Malayadhvaja Pandya (), also known as Sharangadhvaja Pandya, is a legendary king of

Madurai Madurai ( , , ), formerly known as Madura, is a major city in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District, which is ...

and ruler of the Pandya Empire. He is mentioned in the Hindu epic ''

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

''. His queen consort is

Kanchanamalai Kanchanamalai (Tamil:காஞ்சனமலை) was legendary queen consort of Madurai and Korkai and also empress of the Pandya dynasty. She ruled Madurai alongside her husband, King Malayadhvaja Pandya. She was also the mother of Meenakshi ...

. He is the father of the goddess and queen of

Meenakshi Meenakshi (, ; also spelled as Minakshi; also known as , and ) is a Hindu goddess. She is the tutelary deity of Madurai and is considered a form of the goddess Parvati. She is the divine consort of Sundareśvarar, a form of Shiva and the si ...

Legend

According to a legend found in the Tamil text '' Tiruvilaiyadal Puranam'', the childless Malayadhvaja Pandya and his wife perform ninety-nine

ashvamedha The Ashvamedha () was a horse sacrifice ritual followed by the Śrauta tradition of Vedic religion. It was used by ancient Indian kings to prove their imperial sovereignty: a horse accompanied by the king's warriors would be released to wander ...

yajna In Hinduism, ''Yajna'' or ''Yagna'' (, Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐd͡ʒɲə ) also known as Hawan, is a ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras. Yajna has been a Vedas, Vedic tradition, described in a layer of Vedic literature ...

s to propitiate the gods, seeking a son for the succession. However, a three-year-old girl emerged from the yajna fire, bearing three breasts, upon the lap of the queen. A heavenly voice stated that the royal couple should treat her like a son, and that she would lose the third middle breast when she met her future husband. The girl is named Taḍātakai, and subsequently raised as Malayadhvaja Pandya's male heir, trained in archery and horseriding. The king names her as his successor before his death. She is renamed Meenakshi by Sage

Agastya Agastya was a revered Indian sage of Hinduism. In the Indian tradition, he is a noted recluse and an influential scholar in diverse languages of the Indian subcontinent. He is regarded in some traditions to be a Chiranjivi. He and his wife ...

during her ascension of the throne. She has her minister, named Sumati, to assemble a large army, and conquers the realms of neighbouring kingdoms, hoping to come across her destined husband. After defeating Indra, she marshals her forces against Kailasha, the abode of Shiva. Upon meeting the deity, Meenakshi's third breast fell, and she recognised him as her groom. Returning to Madurai, Meenakshi married Shiva, who adopted the title of Sundara Pandya, with

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

offering her hand in marriage.

Mahabharata

King Malayadhvaja appears in the ''Mahabharata''. His father, Kulashekara Pandya, is portrayed as slain by Krishna and his country invaded. To avenge his father's death, Prince Malayadhvaja obtains weapons from

Bhishma Bhishma (), also known as Pitamaha, Gangaputra, and Devavrata, is a central figure in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He was a statesman and military commander of the ancient Kuru Kingdom. Renowned for his wisdom, valor, and unwavering principles, ...

Drona Droṇa (, ), also referred to as Dronacharya (, ), is a major character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he serves as the royal preceptor of the Kauravas and the Pandavas. He is one of the primary counsellors and warriors featured ...

Balarama Balarama (, ) is a Hindu god, and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Baladeva, Balabhadra, and Sankarshana. The fir ...

, and

Kripa Kripa (, ), also known as Kripacharya (, ), is a figure in Hindu mythology. According to the epic '' Mahabharata'', he was a council member of Kuru Kingdom and a teacher of the Pandava and Kaurava princes. Born to warrior-sage Sharadvan a ...

. In valour, Prince Malayadhvaja is said to be mighty warrior whose valor is nothing lesser than

and

Karna Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-Raja, Sutaputra and Radheya, is one of the major characters in the Hindu epic ''Mahābhārata''. He is the son of Surya (the Sun deity) and princess Kunti (later ...

. He then desired to destroy the city of Dvaraka, Krishna's capital, and to subjugate the whole world. Sage

and

Varuna Varuna (; , ) is a Hindu god. He is one of the earliest deities in pantheon, whose role underwent a significant transformation from the Vedic to the Puranic periods. In the early Vedic era, Varuna is seen as the god-sovereign, ruling the sky ...

, however, counselled him against that decision and granted him his father's kingdom and made him king. He was present during the

svayamvara ''Svayaṃvara'' ( ) is a matrimonial tradition in ancient Indian society where a bride, usually from '' Kṣatriya'' (warrior) caste, selects her husband from a group of assembled suitors either by her own choice or a public contest between her ...

Draupadi Draupadi (), also referred to as Krishnā, Panchali and Yajnaseni, is the central heroine of the Indian epic poetry, ancient Indian epic ''Mahabharata''. In the epic, she is the princess of Panchala Kingdom, who later becomes the empress of K ...

and brought jars of

sandalwood Sandalwood is a class of woods from trees in the genus ''Santalum''. The woods are heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and, unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods. Sanda ...

and

agarwood Agarwood, aloeswood, eaglewood, gharuwood or the Wood of Gods, commonly referred to as oud or oudh (from , ), is a fragrant, dark and resinous wood used in incense, perfume, and small Woodworking, hand carvings. It forms in the heartwood of ...

perfumes and jars of gold for

Yudhishthira Yudhishthira (Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, ud̪ʱiʂʈʰiɾᵊ IAST: ''Yudhiṣṭhira''), also known as Dharmaputra, is the eldest among the five Pandavas, and is also one of the central characters of the ancient Indian epic ''Ma ...

's rajasuya. During the

Kurukshetra War The Kurukshetra War (), also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the Hindu Indian epic poetry, epic poem ''Mahabharata'', arising from a dynastic struggle between two groups of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas, for the thr ...

, he sided with the

Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, aɳɖɐʋᵊ IAST: Pāṇḍava) is a group name referring to the five legendary brothers, Yudhishtira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who are central figures of the Hindu epic ''Mahabhara ...

and is mentioned as a powerful charioteer and warrior. On 16th Day, when

Ashwatthama Ashvatthama (, , also spelt as Ashwatthama and Ashvatthaman) is a character in the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is the son of Drona, the royal preceptor to the Kuru princes—the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Ashvatthama is a close ...

was about to kill

Arjuna Arjuna (, , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, �ɾd͡ʒun̪ə is one of the central characters of the ancient Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He is the third of the five Pandava brothers, and is widely regarded as the most important and renowned among them. ...

, Malayadhvaja Pandya defends Arjuna and engaged in a combat with Ashwatthama. After the fierce battle, Malayadhvaja Pandya was killed by Ashwatthama and people hailed Malayadhvaja Pandya's brave death.

Bhagavata Purana

Malayadhvaja Pandya is described to be a sage-king and a "conqueror of cities" in the ''

Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' (; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam)'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' () or simply ''Bhagavata (Bhāgavata)'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen major Puranas (''Mahapuranas'') and one ...

''. He takes Vaidarbhi, the daughter of the king of

Vidarbha Vidarbha (Pronunciation: Help:IPA/Marathi, �id̪əɾbʱə is a geographical region in the west Indian States and union territories of India, state of Maharashtra. Forming the eastern part of the state, it comprises Amravati Division, Amrav ...

, as his wife, and performs austerites seeking to propitiate Krishna upon the Kulachala mountains. After a century of such practices, he is described to have gained divine wisdom from Vishnu himself and renounced the world.

References

Works cited

* {{Authority control Pandyan Empire People from Madurai Pandyan kings