Ashtabharya

Ashtabharya with Krishna - 19th Century Mysore

painting depicting Krishna with his eight principal
consorts.
Ashtabharya(s) or Ashta-bharya(s) is the
group of eight principal queen-consorts
of Hindu god Krishna, an avatar of the
god Vishnu and the king of Dwarka - in
the Dwapara Yuga (epoch). The most
popular list, found in the Bhagavata
Purana, includes: Rukmini, Satyabhama,
Jambavati, Kalindi, Mitravinda, Nagnajiti,
Bhadra and Lakshmana. Variations exist
in the Vishnu Purana and the Harivamsa,
which includes queens called Madri or
Rohini, instead of Bhadra. Most of them
are princesses.

Rukmini, the princess of Vidarbha was

Krishna's first wife and chief queen
(Patrani) of Dwarka. She is considered as
an avatar of Lakshmi, the goddess of
wealth and Vishnu's chief consort.
Satyabhama, the second wife, is
considered the aspect of the earth-
goddess Bhudevi and Vishnu's second
wife. Though Rukmini and Satyabhama
enjoy worship as the consorts of the
married king Krishna, the others do not
enjoy this honour. A young cowherd
Krishna is worshipped with his lover
Radha. Kalindi, the goddess of river
Yamuna, is worshipped independently.
Besides the Ashtabharya, Krishna had
16,000 or 16,100 junior wives.

The texts also mention the many children

Krishna fathered by the Ashtabharya, the
most prominent being the crown-prince
Pradyumna, son of Rukmini.

Summary
Krishna with his two principal queens.(From left)
Rukmini, Krishna, Satyabhama and his mount
Garuda.

Key
Not always included in Asht abharya list

Abbreviations
General:
f: father
m: mother
 d: daughter, unless specified
otherwise, child is a son.
 ?: Statement is disputed
Scriptures
BP: Bhagavata Purana
Mbh: Mahabharta
VP: Vishnu Purana
HV: Harivamsa
PP: Padma Purana
Table
[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
 Princess Mode of
Name Epithets Parents Attestations Child
of marriage

Rukmini Vaidarbhi, Vidarbha Bhishmaka(f) Krishna t Pradyum

Visalakshi, heroically Charudes
Bhaishmaki eloped wit h Sudeshn
her Charude
Sucharu,
Charugup
Bhadrach
Charucha
Vicharu a
Charu (B

Pradyum
Charudes
Sudeshn
Charude
Sushena
Charugup
Bhadrach
Charuvin
Sucharu,
Charuma
(VP);
Pradyum
Charudes
(2 sons w
same na
Charubha
Charugar
Sudeshn
 Druma,
Sushena
Charuvin
Charubah
Charuma
(HV)

Sat yabhama Sugant hi, Part of Sat rajit (f) Married off BP, Mbh, VP, Bhanu,
Kamalakshi, t he t o Krishna by HV Subhanu
Sat rajit i Yadava her fat her Svarbhan
clan (Syamant aka Prabhanu
episode) Bhanuma
(There is Chandrab
also a st ory Savit ri,
t hat Krishna Brịhadbh
and At ibhanu
Sat yabhama Shribhan
were in love Prat ibha
much before (BP);
t he Bhanu,
Syamant aka
Bhaimari
Mani
(VP); Bha
happened,
Bhimarat
and t his was
Rohit a,
just a game
Dipt iman
of t he Lord
Tamrapa
t o marry
Jalant ak
Sat yabhama)
Bhanu (d
Bhimanik
Tamrapa
 Jalndham
(HV)

Samba,
Sumit ra,
Purujit ,
Shat ajit ,
Sahasraj
Vijaya,
Chit raket
Married off
Vasuman
Narendraput ri, t o Krishna by
BP, Mbh, VP, Dravida a
Jambavat i Kapindraput ri, - Jambavan (f) her fat her
HV Krat u (B
Pauravi (Syamant aka
episode) sons hea
by Samb
(VP); Sam
Mit ravan
Mit ravind
Mit ravat
(HV)

Kalindi Yamuna, Surya (f), Performed BP, VP Shrut a, K

ident ified Saranyu (m) aust erit ies Vrsa, Vira
wit h (BP) t o gain Subahu,
Mit ravinda Krishna as Bhadra, S
(HV) husband Darsa,
Purnama
Somaka

sons hea
by Shrut
Ashrut a
 Shrut asa
(HV)

Vira, Cha
Ashvase
Cit ragu,
Vegavan
Vrsha, Am
Shanku, V
and Kunt
Won by
Krishna in her many so
Sat ya, BP, Mbh (?),
Nagnajit i Kosala Nagnajit (f) svayamvara headed b
Kausalya VP, HV
by defeat ing Bhadravi
seven bulls (VP);
Mit rabah
Sunit ha,
Bhadrara
Bhadravi
Bhadrava
(HV)

Mit ravinda Sudat t a (VP), Avant i Jayasena (f), Chose BP, Mbh, VP, Vrika, Ha
Shaibya or Rajadhidevi (m) Krishna as HV Anila, Gri
Shaivya (BP), - Krishna's aunt her husband Vardhana
[Kalindi is (BP), Shibi (HV) in her Unnada,
given t he swayamvara. Mahams
epit het Krishna Pavana,
Mit ravinda; defeat ed and Kshu
Shaibya her brot hers (BP);
(Sudat t a) is a in bat t le t o many so
t ake her
headed b
 different away as t hey Sangram
queen in HV] disapproved (VP);
Sangram
Sat yajit ,
Senajit ,
Sapat naj
Angada,
Kumuda,
Shvet a a
Shvet aa
(HV, Sha

Praghos
Gat ravan
Simha, B
Prabala,
Urdhvaga
Abduct ed Mahasha
from her Saha, Oja
Lakshana, Madra
Brihat sena (f) swayamvara. Aparajit a
Charuhasini, (BP), BP, Mbh, VP,
Lakshmana (PP), unnamed Krishna
Madri (BP), unknown HV many so
(f) (BP) defeat rival
Madraa (BP) (VP, HV) headed b
suit ors in t he
Gat ravan
pursuit
Gat ravan
Gat ragup
Gat ravind
Gat ravat
(HV)

Bhadra Kaikeyi Kekaya Dhrisht aket u(f), Married by BP, Mbh Sangram
Shrut akirt i (m) - brot hers t o Brihat se
 Krishna's aunt Krishna. Shura,
Praharan
Arijit , Jay
Subhadra
Vama, Ay
Sat yaka

many so
headed b
Vrika (VP
Madra
Madri Subhima (HV) - - VP, HV
(VP, HV) Vrikashv
Vrikanivr
Vrikadipt

Dipt iman
Tamrat a
and ot he
(BP);
Rohini Jambavat i (?) - - - BP, VP, Mbh
Dipt iman
Tamrapa
and ot he
(VP)

Symbolism
The hierarchy of the wives is under three
groups according to their regal status
and symbolizes Krishna's sovereignty. In
the first group, Rukmini, avatar of the
Material Prakriti (Shri), stands for
majesty and wealth of Krishna;
Satyabhama, the avatar of the Elemental
Prakriti Bhudevi represents the kingdom,
and Jambavati is Victory (vijaya), who
was won by defeating her father. The
second group were representatives of
Aryavarta (the nobility) with Kalindi given
the central kingdoms, Nagnajiti
representing the eastern kingdoms
(including the Solar dynasty) and
Lakshmana representing the western
side. The third group of wives consisted
of Mitravinda and Bhadra his patriarchal
cousins representing his Yadava clan
called Satvata.[1]

Legends
Rukmini as the main consort of Vithoba, a regional
form of Krishna.

Rukmini, the chief queen, was in love with

Krishna. Rukmini's brother Rukmi fixed
her marriage with his friend Shishupala.
Rukmini sends a message to Krishna to
rescue her. Krishna abducts Rukmini
while her marriage preparations are going
on. Krishna's army commanded by his
brother Balarama defeat Rukmi and the
other kings, who follow Krishna and
Rukmini.[8][9]

The marriage of Satyabhama and

Jambavati to Krishna is closely linked to
the story of Syamantaka, the precious
diamond given by the Sun-god Surya to
his devotee Satyajit, father of
Satyabhama. Krishna requests Satyajit to
present the gem to the Yadava elder
Ugrasena, which the latter refuses and
instead presents it to his brother
Prasena. Prasena wears it on a hunting
expedition, where he is killed by a lion,
who is in turn killed by Jambavan, the
bear-king. When accused by Satyajit of
stealing the jewel, Krishna goes in its
search and finally following trials of the
corpses of Prasena and the lion,
confronts Jambavan. After 27/28 day
duel, Jambavan - the devotee of Rama
(Vishnu's previous avatar) - surrenders to
Krishna, who he realizes is none other
than Vishnu. He returns the gem and
gives Jambavati to Krishna. When the
presumed dead Krishna returns to
Dwarka, a humiliated Satyajit begs his
forgiveness and offers Satyabhama's
hand in marriage along with the
jewel.[10][11]

Krishna and Satyabhama fighting Narakasura's

armies -Painting from the Metropolitan Museum
Among the queens, Satyabhama was
most feisty, aggressive, highly
temperamental and argumentative. She
always used to offer an argument, which
Krishna would enjoy. Not only was
Satyabhama a very courageous and
strong-willed woman, she was also
skillful in archery. She even accompanied
Krishna to kill the demon Narakasura.
While Krishna kills the demon in Krishna-
oriented scriptures, Satyabhama, the
manifestation of Bhudevi - the mother of
Narakasura, kills the demon to fulfil a
curse that he will be killed by his mother
in Goddess-centric texts. At
Satyabhama's behest, Krishna also
defeats Indra, the king of heaven and the
gods and gets the celestial parijat tree
for her.[10]

Indian folktales often tell stories of

Krishna's competing wives, especially
Rukmini and Satyabhama.[12] A tale
narrates how once Satyabhama, proud of
her wealth, donated Krishna to the divine
sage Narada and pledged to take him
back by donating wealth to him as much
as Krishna's weight. Krishna sat on one
pan of a weighing scale and Satyabhama
filled the other pan with all of the wealth,
inherited from her father, but it could not
equal Krishna's weight. The other wives,
except Rukmini, followed suit but
Krishna's pan did not leave the ground.
The wives requested Satyabhama to
approach Rukmini. A helpless
Satyabhama asked her foremost rival,
Rukmini, for help. Rukmini, who was
kidnapped by Krishna, had no wealth of
her own. She chanted a prayer and put
the holy tulsi leaf in the other pan, as the
symbol of her love; removing the wealth
of Satyabhama and the other queens
from the pan. Krishna's pan was suddenly
lifted into the air and the other pan
touched the earth, even though only a
tulsi leaf in it.[13]

There is also a legend narrated in the

Bhagavata Purana about a conversation
between Krishna and Satyabhama about
his love for Radha and the gopis. When
Krishna had chest pain, he told
Sataybhama about it and she offered him
juice, tulsi water or milk as cure. But he
wanted the dust of feet of his queens as
the right treatment for his sickness. The
queens were shocked and Narada who
was present on this occasion was also
surprised by Krishna’s strange request.
Narada then told Krishna that nobody
would give the Lord of the Universe the
dust of their feet. Then Krishna sent
Narada to Gokul to talk to Radha and the
gopis who were ardent devotees. When
Narada went there, the gopis - who were
anxious to know from Narada about their
lord’s health - were informed of Krishna’s
request for the dust of their feet. The
love of Radha and the gopis for Krishna
was so intense that without second
thoughts, they gave the dust of their feet
to be given to Krishna for curing his
problem. Krishna took this and got
cured.[14]

See also
Junior wives of Krishna

References
1. D Dennis Hudson (27 August 2008).
The Body of God : An Emperor's
Palace for Krishna in Eighth-Century
Kanchipuram: An Emperor's Palace
for Krishna in Eighth-Century
Kanchipuram . Oxford University
Press. pp. 263–4. ISBN 978-0-19-
970902-1. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
2. Mani, Vettam (1975). Puranic
Encyclopaedia: a Comprehensive
Dictionary with Special Reference to
the Epic and Puranic Literature .
Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
p. 62 . ISBN 978-0-8426-0822-0.
3. Horace Hayman Wilson (1870). The
Vishńu Puráńa: a system of Hindu
mythology and tradition . Trübner.
pp. 81 –3, 107–8. Retrieved
21 February 2013.
4. "The Genealogical Table of the
Family of Krishna" . Krsnabook.com.
Retrieved 5 February 2013.
5. Prabhupada. "Bhagavata Purana
10.61.17" . Bhaktivedanta Book
Trust. Archived from the original on
2012-04-10.
. Prabhupada. "Bhagavata Purana
10.58.56" . Bhaktivedanta Book
Trust. Archived from the original on
2010-10-17.
7. "Harivamsha Maha Puraaam - Vishnu
Parvaharivamsha in the Mahabharata
- Vishnuparva Chapter 103 - narration
of the Vrishni race" . Mahabharata
Resources Organization. Retrieved
25 January 2013.
. Mani, Vettam (1975). Puranic
Encyclopaedia: a Comprehensive
Dictionary with Special Reference to
the Epic and Puranic Literature .
Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
p. 657 . ISBN 978-0-8426-0822-0.
 9. "Chapter 53: Krishna Kidnaps
Rukmini" . Bhaktivedanta VedaBase:
Srimad Bhagavatam. Archived from
the original on 18 January 2013.
Retrieved 7 January 2013.
10. Mani, Vettam (1975). Puranic
Encyclopaedia: a Comprehensive
Dictionary with Special Reference to
the Epic and Puranic Literature .
Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.
pp. 704-5 . ISBN 978-0-8426-0822-0.
11. "Chapter 56: The Syamantaka
Jewel" . Bhaktivedanta VedaBase:
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Archived from
the original on 28 September 2011.
Retrieved 27 February 2013.
12. Brenda E. F. Beck; Peter J. Claus;
Praphulladatta Goswami; Jawaharlal
Handoo (15 April 1999). Folktales of
India . University of Chicago Press.
p. 156. ISBN 978-0-226-04083-7.
Retrieved 1 May 2013.
13. Devdutt Pattanaik (1 September
2000). The Goddess in India: The
Five Faces of the Eternal Feminine .
Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. pp. 26–
7. ISBN 978-0-89281-807-5.
Retrieved 1 May 2013.
14. Bellur Krishnamachar Sundaraja
Iyengar (2002). Astadala Yogamala,
Vol. 3 . Allied Publishers. p. 147.
ISBN 978-81-7764-361-9. Retrieved
3 January 2013.
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