Re-told by Devdutt Pattanaik in Jaya, the story of Madhavi features in book five of the Mahabharatha – the Udyoga Parva. Sage Galava approaches Yayati and asks for eight hundred white horses with one black ear, also known as Shyam Karna horses. He wishes to offer them to his guru, Vishwamitra, as his dakshina or fee. Yayati does not have these rare horses in his stable but not wanting to turn the sage away empty-handed, offers the sage his daughter Madhavi instead. Madhavi is believed to have the gift of being a self-renewing virgin. She would regain her virginity even if she slept with multiple partners and bore them children. ‘Offer her to four men who want to be the father of a king and ask them for two hundred such horses in exchange,’ Yayati tells Galava. Galava proceeds to “offer” Madhavi to a succession of three kings each of whom father a son by her. He is thus able to obtain a total of six hundred horses. Each time, Madhavi regains her virginity. Galava then meets Vishwamitra and says to him, ‘Here are six hundred of the eight hundred horses that you wanted. You can have a son by Madhavi, and that will make up for the remaining two hundred horses.’ Vishwamitra accepts the horses along with Madhavi. Soon, he has a son by her. And so Galava is successful in paying his fee to Vishwamithra. After bearing four sons, Madhavi returns to her father who offers to get her married to a man of her choice. Madhavi refuses, choosing instead the path of an ascetic.
prayer beads –
I forget
to keep count
With Galava, it was only a question of numbers.
One way or the other,
it had to add up to
eight hundred moon-white horses
with one black ear,
guru dakshina for Vishwamitra.
And that was what he sought from my father.
You know the rest, sakhi –
I became Galava’s way
for it all to add up,
my body the gift that was bartered,
and since none who came to our house
returned empty-handed –
my father – you know him – is a proud and generous man –
I went along, did his bidding.
Three kings over three years to sleep with,
and, in the end, Vishwamitra himself,
a son each with each.
What more could I ask for?
It all added up nicely for Galava,
and they said – it wasn’t so bad for me –
For one thing, I was doing my duty as a daughter,
earning my place in heaven,
and I had lost nothing in the process
for didn’t I go right back to being a virgin ?
What cause, had I, to complain?
I don’t know who else to tell this to, sakhi, but you.
Some nights I wake to the feel
of cockroaches crawling on my breasts.
I think it is my skin remembering those men.
And they say I am a virgin
with no cause for complaint.