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"Panch Kanya" or Five VirginsAhalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara and MandodariAn enigmatic verse from Sanskrit about these five women has baffled scholars for long and though there have been numerous interpretations none have been satisfactory.
The verse translates as: Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara and Mandodari Remembering these five virgins daily leads to redemption from grievous sins. The EnigmaThe verse uses the word “kanya” that translates as “virgin”. Even the broader meaning of Kanya, which is “young girl”, does not fit. None of these five women were virgins or young girls. All were married and were mothers. The question then arises is why use of “virgin” instead “woman”. The choice of these women is equally enigmatic. There are women more deserving of being prayed to, women who are more likely to deliver us from sin. One would normally look for something these women had in common since they have been named together. Very specifically the only thing they had in common was the fact that each of them had sexual relations with more than one man. This again does not go well with the use of the word “virgin”. But all five were bold women with path breaking behavior to their credit - women who were ahead of their times. AhalyaAhalya was the most beautiful woman and the wife of Sage Gautam. He dutifully sired a son and then began leading a celibate life. Indra, the king of the Devas, desired her and approached her in the guise of her husband. Devoid of sexual fulfillment she conceded even though aware of Indra’s deception. This alone sets her apart from other women. She paid a heavy price for her sin and was ultimately redeemed by Rama. DraupadiDraupadi was born from the sacrificial fire with the objective of being the cause of the destruction of the Kauravas. Her bold step was that she agreed to be the wife of five husbands at a time when polygamy was rampant. She became the cause when the Kauravas tried to have her disrobed in full court. Thereafter she exhorted her husbands to war till finally her mission was accomplished. Though all her five sons were killed in the war. KuntiKunti was the classical unwed mother. As a girl she was taught an unusual mantra by Durvasa and immediately summoned Surya and bore his son Karna, whom she discarded in the river to avoid ostracism. Married to an impotent husband she, with his consent, summoned Dharma, Pawan and Indra and had sons, Yuddhishthir, Bhim and Arjun, through them. She had to go through the trauma of Arjun killing Karna only after which she revealed the secret of her eldest son. TaraTara was the wife of one of the strongest personages of his time, the Vanara king Vali. She was known for her diplomacy and was the counterweight to Vali’s hotheadedness. Unfortunately Vali rarely heeded her and this resulted in his death at the hands of Rama. Quick to realize the gravity of the situation she maneuvered things so that she became the wife of Vali’s brother Sugriva on the condition that her son Angad becomes heir to the throne. MandodariMandodari was the wife of the most powerful king Ravana. She was the only person who had the courage to speak out against her husband when he abducted Sita. Because of her intervention Sita’s stay in captivity was comfortable. An obscure version of the Ramayana states that she was Sita’s mother. She gave birth to Sita after she drank the blood of some sages that Ravana had killed. After the death of her sons and husband in battle she married her brother-in-law Vibhishan who had been crowned the new king. Please check my course on Hindu Mythology Please check my articles on Mythology from India
The copyright of the article "Panch Kanya" or Five Virgins in Hinduism is owned by Harsh Nevatia. Permission to republish "Panch Kanya" or Five Virgins in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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