Tell us about Subhadra and Arjun.
Did Krishna had influence in their life?
Who was Subhadra closer in Krishna's family.
Subhadra is born and is named 'Chitra' (just like Balarama's birth-name is Saarana-Sankarshana) on the month Bhadra's Krishna-navami (ninth day of the 2nd/dark lunar fortnight), and she is exactly 18 years and 1 day younger than Krishna (the exact date is most probably folklore, but I still like it). She is described to have a golden-complexion (which would be called wheatish in today’s scale, situated perfectly between Balarama’s fairness and Krishna’s darkness).
She is in most versions the daughter of Rohini and the full-sister of Balarama, but some sources also place her as Devaki's daughter. She is the oldest (or one of the oldest at least) among the 2nd wave of kids that Vasudeva has.
She is practically raised by Balarama and Krishna, and eventually, thanks to her good nature, she comes to be known as Subhadra, and is nicknamed 'Bhadra' thereafter. She is also noted to be the favourite child of Vasudeva; however, he doesn’t hold much weight in the decisions of her life (that mantle is bore proudly by Balarama as the in-practice head of the family). Out of her brothers, she seems close with all of them, but she also knows them in saying that Krishna would probably give in to all her demands and Balarama would go above and beyond to protect her (in however way he feels appropriate).
Some sources also note her as a reincarnation of Yashoda's biological daughter (herself an incarnation of Yogamaya). She is also identified on-and-off with devi Durga, and Krishna's sister Ekanamsha. She is today most prominently worshipped in the Puri Jagannatha temple alongside both her brothers. During the ratha-yatra, it is believed that Arjuna himself becomes her charioteer (in contrast with Kashiram Das' story), driving her ‘darpadalana’ chariot in his form of Brihannala.
Conversely, in shaakta tradition, devi Vimala’s (also Subhadra) shaktipeetha (within the same complex) is the main temple with Jagannatha considered the bhairava of the peetha (Sati’s feet fell here).
Not much attention is given to her childhood as we the readers meet her the same time as Arjuna does, near the end of his 12-year exile from Indraprastha. After leaving Uloopi and Chitrangada to now raise their respective kids, Arjuna arrives in Prabhasa (also used to be the place where the river Saraswati used to meet the Arabian sea). Krishna spends a few days in Prabhasa, living the same way as Arjuna was, pretending to indulge his vana-vasa, but then he practically carries him off to Raivataka, and then ships him straight off to Dwarika, where he is kept with royal honour, his tapasya, thrown happily out the window.
In this festival, Arjuna spots Subhadra and is immediately smitten by her. He stands there, mouth open like a frog, until Krishna notices this. Krishna, a little embarrassed by his personal guest’s behaviour, says, “Vanecharasya kimidam kaamena-lobhyate manah?” [How did the forest-dweller lose himself to desire?]
Krishna then notes her identity: “Mamaisha bhagini Paartha Sarana’sya sahodara” [She is my sister, Arjuna, Sarana’s uterine sibling]. Then he also offers to talk to Vasudeva on Arjuna’s behalf.
The next story I have discussed somewhat here: (x).
In Kashiram Das’ version, it is rather Subhadra who sees and falls in love with Arjuna. She confides in Satyabhama, who scolds her a lot, but eventually melts and talks to Krishna on her behalf. Krishna first laughs at the situation for a solid hour or so and then tells Satyabhama to do whatever is necessary to make this happen. Satyabhama goes and wakes up Arjuna in the middle of the night, with Subhadra trailing along. Satyabhama tries to convince Arjuna in many ways, even bringing up Draupadi’s five-husband conundrum (and that apparently, she uses black magic to control the Pandavas: this is lifted straight from Vyasa’s Satyabhama-Draupadi samvaada in Vana Parva), but Arjuna unequivocally turns them down.
Satyabhama, angry at this, brings Subhadra back and puts some ‘magical vermilion’ on her forehead, which attracts Arjuna so much that he picks Subhadra up on his lap and marries her on the spot (just a note guys, please do not drug your intended partners, magically or otherwise, it’s a stupendously bad idea). Later, when the Yadavas chase the eloping couple, Subhadra helps Arjuna tie up Daruka and then drives the chariot herself.
Dr. Bhaduri notes that Subhadra and Draupadi’s base personalities are similar (this, he considers the primary reason for Arjuna falling for her in the first place…kind of having his own, personal Draupadi that he didn’t have to share, but I personally do not like this very much, too much shadowing in my opinion). The difference lies in the fact that Subhadra, once Arjuna picks her up, pretty much surrenders and then tries her level best to make everyone’s life easier, even at times at the cost of her own independence, family dignity and one-and-only son. This we see when she agrees to go before Draupadi dressed in simple clothes (of a gopi, in practice, an attendant of Draupadi’s, not an equal). She even touches Draupadi’s feet (even though I feel Subhadra is older than Draupadi, but there’s no textual clarification on that).
Soon after this, Balarama and Krishna appear in Indraprastha with Subhadra’s dowry. Balarama performs the bride’s father’s rituals as Vasudeva doesn’t come, for whatever reason (could range from health issues to anger at Subhadra/Arjuna). Disguised as the dowry however, Krishna manages to add significantly to the army of Indraprastha.
Subhadra is not as interested or involved in the political kernings of the story that starts after her marriage. She’s happy just being a wife and a mother, and well, to each their own. She is happy, and that’s all that is important. Dr. Bhaduri describes Subhadra as ‘mugdha-madhura-lajjaaruna’ [enraptured-dulcet-bashful]. After her marriage, and before Abhimanyu’s birth (or shortly after that), she goes on a picnic on Yamuna’s banks with Krishna, Arjuna and Draupadi. Here we see, how much successful Subhadra had been in capturing the heart of not only Arjuna but also Draupadi as we watch the two co-wives enjoying the dance performances together, as they throw expensive jewellery and clothes (at one point their own as well, but that’s a different conversation) at the dancers as tips. Draupadi also has, in many occasions, confirmed that she loves Abhimanyu as much, if not even a little more than, her own children. It is hard to believe that not even a portion of that love would be directed towards Subhadra too.
When the Pandavas have to go their 13-year exile, Krishna takes Subhadra and Abhimanyu with him to Dwarika, and it’s there that she spends all those years until she is summoned to Upaplavya to the wedding of her son to Uttara.
Dr. Bhaduri notes that during the Kurukshetra war, Draupadi stayed back in Upaplavya, but Uttara and Subhadra went with the army, and stayed in a tent (Arjuna’s personal one) near the battlefield. Here, Subhadra probably went to take care of Arjuna after all these years of being apart, and Uttara probably went on a really twisted version of a honeymoon. Vyasa however, doesn’t reveal their presence until after Abhimanyu’s death where we see Subhadra’s one-and-only outburst.
After that tragedy, Arjuna did not have the courage to face her. He rather sent Krishna to break the news to her first. She doesn’t attack the Pandavas directly, like Draupadi usually does in adverse situations. Subhadra, goes on to blame herself, along the lines of, “Why did you have to die when the Pandava-Panchala-Vrishni warriors are still alive!” Then it seems like she starts hallucinating, as if Abhimanyu is alive, and again a baby, as she begs him to crawl to her. She does blame the Pandavas by name after this, and prays for a comfortable journey to and a happy lodging in heaven for her son and then soon after we see her pull herself together to an inhumane level and focus her entire energy on consoling Uttara.
Within these few hours, seeing Subhadra break down like no one had even seen her before, the Pandavas, a bit afraid, had Draupadi summoned from Upaplavya on priority to come and take control. Once Draupadi reaches the field, Krishna unceremoniously dumps Subhadra and Uttara on her and himself goes to counsel Arjuna. I feel like he too was uncomfortable watching his long-pampered little sister break down like that and not being able to correct the situation for her.
When Parikshit is born, Subhadra herself runs to her brother, begging him to save the baby, saying, “The Pandava brothers wouldn’t survive if this last hope were also to die!” Even now, when she herself has lost her son and in on the verge of losing a grandson, she thinks only of others.
In the end of the story, too we see Subhadra’s selfless nature, when Draupadi goes with the Pandavas towards the Himalayas, Subhadra stays on as the queen-regent, sharing the responsibility with Yuyutsu with Kripa’s guidance. She definitely loved Arjuna, enough so as to not want to live on without him, and yet we see her make that decision, primarily because in Krishna and Arjuna’s absence, she realizes that someone smart needs to stay here, to protect and guide and rebuild these two idiot dynasties, in Hastinapura and Mathura, at least until Uttara is old enough to take on the burden.
Subhadra, very appropriately, fades out of the narrative as softly as she had come into it. She doesn’t need to make any grand gestures to still shine within the narrative.
