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Women In The Mahabharata War

759 Words4 Pages

I have heard the claim that the Mahabharata war was the result of a woman's fury, over a hundred times. If the anger of one woman became the root cause of a legendary war, doesn’t this indirectly suggest that women held powerful positions back then? The women in Mahabharata command respect and are, often, sought after for advice. Moreover, they actually had power to control, catalyze and guide the events that unfold. I have decided to analyze the significance of three most powerful women in the epic. The three women are Goddess Ganga, Kunti and Draupadi. These women were perfect examples to indicate that the truly powerful do not cling on to power. They knew exactly when and how to wield it but also, more importantly, when not to use it. …show more content…

One of them had to stay alive to take of their sons but that one could have been Madri and not Kunti. Instead Madri offered to jump into the fire stating the reason that if she lives and Kunti dies, she will not have the ability like Kunti to get kingship for their children. So it’s a political act. This is first instance where Kunti’s maternal capability was illustrated. Kunti was not a woman cast in the conventional mold. She was alone and fought to protect her sons from the encircling treachery and hatred. She had the wisdom to educate her sons in proper use of power. She guided them along the path of Dharma. She did not just anticipate a war but willed it to happen in order to regain honor and the lost kingdom for her sons. Towards that end she built and sustained political alliances with foresight and sagacity. After the war she, along with Dritharastra, Gandhari and Vidura, decided to retreat into the forest. When Bhima questioned her as to why she urged them to fight, in the first place, if she chose to go away leaving them all behind after everything was done. Kunti consoles Bhima by stating that she inspired them to fight not because she desired for a kingdom but because she desired an honorable life for her sons and that they should not live for ever in shame as slaves. This shows that Kunti was focusing on the welfare of her sons and not on leading a luxurious life or was fighting for attainment of political

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