It is not only the modern days where love stories exist. Love stories existed even during the times of Gods. Have you ever read Mahabharata properly? Mahabharata was not only about the battle of Kauravas and Pandavas or the victory of good over evil, but a lot more!
There exists some beautiful love stories in our Hindu mythological epic. While a few are known and popular, many of them are unknown and unexplored. Here are the 10 beautiful love tales from the epics of Mahabharata. Take a look at these unheard love sagas.
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Although 'Radha-Krishna' are considered the epitome of love and always worshipped together, they never got married. As mentioned in the ancient books, Radha was one of the gopis, but there is no mention of 'Radha' in Vedas. It is mentioned in the Vedas that Rukmini was his favourite among his 8 wives. Both Radha and Rukmini were the incarnations of goddess Lakshmi, so Radha and Rukmani were same. Lord Krishna always knew that both Radha and Rukmani are the same, hence he chose to marry her. Krishna and Rukmani's love story is a romantic one, full of drama. Lord Krishna fell in love with Rukmani and abducted her, against her parent’s will. Rukmani was in love with Krishna and they both eloped to get married and live happily ever after!
Uloopi, the Naga princess (half-maiden and half-serpent), was the second amongst the four wives of Arjun. Arjun and Uloopi met when he was in exile. After falling in love with Arjun, she abducted him and later convinced him to get married. They also had a son named Iravan. Pleased by Arjuna, Ulupi grants him a boon that all animals that live under water will obey him and he will be invincible under the water.
The Kuru king of Hastinapur, Shantanu saw a beautiful girl in white saree with long hair on the banks of river Ganges and fell in love. When Shantanu proposed marriage to Ganga, she put a condition before him that he would not ask any questions about her actions. After their marriage, Ganga drowned their seven sons, one by one in the river and Shantanu, bounded by his promise, never asked the reason. When Ganga was about to drown her 8th son, grief-stricken Shantanu asked her the reason. As he broke his promise, Ganga disappeared with her son but promised the king to return the son back when the time is right. After 16 years, Shantanu re-united with his 8th son, Devrath who was none other than Bhishma Pitamha.
After escaping from the Lakshagraha, Pandavas reached the forest. All the Pandavas were sleeping, except Bheem. In the same forest was living a Rakshasni named Hidimbi who was living with her brother Hidimba. Hidimba smelled Bheem and asked his sister to lure him in getting eaten. But on seeing Bheem, Hidimbi fell in love with him and told him her truth and how she wanted to marry him. The angry Bheem refused to marry her and instead fought with her brother and killed him. He also decided to kill Hidimbi as she might attack him to take revenge. But, Yudhishthira stopped him from doing this sin and then Hidimbi begged Kunti to convince Bheem to marry her. Bheem agreed to marry Hidimbi but only on one condition that he will leave her after the birth of their first child. She agreed and within a year of their marriage, their first son, Ghatotkacha was born and as promised, Bheem left them.
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Draupadi, also referred to as Panchali is the common wife of Pandavas. It was Arjun who won her hand in Swayamvara. When Draupadi arrives with the five Pandavas to meet Kunti, they inform her that Arjuna won a prize at a competition, to which Kunti says, "Share the prize". Pandavas oblige to their mother’s command and share Draupadi. Draupadi gives one son to each Pandava brothers. It is also said that out of five Pandavas, Draupadi initially had feelings for Arjuna but he was in love with Subhadra, hence she started finding solace in Yudhishthira (who use to lust after her). But out of all five brothers, it was Bheem who genuinely loved her and fulfilled all her wishes. Nakul and Sahadev were mere puppets of their big brother, Yudhishthira.
Subhadra, half-sister of Lord Krishna was abducted by Arjun to save her from marrying Duryodhana. He was on the self-imposed pilgrimage when he kidnapped Subhadra. He was smitten by the beauty of Subhadra and secretly wished to marry her. Lord Krishna sensed his feelings towards Subhadra and the two got married, after the consent from Balram. Arjun was head-over-heels in love with Subhadra and she was his favourite wife. They had a son together, named Abhimanyu.
Gandhari was an epitome of virtue, she was a ‘Pativrata’, an example for all women. She was the wife of Dhritarashtra, the blind king of Hastinapur. She not only agreed to marry a blind man but on the day of her marriage, she decided to send the rest of her life as a blind woman by tying a piece of cloth on her eyes. She deprived herself of the power of sight in order to share pain of her blind husband. They had 100 sons together.
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Rishi Parashar was a maharishi. One Satyavati was ferrying Rishi across the river Yamuna when he asked her to satisfy his lust and held her hand. She told him that a Brahmin of his stature should not desire a woman who smells of fish. She finally agreed upon seeing his desperation and asked him to be patient till the boat reaches the shore. She put 3 conditions before fulfilling his lust. The first one was that she wanted the smell of fishes to be replaced by an intoxicating fragrance and she was turned into a Yojanagandha. The second condition was that no one should see what they are doing in broad daylight, so Parashar created an artificial mist around them. Her third condition was that her virginity would remain intact after the intercourse and Parashar agreed that after she gave birth to their child, she would get her virginity back. After blessing her with all three wishes, he was satiated by Satyavati. She gave birth to his son and he was none other than Vyasa, who wrote Mahabharata.
Chitrangada, the princess of Manipur met Arjun on the banks of the river Kaveri. Chitrangada was very beautiful and Arjun fell in love with her immediately. When Arjun asked for her hand from her father, Chitravahana, he put forth a condition that their child must be brought up in Manipur and should succeed the throne. Arjun agreed. After their son Babruvahana was born, Arjun left to join his brothers at Indraprastha, leaving behind his son and wife. Babruvahana became the king of Manipur and later defeated his own father in a war.
While on his hunting trip to the forest, Shantanu was smitten by the musk fragrance of Satyavati. Allured by her ecstatic smell, he reached her boat and fell in love with her beauty immediately. He asked her to row him across the river and upon reaching the bank, he asked her to ferry him back. This continued for a few days, from dawn till dusk. After a few days, he asked for her hand from her father who put forth the condition that his grandchild should get the thrown. As Shantanu didn’t agree to his condition, the dejected king left for his kingdom, without marrying Satyavati. Later, Shantanu’s son from Ganga, Devrath (who was promised the throne of Kuru) convinced Satyavati’s father to agree for the marriage.
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These love stories from Mahabharata are definitely very fascinating and full of drama. Do share with us in the comments section below that which one is your favourite.