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Mandodari

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Mandodari

Often, Ramayana is read and viewed from Lord Rama’s, Mother Sita’s, Hanuman’s or Ravana’s perspectives. Ramayana is also the story of yet another pious and noble woman – Mandodari. She was one of the Panchkanya remembered and always cherished in Hindusim. Least highlighted is this character from the Ramayana and her story.

Ahalyā draupadi sita tārā mandodari tathā
pañcakanyā smarenityaṃ mahapātaka nāśanaṃ
Translating to: Remembering ever the five pious women of History -Ahalya, Draupadi, Sita, Tara and Mandodari, would hence destroy the greatest of sins.


The chief wife of Ravana, Mandodari is the woman of patience bearing with the atrocities her husband commits towarda women and others. The story of this woman has been left untold since ages. Though she stood by her husband, she always was seen questioning his actions and choices. The Valmiki Ramayana describes Mandodari as a very beautiful woman. It was when Hanuman ends up in the Harem of King Ravana, in search of Mother Sita who was abducted by King Ravana.

मुक्तामणिसमायुक्तैर्भूषणैः सुविभूषिताम्।

विभूषयन्तीमिव तत्स्वश्रिया भवनोत्तमम्।।

गौरीं कनकवर्णाभामिष्टामन्तः पुरेश्वरीम्।

कपिर्मन्दोदरीं तत्र शयानां चारुरूपिणीम्।।
– Valmiki Ramayana

Translating to: The Vanara- Hanuman then saw a very beautiful woman of golden complexion decked with pearls and gems and with ornaments as if illuminating the excellent mansion with her splendour. Unknown to Hanuman, she was the king’s favourite and the chief queen, Mandodari.

However, Mandodari is rarely mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayana. There are numerous other mentions of this woman in other versions of the Ramayana like the Adbhuta Ramayana and Krittivasi Ramayana and in the Puranas like the Devi Bhagavata Purana. These describe a lot more than a few instances unlike the Valmiki Ramayana did. However, this article throws light upon Mandodari, as viewed from the Valmiki Ramayana itself.

Birth of Mandodari
Although the Valmiki Ramayana mentioned only the parentage of Mandodari, other versions lf Ramayana highlight other details of her birth and parentage. Born in Mandore (Rajasthan), Mandodari was born to the King of Asuras, Mayasura and his wife Hema. The couple had two sons – Mayavi and Dundubhi.

It is believed that believed that the couple wanted a girl child from ages and performed numerous Yagyas devoted to Lord Shiva. At that time in Vaikuntha, a woman named Madhura arrived to visit Lord Shiva. In the absence of Goddess Parvati there, Madhura is said to have a union with Lord Shiva. When Goddess Parvati arrived, she found traces of Lord Shiva’s ashes on Madhura. This leaves Goddess Parvati furious. She immediately curses Madhura that she will take birth as a frog and live in a well. Lord Shiva consoles Madhura and says that she will take the form of a beautiful woman after the end of her time as a frog.

Soon while King Mayasura and Queen Hema performed the Yagya, they find a baby girl crying in a nearby well. It was none other than Madhura who completed her term as per Parvati’s curse as a frog and now took birth as a bby girl. The couple that finds the baby then adopts this girl and she grows up to become a beautiful maiden. She was named Mandodari, the only daughter among the three children the couple had.

Mandodari as she grew, developed strong opinions about Dharma and doing what is right. Once while two of her brothers were fighting, she stepped in and made them stop fighting by clutching both of them by the hair. She said, “You both are a disgrace to the family. Nobody in the world will come to help, save your family, when you really need it. Too many people in the world are evil and out to get you, the one person you can rely on is your brother and you chose to fight with him. Stop fighting and go to your rooms!” This incident highlights how Mandodari from her childhood always stood up for what was right and opposed the wrong-doers.

Ravana & Mandodari
It is believed that once the King of Lanka, Ravana, happened to visit the kingdom of Mayasura. There he spotted Mandodari, the daughter of the king. At the very sight of Mandodari, Ravana, due to his weakness for women, fell in love with her. He wanted to marry Mandodari.
He then approached King Mayasura and explained who he was. He asked him the hand of King Mayasura’s daughter for marriage with him. He added saying, “I am a man of great family riches. My lineage can be traced back for generations, and you will never find a greater devotee of Shiva than I. Would you give me your daughter, Mandodari’s hand in marriage?”

Looking at his confidence and learning about his mighty accomplishments, King Mayasura agreed for the wedding. Soon King Ravana and Princess Mandodari were married through Vedic rituals. It was only after her marriage with Ravana, Mandodari is said to have realised the true identity of Ravana and his weakness for other women. She always stood by her husband and stayed completely devoted towards him. Mandodari and Ravana had two sons: Meghanada, also known as Indrajith and Akshayakumara.

Even when Ravana abducted Mother Sita, Mandodari always tried to dissuade him. She always made him understand that what he did was wrong and Sita had to be given back to lord Rama. After Ravana kept Sita hostile, Mandodari herself was never jealous of Mother Sita. The below verse depicts her self-confidence:

न कुलेन न रूपेण न दाक्षिण्येन मैथिली |
मयाधिका वा तुल्या वा त्वन् तु मोहान्न बुध्यसे ||
Transalting to: “Sita is no match for me either in birth or in beauty or in amiability. You did not perceive this through infatuation.”
– Valmiki Ramayana

Mandodari & Hanuman in Valmiki Ramayana
One of the few mentions of Mandodari in Valmiki Ramayana is when Hanuman mistakes her for Mother Sita.
As King Ravana abducts Mother Sita, he keeps her hostage in Lanka. Then Lord Rama approves Hanuman to go in search of Mother Sita. Then Hanuman reaches the land of Lanka and he goes around looking for Mother Sita. Eventually, he reaches the palace of King Ravana. Searching for mother Sita, he then lands up at the Harem of King Ravana. There he founds a woman worshiping Goddess Parvathi. He mistakes this woman to be Mother Sita.

स तां दृष्ट्वा महाबाहुर्भूषितां मारुतात्मजः।

तर्कयामास सीतेति रूपयौवनसम्पदा।।

हर्षेण महता युक्तो ननन्द हरियूथपः।।
– Valmiki Ramayana

Translating to: On seeing her (Mandodari, chief Queen of King Ravana) embellished with ornaments, beauty and charm, the long-armed son of the Wind God, the chief of the Vanaras, Hanuman, thought her to be Sita and rejoiced.
However, on knowing the nature of Mother Sita, Hanuman then rejects the thought that this woman who was so royally dressed up must not be Mother Sita.

न रामेण वियुक्ता सा स्वप्तुमर्हति भामिनी।

न भोक्तुं वाप्यलङ्कर्तुं न पानमुपसेवितुम्।।5.11.2।।

नान्यं नरमुपस्थातुं सुराणामपि चेश्वरम्।

न हि रामसमः कश्चिद्विद्यते त्रिदशेष्वपि।।5.11.3।।

अन्येयमिति निश्चित्य पानभूमौ चचार सः।
– Valmiki Ramayana

Translating to: ‘Lovely Sita, being away from Rama, will not sleep, will not eat or drink or adorn herself. How can she approach any other man even if he is the king of gods for there is none equal to Rama even among the Gods?’ Having thus decided, Hanuman strolled about the banquet hall.

Another instance where Mandodari is mentioned is when King Ravana threatens to kill Mother Sita. It is when Hanuman finally succeeds in finding Mother Sita. As he hides behind the huge tree under which Mother Sita took shelter, King Ravana arrives. He begins to threaten Mother Sita to marry him. Mother Sita then refuses and King Ravana raises his sword to behead her. It was Queen Mandodari who enters the scene and quickly stops her husband, Ravana, from killing Mother Sita.

“Killing of a woman is a heinous sin upon dharma, husband,” replied Queen Mandodari without a trace of fear. She asks Ravana to let go of Sita and give up the thoughts of making her as his wife. Listening to her Ravana spares Sita’s life but does not give up on the thought of marrying her. Such was the courage of Mandodari. She always stood up for what was right.

Ravana’s Defeat – End of the War
In the end, Lord Rama battles against wicked Ravana. Although it is believed that before the war, Mandodari tried her best to dissuade her husband from fighting against Rama and letting Sita go, it was in vain. Lord Rama emerges victorious from the war and kills Ravana.
Mandodari then appears at the war scene. She stares at the dead body of Ravana and laments, recollecting the strength and power of Ravana. She soon realizes that Rama, who killedher beloeved husband, is none other than Lord Vishnu, the Lord of maintenance of the world himself. She weeps at the death of her husband, to whom she stayed so devoted. She realises that King Ravana had to face the consequences of his heinous act of kidnapping Mother Sita.

तासां विलपमानानां तथा राक्षसयोषिताम् |
ज्येष्ठा पत्नी प्रिया दीना भर्तारं समुदैक्षत ||
दशग्रीवन् हतं दृष्ट्वा रामेणाचिन्त्यकर्मणा |
पतिं मन्दोदरी तत्र कृपणा पर्यदेवयत् ||

Translating to: While those consorts were weeping on that occasion, Mandodari, the senior most and beloved wife of Ravana, who was feeling miserable, stared at her husband. Gazing at Ravana, her husband who was killed by Rama of unimaginable exploits, Mandodari there, miserably lamented.
– Valmiki Ramayana

Mandodari cried, as how the mightiest of all the rules, her husband- King Ravana, was defeated despite a fully equipped army. She weeps in utter grief of how he could commit such an act of abducting many other women along with Sita of noble lineage. She goes on to describe his past deeds and how he conquered the three worlds with his powers.

Over the dead body of her beloved husband to whom she showed such devotion – Ravana, Mandodari cries miserably saying:
“O my lord, who annihilated yourself and your people! Seetha is the model of forbearance even to the Goddess Earth and a model of grace to Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune and charm. She is extremely fond of her husband. By a recourse to a fraud in bringing that Seetha in a lonely forest, faultless in every limb as she was, and charming though miserable, and having failed to fulfill your desire for union with Seetha and due to your own fault you have been surely consumed by the asceticism of that woman, devoted as she was to her husband. Death which was brought about on account of Seetha was invited by you from a far-off distance. Free from sorrow, Seetha will now be enjoying herself with Rama.”

It is to be noted that even at that point of distress, she stood by what was the truth. She knew that it was due to her husband’s fault that he had to go through such fate. She did not back her husband by his actions and this reflected her nature.

In the End
Mandodari lost her father, her husband and her sons when they participated in the war against Lord Rama. She considered them to be her guardians and was left helpless when she saw them lose in the battle. She thought that they were all capable of crushing their arrogant adversaries. They were renowned for their might and valour, and had no fear in themselves. Now that the war had killed them all, Mandodari was left in grief.

पिता दानवराजो मे भर्ता मे राक्षसेश्वरः ||
पुत्रो मे शक्रनि र्जेता इत्यहं गर्विता भृशम् |
– Valmiki Ramayana

Translating to: “I was very much proud that my father was king of demons, my husband a lord of demons and my son, a conqueror of Indra the lord of celestials.”

Many other versions of Ramayana narrate different other incidents mentioning Mandodari. Often Mandodari’s patience and loss by the end of the Ramayana are never thought about. While she not only lost her husband but she lost all her beloved. She always stood for what was right and questioned the immoral and wrong actions around her. She hence, is a noble woman to be remembered!
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