ravana in war. Rama had Sita undergo an Agni Pariksha (trial by fire) to prove her chastity, and both return with Lakshmana to Ayodhya, where Rama was crowned King. When a dhobi casted doubts on her chastity, Rama had no choice but to exile his pregnant wife to the forest to please his citizens, she became friends with Meenakshi. Sita gave birth to twins Lava and Kusha in the hermitage of the sage, Valmiki, who protected her. Her sons grew and reunited with Rama, Sita chose to return to the womb of her mother, Bhūmi, the Earth goddess.
Kunti
Sometimes, Kunti is in the Panchakanya instead of Sita. Kunti was daughter of the Yadava king Shurasena and was adopted by the childless Kuntibhoja, king of Kunti Kingdom. Because of her many services to him, the sage Durvasa granted her a mantra by which she could summon a god and have a child by him. She tests the boon and on the sun god, Surya, resulting in a son named Karna, whom she abandons in a panic. Kunti chose Pandu as her husband in her swayamvara. Pandu was cursed by a sage that sleeping with a woman will result in his immediate death. Taking pity, Kunti uses Durvasa's boon to mother Yudhishthira from Dharma Raja, then Bhima from Vayu, and thirdly Arjuna from Indra. Her co-wife, Madri, bore the twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, from the Ashvins. After the deaths of Pandu and Madri, Kunti returned to Hastinapur and takes care of the five Pandavas.
Kunti befriended Vidura, stepbrother of Pandu and the advisor of the king. She prevented Bhima from killing the Rakshasa, Hidimbi, and told him to marry her, they beget a son named Ghatotkacha. Though she did order Bhima to kill Rakshasa, Bakasura, and instructed her children to take care of the common people. When Arjuna won Draupadi, it Kunti that had the brothers to share her. When Pandavas are sent to 12-year exile when defeated in a game of dice by the Kauravas, Kunti stayed in Vidura's refuge. When an epic war between Pandavas and Kauaravas is to ensue, Kunti revealed to Karna - now a Kaurava general - about being his mother and got him to promise her that he would not kill any other Pandava, except Arjuna. After the war, in which the Kauravas and Karna were killed, Kunti with the parents of Kauravas left for the forest and spent rest of her life in prayer. She was killed in a forest fire and attained heaven.
Tara
Tara was the Queen of Kishkindha and wife of monkey king, Vali. After Vali is presumed dead in a battle with a demon, his brother Sugriva becomes king and appropriates Tara; however, Vali returns and regains Tara and exiles his brother, accusing him of treachery and also appropriates Sugriva's wife Ruma. When Sugriva challenged Vali to a duel, Tara advised Vali not to accept because of the former's alliance with Rama, but Vali does not heed her and deceptively dies from Rama's arrow shot by Sugriva. In his dying breath, Vali reconciles with Sugriva and instructs him to follow Tara's wise counsel in all matters. While in most vernacular versions, Tara casts a curse on Rama by the power of her chastity, in some versions, Rama enlightens Tara. Sugriva returns to the throne, but spends his time carousing often with now his current chief queen Tara and fails to act on his promise to assist Rama in recovering his kidnapped wife, Sita. Tara was then instrumental in tactfully reconciling Rama with Sugriva after pacifying Lakshmana, Rama's brother, who was about to destroy Kishkinda in retribution for Sugriva's perceived treachery.
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Draupadi
Draupadi ("DROH-puh-dee") was the tragic heroine. She is described to be the most beautiful woman of her time and was prophesied to bring a major change in the future. She was famously outspoken and independent, and she condemned those who wronged her family. In some places she is revered as a goddess in her own right.
She was born along with her brother, Dhrishtadyumna, from a yajna organized by King Drupada of Panchala. Arjuna, one of the five Pandava, won her hand in marriage due to a great archery feet, but she married all five brothers because of her mother-in-law's misunderstanding that Arjuna won "something". After facing problems created by her polyandry, she became the empress of Indraprastha. She had five sons, one from each Pandava, who were collectively addressed as the Upapandavas. After Yudhishthira, the emperor of Indraprastha, performed the Rajasuya Yajna, he was invited to play a gambling game in Hastinapura. After he lost Draupadi in the game, she was humiliated by Shakhuni. When Dushasana tried to disrobe her, Krishna saved her.
Later she was sent on exile for thirteen years along with her husbands. When she was spending the exile in forest, Jayadratha tried to kidnap her. For the last year, in whcih she is required to go, incognito, Draupadi disguised herself as a maid and served Sudeshna, queen of Matsya. Kichaka, the general of the kingdom, tried to love her, but he was killed by Bhima. After the Kurukshetra War, the revenge for her humiliation was taken by Sahadeva, but she lost her father, brothers and her five children. At the end of the epic, Pandavas and Draupadi retired to Himalayas and walked to heaven. Because she loved Arjuna more than his brothers, Draupadi was the first one to fall and die on the way.
Pandava Quintet
Aru Shah and the End of Time
The Panchakanyas were mentioned by Krithika P. Shah's father when the two talked about how she imprisoned Suyodhana in the Diya of Bharata.
Trivia
- Draupadi meaning "Daughter of Draupad". She can also be referred as Panchali, "One from Panchal", and Yajnaseni, "Born out of yajna or fire".