Mayuri (wife of Duryodhana)

Mayuri
File:The another spouse of Duryodhan, described to the fairest of all.jpg An illustration of Mayuri
Information
Affiliation	Kuru Queen
Family	Vasantraja (father), Vaishali (mother), Matrasena (brother), Shweta, Lata, Sudeshnavati, Indumati (sisters), Bhanumati (so called sister)
Spouse	Duryodhana
Children	Lakshmanaa and Laxman Kumara
Home	Trilokapura (by birth), Hastinapura (By marriage)

Mayuri also known Mayurī is the wife of Duryodhana and mother of Laxman Kumara and Lakshmanaa in folklores. She is one of the antagonists of the epic Mahabharata and she is the daughter in law of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari. She is a good friend of Vrushali Karna's wife.

Mayuri is a prominent character in the epic Mahabharata. She is known basically as the wife of Duryodhana and she is the only one understands Bhanumati's problems. She is the only one who is a mother caring for Laxman Kumara and his sister Lakshmanaa. In the Mahabharata, Duryodhana's wife is mentioned four or five times, the complexion of beauty, and she was a queen of Hastinapura, capital of the Kuru Kingdom.

Information

She is mentioned in the Shanti Parva about her marriage and kidnappings and in Stri Parva Mayuri and Bhanumati both lose Duryodhana, as Mayuri was the favourite wife of Duryodhana, she cared about Bhanumati also. She accepted Bhanumati as her elder sister, and both Bhanumati and Mayuri led a long and happy life with Duryodhana. After the death of Duryodhana, Bhanumati and Mayuri together being sisters committed Sati.

Marriage of Duryodhana and Mayuri

Story

King Vasantraja had held a Swayamvara in which warriors like Duryodhana, Karna, Veerasena, Ashwayudha, and many other warriors were invited. The princes began to laugh at Duryodhana and thought that Princess Mayuri will only put the garland on them. The princess came with a beautiful garland in her hand and was choosing a man who will be suitable for her but when she came to Duryodhana, she refused to marry him. Duryodhana refused to accept her rejection and forcefully held her hands and put the garland in his neck and kidnapped her. All the prince's were about to attack him but Karna said to Duryodhana that I'll handle these warriors and so on, after defeating the princes, Karna and Duryodhana came on the chariot and took Princess Mayuri to Hastinapura and the poor princess accepted to marry Duryodhana. Their marriage was celebrated with Peace and Harmony. This story echoes Mayuri's so called sister Bhanumati's marriage.

In the Mahabharata

She was described by her mother-in-law Gandhari to Duryodhana (same incident like Bhanumati),Duryodhana loved his two wives Mayuri and Bhanumati so much. Laxman Kumara's main mother is considered as Mayuri and the second mother Bhanumati. Mayuri was not jealous of Bhanumati or nor Bhanumati was of Mayuri. Both were antagonists and learned women. Gandhari describes her daughter in law to Krishna,

Behold, the beloved wife of Duryodhana and mother of Lakshmanaa and Laxman Kumara, the Queen of Hastinapura, the women who was with Bhanumati, the friend of Vrushali, who is the beautiful princess of Trilokapura, The Daughter of Vasantraja and Vaishali, the women who was sorrowing for her husband, Duryodhana, the woman who committed Sati with Bhanumati,who mourned for her husband and son who died during the war, Mayuri fell on her heroic spouse, Duryodhana's breast, the king of Hastinapura

— Gandhari, Translated By Kisari Mohan Ganguli

With Bhanumati

Mayuri's character portraits a general character having good behavior and Bhanumati also. After the marriage of Duryodhana, Bhanumati immediately wanted help from Mayuri, But Mayuri solved the problem and the two wives spent with their husband a happy life.

Lakshmanaa's Swayamvara

At the time of Lakshmanā's marriage, her father Duryodhana held a Swayamvara and invited many princes. Samba heard this and wanted to marry Lakshmanā. Duryodhana eventually invited him also. Lakshmanaa came with a beautiful garland in her hand and came to choose her husband, but when she saw Samba he kidnapped her from her Svayamvara. Mayuri was a caring mother for her apart from Bhanumati.

Her beauty was immense for Duryodhana and so he had kidnapped her. Karna also was with Duryodhana but as he died, she and Bhanumati had commited sati and so Lakshmanaa, their daughter, too commited sati as her husband, Samba, was dead. In Kerala, Mayuri or Bhanumati is given the title "Mayureshwari" for Mayuri, whereas "Bhanumateshwari" for Bhanumati and is worshipped with Duryodhana. In the Yakshagana plays, Duryodhana is played and is further referred to some extent as Kondadakuli. Her sister, Sudeshnavati was a friend of Bhanumati. Mayuri was also a friend of Bhanumati.

Duryodhan's love

She was a very beautiful girl who a played a role in Duryodhana's life. Karna and Shakuni chose her as a wife of Duryodhana. She had a love on Arjuna but for her father's wish, she didn't marry him and married Duryodhan, the main antagonist of the hindu epic Mahabharata. Sometimes, Duryodhana used to get angry on Bhanumati but used to love his both wives dearly. Mayuri remained silent after the death of Duryodhana, her spouse. But, she and Bhanumati cursed Bhima for killing their husband. She was very concern about him till his death. Mayuri, still didn't forget about his memories when Duryodhana was dead peacefully. Mayuri and Bhanumati's maids told them about the death of their husband, which was shocking for them. Draupadi consoled Gandhari when Duryodhana died.

Blessing Lakshmanaa and Laxman Kumar

She blessed her son for the Kurukshetra War but he was killed by Abhimanyu, the son of Pandava prince Arjuna and Yadava princess, Subhadra. With the death of her husband, Mayuri mourned for her husband and her son while her daughter was kidnapped in front of Duryodhana which made him angry.

Because of this problem, Duryodhana's wife Mayuri suffered and even Bhanumati. Kunti consoles them. Bhanumati and Mayuri still think for Duryodhana, the love of their life. She was a heart for him (Duryodhana), she had immense and more love for him, some folktales describe that Bhanumati, without the recongize for her husband, married Arjuna and became his wife but Mayuri also fell for him but did not marry him. Some folklores also describe Bhanumati, did not marry Arjuna as she was concerned for his death.

Relation with Bhanumati

She had cordial relations with the another or last wife of Duryodhana, Bhanumati. Her loyalty can be described to Karna, sometimes and Mayuri and Bhanumati had a love-relationship with Duryodhana, she used to never fight with anyone for small reasons. Her behaviour was extremely good with Bhanumati (wife of Duryodhana). Generally, Mayuri is not the sister of Bhanumati, but she used to care about Bhanumati as a elder one. As Mayuri had many siblings, she included Bhanumati as a so- called sister. Her adjustment with Karna was a complex, and Mayuri, Bhanumati, the wives of Duryodhana, became his friends.

Mayuri was also a friend of Duhsala, her husband, Duryodhana's sister. Since, Mayuri was her sister-in-law, Dushala used to call her,"Didi" in respect, means a big sister. Mayuri and Bhanumati had also respect to Jayadratha, Dushala's husband. Most of the stories say she is one of the most arrogant lady in Mahabharat but she acted like Duryodhana after his death.

In popular culture

• Arshin Mehta played Mayuri in Mahabharat Katha
• Sangeeta Sharma played Mayuri in Suryaputra Karn.
• Aparna Deshmukh played Mayuri in the serial Draupadi.
• Manali Shah portrayed Mayuri in Karn Sangini.