Princesses Who Went to Forest

This blog is about those princesses who went to forest with their husband. In our ancient history there are many princesses who have either gone or lived in the forest with their husbands after their marriage. The last three princesses did not go to forest just after their marriage but when their husband had to go to forest, they did not live in palaces or in their father's palaces, they also went to forest with their husband.

Lopaamudraa
Lopaamudraa was the princess of Vidarbh Desh. She was married to Agastya Rishi. Her father did not want to marry her to a Rishi but the Rishi was adamant, and when he threatened the King, Lopaamudraa had to agree. She left back her all royal attire and  go to the forest with her husband. But it is said that once Agastya Rishi asked her to give him a son, then she asked him to adorn her in proper attire and jewelry so that she can attract the Rishi properly. Agastya Jee told her that he was only a Rishi, where he would bring all that for her from? She said - "You have done a lots of Tap. You can do anything through it." Rishi said - "I am not going to waste my Tap to get you good clothes and jewelry, but I will do something else." Then he killed Vaataapi Daitya, got his wealth and bought good clothes and jewelry for Lopaamudraa.

Satyavatee
Satyavatee was the daughter of the King Gaadhi (Vishwaamitra's father). Once Richeek Rishi went to King Gaadhi and asked him to marry his daughter to him. King Gaadhi did not want to marry his daughter to a Rishi so he kept a condition that if the Rishi would bring him 1,000 white horses with their one ear black, he would marry his daughter to him. Richeek understood that the King did  not want to marry his daughter to him, but he did not care. He brought those horses from Varun and gave them to the King. King Gaadhi had to marry his daughter to him. After the marriage Satyavatee went to live in forest with her husband.

Saavitree
Saavitree was also a Princess - the daughter of Ashwapati of Madra Desh. She was so qualitative that Ashwapati could not find a boy fpor her to marry. He then asked his daughter to look for a boy herself as her husband. She chose a boy who lived in forest. She told this to her father. At that time Naarad Jee was sitting with him. He told the King that the boy had all the qualities except that he would live only exactly for one year more. Still Saavitree did not move from her selection. She married him and went to forest to live with him and his parents. Later she brought her dead husband back to life, regained her in-law's kingdom and eyesight along with sons for herself and her parents.

Sukanyaa
Sukanyaa was the daughter of the King Sharyaati (the son of present Manu - Vaivaswat Manu). Once she came to forest with her father. She was wandering around that she saw an anthill with two holes and a light coming out of those holes. She got curious and she inserted a straw in those holes. A stream of b lood flowed from those holes. She got frightened and came to her camp. That anthill was built by ants around Chyavan Rishi who was doing Tapasyaa there. He felt pain and he cursed the people of the King. Their excretory system got blocked. The King understood what it could mean and asked his people as who had done anything to the Rishi? Sukanyaa feeling guilty accepted that maybe she did something to him. King immediately went to him and asked for his forgiveness. Rishi said - "You should marry your daughter to me." The King hesitated to marry his beautiful daughter to that old Rishi, but he could not do anything, so he married Sukanyaa to Chayavan. And Sukanyaa started living with that old Rishi as his wife in the forest. Later she got Rishi's youth and eyes back from Ashwinee Kumaar.

Maandhaataa's 50 Daughters
Maandhaataa was a king in Soorya Vansh. He had 50 daughters. There was a Saubhari Rishi also. Once he did a severe Tap and was taking bath in the river that he saw a big fish playing with his grandchildren happily. Seeing that happy family, he also desired to enjoy that happiness of a family, so he decided to marry. he went to the King Maandhaataa and asked to marry his any of the daughters to him. But Maandhaataa was doubtful that any of his daughters would marry that old Rishi. He said to the Rishi - "I have 50 daughters, but I regard the choice of my daughters. You may show yourself to them and if anyone likes you, you may marry her." So he arranged a few eunuchs to take Rishi to his daughters palaces. Rishi was a great Yogee, so as he went in the palace he changed himself into a handsome prince. As soon all the daughters saw that handsome prince, they all said that they all wanted to marry him. The eunuchs reported this to the King. the King got very surprised to hear this but what could he do. He married his all daughters to Rishi Saubahri. And all the princesses went to the forest with their husband.

Later they all got their separate palaces for themselves, and not only this, Rishi used to be with them all the time, as Krishn lived with His 16,000 wives all the time nobody felt His absence. The King was very worried about his daughters so one day he with his wife came to Rishi's Aashram to kknow about his daughtres' welfare, but he got stunned to see many palaces there. The place was  not looking like an Aashram. Hesitatingly he entered in one palace and found his one daughter there. When he talked to her, she told him that she was very sorry about her other sisters as Rishi was spending his whole time with her, King heard the same thing from his other daughters also. He got very happy to hear this and greeted the Rishi and went away. Rishi also enjoyed with his 50 wives for long time, had many children and grandchildren. Later he left everything and went to forest. His all wives also went with him.

Damayantee
Damayantee was the Princess of Vidarbh Desh. She chose Nal over many Devtaa. Kali got angry at this and he set a trap to punish Nal. He sat in Nal's younger brother Pushkar's head and he invited King Nal to play dice game. Nal lost the game and he had to leave his kingdom. He asked his wife to go to her father's place with children, but she did not go there, she sent only her children there. She went with her husband. In the forest she had to tolerate many difficulties. Even she had to lose her husband also. Later with her intelligence she found him.

Seetaa
Everybody knows Seetaa's story. She was the princess of Mithilaa and the daughter of King Janak. She was married to Ayodhyaa's King Dasharath's eldest son Raam. When Dasharath wanted to declare Raam the Crown Prince, his youngest queen Kaikeyee asked her two boons - once Dasharath promised to give her. She said - "Give me my two boons - one, the kingdom to my son Bharat and two, exile to Raam for 14 years." Dasharath had to fulfill her wishes. So Raam had to go to forest. In spite of advising by Raam, Kaushalyaa and Dasharat Seetaa did not stay at home. She went with Raam to forest. She lived there for 14 years. There She was abducted by Raavan. She lived there for one year. She came back to Ayodhyaa after 14 years.

Draupadee
Draupadee was the princess of Paanchaal Desh, the daughter of Drupad. Drupad wanted to marry her to Arjun but hearing the Laakshaa Grih incident he was very disappointed, but to his good luck Paandav were alive and they attended Draupadee's Swayamvar in disguise of Braahman. In the same disguise Arjun won Draupadee. Later when Paandav lost their kingdom in the dice game with Duryodhan they had to leave their kingdom Indra Prasth and had to go to forest for 13 years, including one year of incognito. Paandav asked Draupadee to stay at her father's place but she decided to be with Paandav. She also suffered with them for 14 years. She suffered most in the last one year when she had to work as a maid of Viraat's wife Sudeshnaa's handmaid.

All these princesses did not choose to live in palace, as they could have, but they lived with their husband in spite of knowing that forest life was not at all easy.

Sushma Gupta
www.sushmajee.com