7 Women in the Mahabharata Who Were More Than Just Wives and Mothers
Nidhi | Mar 25, 2025, 13:10 IST
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
The Mahabharata is often seen as a tale of heroic warriors and divine interventions, but beneath its battles and politics lies the story of women who shaped its destiny. These seven women—Draupadi, Kunti, Gandhari, Satyavati, Subhadra, Ulupi, and Savitri—were more than just wives and mothers. They were strategists, warriors, and decision-makers who influenced the course of history. From Draupadi’s fiery defiance to Savitri’s fearless negotiation with death, this article explores their untold strength, resilience, and power, proving that the Mahabharata was never just about men.
When we think of the Mahabharata, images of valiant warriors, fierce battles, and divine interventions come to mind. But beneath the grandeur of war and politics lies a deeper narrative—one shaped by women whose intelligence, strength, and resilience changed the course of history. They were not just mothers or wives; they were strategists, warriors, decision-makers, and rebels in their own right.
In a world that often sees history through the lens of its male heroes, these seven women from the Mahabharata remind us that power is not about who wields the sword, but who shapes the story.
Draupadi was never just a wife to five husbands; she was a fire-born queen with a mind as sharp as a sword. When she was dragged into the Kaurava court after the infamous dice game, she did not bow her head in shame—she raised her voice in fury.
"Did you lose yourself first, or me?" she asked Yudhishthira, challenging not just her husband’s decision but the entire idea of a woman being treated as property.
Her humiliation in the Kaurava court was not just personal; it became a political turning point that led to the great war. Draupadi was not a woman who suffered in silence—she was a queen who demanded justice, making her one of the most powerful figures in the epic.
Kunti was a woman who lived with impossible choices. Given a divine boon to call upon any god and bear his child, she tested it out of curiosity—and unknowingly bore Karna, whom she had to abandon to protect her honor.
Years later, she watched that same son fight against her other children in the war. But Kunti was not just a grieving mother—she was a master of strategy. She kept Karna’s identity a secret until the last moment, ensuring that the war tilted in favor of the Pandavas. Her choices were painful, but they were not weak. She carried the burden of an empire on her shoulders, and she did so with dignity.
Gandhari is often remembered as the queen who voluntarily blindfolded herself for life, refusing to see what her husband Dhritarashtra could not. But does that mean she was blind to the truth? Far from it.
She knew her sons were walking the path of destruction. She warned them, she pleaded with them, and when they refused to listen, she cursed Krishna himself—foreseeing the downfall of the Yadava clan. Gandhari was not a silent spectator; she was a woman who saw the future and spoke her truth, even when it was too late to change it.
Satyavati’s story begins not in a palace, but on a river. Born as a fisherwoman, she used her sharp intellect to climb the ladder of power. When King Shantanu fell in love with her, she made a bold demand—her children, not his existing heir Bhishma, must inherit the throne.
This single decision changed the course of history. She went on to control the fate of the Kuru dynasty, arranging marriages, securing alliances, and even bringing her son Vyasa into the picture to ensure the survival of the royal bloodline. Satyavati was not just a queen; she was the architect of a dynasty.
Unlike the other princesses of her time, Subhadra did not sit in a swayamvara waiting to be chosen. Instead, she chose. She eloped with Arjuna, breaking societal norms, and Krishna—her brother—fully supported her.
But Subhadra was more than just a romantic rebel. She raised Abhimanyu, the valiant warrior who became the Pandavas’ biggest hope in the war. She played an active role in the political game, proving that women could be more than mere pawns in arranged marriages—they could be players in their own right.
Ulupi’s story is one of quiet power. She was a Naga princess who fell in love with Arjuna during his exile. But her role in the Mahabharata was not just as a wife—she later revived Arjuna from death using the Mritasanjivani gem, ensuring that the warrior would live to fight another day.
In a tale where divine interventions were often credited to gods, Ulupi’s actions remind us that women, too, could wield the power of life and destiny.
Savitri’s story is not just a myth—it is a lesson in persistence. When Yama, the god of death, came to take her husband Satyavan away, she followed him into the darkness.
She debated with Yama, using her intelligence and devotion to outwit him. She did not beg for her husband’s life—she reasoned with the god of death himself until he had no choice but to let Satyavan go.
Savitri was more than just a loving wife—she was a woman who proved that fate is not always final, and even death can be negotiated with the right words. The Mahabharata may be an epic about war, but it is also an epic about choices. And these women—Draupadi, Kunti, Gandhari, Satyavati, Subhadra, Ulupi, and Savitri—made choices that shaped the fate of empires.
They were not mere background characters in a male-dominated world. They were powerhouses of wisdom, strength, and defiance.
If history has often sidelined women, the Mahabharata tells a different story—one where women were not just witnesses to history, but active participants in shaping it.
So the next time you hear about the great warriors of the Mahabharata, remember the women who stood beside them, challenged them, and sometimes, outsmarted them. Because power is not just about fighting battles; sometimes, it’s about winning the war without ever raising a sword.
In a world that often sees history through the lens of its male heroes, these seven women from the Mahabharata remind us that power is not about who wields the sword, but who shapes the story.
1. Draupadi – The Queen Who Refused to Be Silenced
Draupadi
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
"Did you lose yourself first, or me?" she asked Yudhishthira, challenging not just her husband’s decision but the entire idea of a woman being treated as property.
Her humiliation in the Kaurava court was not just personal; it became a political turning point that led to the great war. Draupadi was not a woman who suffered in silence—she was a queen who demanded justice, making her one of the most powerful figures in the epic.
2. Kunti – The Matriarch Who Carried Secrets and Strength
Draupadi
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
Years later, she watched that same son fight against her other children in the war. But Kunti was not just a grieving mother—she was a master of strategy. She kept Karna’s identity a secret until the last moment, ensuring that the war tilted in favor of the Pandavas. Her choices were painful, but they were not weak. She carried the burden of an empire on her shoulders, and she did so with dignity.
3. Gandhari – The Woman Who Blindfolded Herself but Saw It All
Gandhari
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
She knew her sons were walking the path of destruction. She warned them, she pleaded with them, and when they refused to listen, she cursed Krishna himself—foreseeing the downfall of the Yadava clan. Gandhari was not a silent spectator; she was a woman who saw the future and spoke her truth, even when it was too late to change it.
4. Satyavati – The Fisherwoman Who Became the Grandmother of a Dynasty
This single decision changed the course of history. She went on to control the fate of the Kuru dynasty, arranging marriages, securing alliances, and even bringing her son Vyasa into the picture to ensure the survival of the royal bloodline. Satyavati was not just a queen; she was the architect of a dynasty.
5. Subhadra – The Woman Who Wrote Her Own Love Story
But Subhadra was more than just a romantic rebel. She raised Abhimanyu, the valiant warrior who became the Pandavas’ biggest hope in the war. She played an active role in the political game, proving that women could be more than mere pawns in arranged marriages—they could be players in their own right.
6. Ulupi – The Naga Princess Who Brought a Warrior Back to Life
Mahabharata
( Image credit : Times Life Bureau )
In a tale where divine interventions were often credited to gods, Ulupi’s actions remind us that women, too, could wield the power of life and destiny.
7. Savitri – The Woman Who Fought Death Itself
She debated with Yama, using her intelligence and devotion to outwit him. She did not beg for her husband’s life—she reasoned with the god of death himself until he had no choice but to let Satyavan go.
Savitri was more than just a loving wife—she was a woman who proved that fate is not always final, and even death can be negotiated with the right words.
Women in the Mahabharata: More Than Just a Footnote in History
They were not mere background characters in a male-dominated world. They were powerhouses of wisdom, strength, and defiance.
If history has often sidelined women, the Mahabharata tells a different story—one where women were not just witnesses to history, but active participants in shaping it.
So the next time you hear about the great warriors of the Mahabharata, remember the women who stood beside them, challenged them, and sometimes, outsmarted them. Because power is not just about fighting battles; sometimes, it’s about winning the war without ever raising a sword.