Madri

In the Mahabharata, the later of the two
great Hindu epics, Madri is the junior
wife of King Pandu and the mother of
Nakula and Sahadeva. Neither of these
children are actually Pandu’s sons, since
he has been cursed to die the moment
he holds his wife in amorous embrace.
Rather, they have been magically conceived through the effect of a mantra
given to Pandu’s other wife, Kunti, by
the sage Durvasas. The mantra gives the
woman who recites it the power to call
down any of the gods and to have a son
equal in power to that god himself. With
Pandu’s blessing, Kunti teaches the
mantra to Madri, who recites it to
the twin gods known as the Ashvins.
Thus she bears twins. They live happily
until springtime comes to the forest.
Under the intoxicating influence of
spring, Pandu embraces Madri; the
curse takes effect, and Pandu falls
down dead. Because of her role in
Pandu’s death, Madri consigns her
children to Kunti’s care, and ends her life
on Pandu’s funeral pyre.