Vijaya - The Devoted Wife of Sahadeva

Dadi: "Guddu, you've heard so many stories about the Pandava brothers and their famous wife Draupadi. But did you know that each brother had another wife as well?"

Guddu: "They had multiple wives? I only ever hear about Draupadi!"

Dadi: "Today let me tell you about Vijaya, the devoted wife of Sahadeva, the youngest Pandava brother."

Guddu: "Who was she?"

Dadi: "Vijaya was a princess of the Madra kingdom - the same land that Sahadeva's mother Madri came from. So you see, Vijaya was actually Sahadeva's cousin from his mother's side."

Guddu: "They were cousins and got married? Was that allowed?"

Dadi: "In those days, marriages between maternal cousins were considered good matches. They kept families connected across generations. Vijaya was the daughter of King Dyutimata of Madra, Madri's brother."

Guddu: "How did they get married?"

Dadi: "Through a swayamvara - a ceremony where the princess chooses her own husband from among gathered suitors. Vijaya looked at all the princes who came hoping to win her hand, and she chose Sahadeva."

Guddu: "She picked him herself? That's romantic!"

Dadi: "Very! The story says they had loved each other since childhood. Growing up, whenever Sahadeva visited his mother's family in Madra, he and Vijaya spent time together. Their marriage was the fulfillment of a bond that had grown naturally over years."

Guddu: "Did they have children?"

Dadi: "They had a son named Suhotra. After the great Kurukshetra War ended and the Pandavas won, Sahadeva was appointed king of the Madra Kingdom. Vijaya and Suhotra lived with him there."

Guddu: "What about during the exile? When the Pandavas had to live in the forest for thirteen years?"

Dadi: "That must have been the hardest time for Vijaya. She was separated from her husband for all those years. She worried constantly about whether he was safe, whether he had food, whether their enemies would find and kill him."

Guddu: "Where did she stay during the exile?"

Dadi: "Sahadeva advised her to stay at her father's palace in Madra. It was the safest place for her - surrounded by her own family, protected by her father's army."

Guddu: "Did she want to go with him to the forest?"

Dadi: "Every wife wanted to follow her husband, beta. But sometimes love means accepting painful separations for practical reasons. Vijaya trusted Sahadeva's wisdom. She knew he wanted her safe, and she honored that wish."

Guddu: "Dadi, why don't we hear more about these other wives?"

Dadi: "The Mahabharata is so vast, with so many characters and storylines, that many important people get only brief mentions. Draupadi's story dominates because of her dramatic swayamvara, her humiliation in the dice game, her role in triggering the war."

Guddu: "But that doesn't mean the others weren't important."

Dadi: "Exactly! Every marriage of the Pandavas served a purpose beyond love. Sahadeva's marriage to Vijaya cemented an alliance with the Madra kingdom. These unions were both personal and political."

Guddu: "So behind every great king were women we don't always hear about?"

Dadi: "Behind every great story, beta, are countless smaller stories. Vijaya spent years waiting, worrying, hoping. She raised Suhotra during the exile without a father present. She managed a household through uncertain times. These are not adventures that make for exciting tales, but they required their own kind of courage."

Guddu: "The quiet courage of waiting and enduring."

Dadi: "You understand well. History remembers warriors and kings. But the fabric of any kingdom is woven by patient women like Vijaya - devoted, steadfast, holding families together through war and peace. Without her quiet strength, there would be no kingdom for Sahadeva to rule."

Guddu: "I'll remember her name now, Dadi. Vijaya - the devoted wife."

Dadi: "And whenever you read about great heroes, remember to wonder about the people who loved and supported them, whose names we may never know."