Birth and early years Sahadeva was one of the five brothers born to
Pandu, a member of the illustrious
Lunar dynasty lineage and the heir of the throne of
Kuru. The collective name “
Pandavas” originates from their father. However, Pandu was afflicted by a curse that would lead to his demise if he engaged in sexual relations with a woman. Consequently, Sahadeva and his brothers were born through a sacred mantra bestowed upon Pandu's first wife
Kunti by the revered sage
Durvasa during her maidenhood. Both of Pandu’s wives—
Madri and Kunti—invoked different deities and were blessed with children. According to the
Adi Parva ('First Book') of the
Mahabharata, upon Pandu's behest, Kunti had used her boon three times to invoke celestial gods and gave birth to her three children—
Yudhishthira,
Bhima and
Arjuna. Upon hearing about Madri's desire to give birth to a son, Pandu requested Kunti to share her boon with her. Madri, upon seeking divine assistance, invoked the twin celestial deities of health, the
Asvins, and bore two sons—Nakula and Sahadeva—who were extolled to be unparalleled in earthly beauty. An ethereal voice proclaimed that these twins would surpass even the Asvins themselves in energy and allure. Despite invoking the gods only once, Madri obtained two remarkable sons. However, her co-wife, Kunti, fearing that Madri might surpass her in offspring, beseeched the king not to command her further, accepting this as her granted boon. Sahadeva, along with his brothers, spent his childhood in the company of sages at Shatashriga mountain. However he was orphaned after Pandu, who had a curse inflicted upon him by
Kindama, attempted to engage in love making with Madri, resulting in his demise. Following this, Madri entrusted her children to Kunti, and followed him to his death by performing the ancient practice of
sati, immolating herself on her husband’s funeral pyre. Kunti raised the twins alongside her own sons in
Hastinapura, the capital of Kuru which was being ruled under Pandu's elder brother
Dhritarashtra. Despite Sahadeva not being her biological offspring, Kunti held a special affection for him, making him her favorite among the Pandavas. Sahadeva and Nakula, along with the other princes, were instructed in the
gurukula for by
Kripa and
Drona in warfare and use of weapons such as bow and arrows and martial art. Later in the
Ashramvasika Parva, the character
Sanjaya mentions another wife of Sahadeva, described as the daughter of king
Jarasandha of
Magadha. Simon Brodbeck theorizes that this marriage might have taken place after the
Kurukshetra War, as this unnamed wife is not mentioned elsewhere. The
Mahabharata mentions several kingdoms to the south of Indraprastha which were conquered by Sahadeva. Some of them are as under: •
Surasenas •
Pandyan dynasty •
Matsya, the king
Dantavakra, kings Sukumara, Sumitra, other Matsyas and Patacharas. • Kings of Lanka who claimed to be descendants of
Vibhishana, the king of
Lanka and brother of
Ravana. He offered him diverse kinds of jewels and gems, sandalwood, celestial ornaments, costly apparel and valuable pearls. Sahadeva deputed his nephew,
Ghatotkacha (son of
Bhima) to collect these taxes considering the latter's Rakshasa lineage. • At
Kishkindha, the monkey-kings Mainda and Dvivida were defeated in a 7-day war. • City of
Mahishmati, which was ruled by King Nila. Since the kingdom had the blessings of
Agni, a huge fire obstructed the army when Sahadeva tried to invade; later prayer to Agni enabled Sahadeva to complete the conquest. • King
Rukmi of
Vidarbha and territories of
Bhojakata •
Nishadas, the hill of Gosringa and King Sreenimath. • Navarashtra, under King
Kunti-Bhoja • King Jamvaka, on the banks of the river
Charmanvati. • Territories lying on the banks of the Venwa. • Kingdoms that lay on the banks of the
Narmada. •
Avanti, kings called Vinda and Anuvinda, a town of
Bhojakata • King of
Kosala • King of
Tripura • King of
Saurashtra •
Surparaka kingdom, Talakatas and
Dandakas •
Mlechchha tribe living on the sea coast, Nishadas, the cannibals, Karnapravarnas, and the Kalamukhas (a cross between human beings and Rakshasas) and the whole area of the Cole mountains. • Surabhipatna and the island called the Copper island, and a mountain called Ramaka. • The town of Timingila and a wild tribe is known by the name of the Kerakas who were men with one leg. • The town of Sanjayanti, countries of the Pashandas, Karahatakas, Paundrayas, Dravidas, Udrakeralas, Andhras, Talavanas, Kalingas and Ushtrakarnikas, Sekas and Yavanas •
Paurava kingdom • A verse in the scriptures also mention that Sahadeva before his invasion south of Indraprastha, had forced tribute from
Antioch, Rome and the City of the
Greeks. His twin brother Nakula is said to have conquered the
Huns along with Chinese to give tribute at the Rajasuya Yajna. The
Sabha Parva further narrates that after the brothers successfully returned from their campaign, the venue and other aspects related to the conduct of the Rajasuya was elaborately done under the stewardship of Bhishma. Sahadeva served as Yudhishthira's minister in the ceremony, and helped in conducting various rituals. As the Pandavas departed Hastinapura, the entire populace of the city had lined along the streets in grief. Sahadeva had then smeared his face with mud thinking "none should recognise me in this hour of calamity".
Nakula covered himself with ashes.
Arjuna scattered sands to symbolize the countless arrows he would let loose in battle,
Bhima walked with his hands outstretched to indicate to people that no one could equal him, and
Yudhishthira had covered his face. Kunti had appealed to Draupadi to take care of her son Sahadeva as he holds a special place in her heart; Draupadi had left Hastinapura along with the Pandavas wearing a single safron cloth with her hair disheveled. In the 13th year, Pandavas collectively decided that the
Virata kingdom of king
Virata would be an ideal place for them to hide in disguise. The day after Draupadi's entrance into Virata's palace as Sairandhri, 'an expert maid', in the name of Malini, employed by Queen
Sudeshna, Sahadeva made his way into the city dressed as a cowherd. He arrived at one cow posture in the region of Virata's palace. The king happened to be visiting his herd and was present when he saw a handsome well built man clad in a cowherd's dress, and speaking the dialects of the cowherds. Beholding him the king was struck with amazement. He asked Sahadeva, "To whom dost though belong" and whence though come; What work dost though seek: I have never seen thee before." Sahadeva replied saying that he was a
Vaisya,
Arishtinemi by name, and was earlier in the employment of Kuru King Yudhishthira, the eldest of the five sons of Pandu and had tended to eight hundred thousand cattle and that people used to call him 'Tatripala' (Pandavas however called him
Jayadbala), and that he knew the present, the past and the future of all kine (cows) living within ten yojanas (). He also told the king the means by which kine population could be multiplied in a short time, and that he liked the work of taming, milking and breeding cattle. Impressed with the resume narrated by Sahadeva, King Virata employed him in his palace as the chief cowherd who supervised the maintenance and upkeep of all cows in his kingdom, while his elder brothers assumed different roles in disguise to work in Virata's court.
Yudhishthira assumed the identity of game entertainer to the king and called himself Kanka,
Bhima was the cook Ballava,
Arjuna taught dance and music as eunuch Brihannala and dressed as a woman, and
Nakula tended horses as Granthika. In Virata's kingdom, the Pandavas in disguise had a entertaining time but a war erupted when
Duryodhana was trying to locate them so that he could send them back to exile again, which ultimately revealed their identity at the end of the Agnyatavasa period of one year. When the brother-in-law of King Virata,
Kichaka perished at the hands of
Bhima due to his lascivious behaviour towards
Draupadi, Virata was weakened. Sensing that the Pandavas were hiding in the Virata's court,
Susharma, King of
Trigatas and the
Kauravas invaded Matsya kingdom successively. They not only captured Virata but also robbed him of his immense cattle wealth. Virata, with the help of the four Pandavas in his employment, Yudhisthira, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva defeated Susharma and freed King Virata. Meanwhile, the Kurus working with Susharma, robbed Virata's kingdom of sixty thousand cattle. However, they were defeated by Arjuna, with
Prince Uttara, son of Virata as a charioteer. The Kurus were humiliated and returned the cattle to Virata and went back to Hastinapura. It was also the last day of the one year agnyatavasa of the Pandavas, and when they revealed their true identity to King Virata and Kauravas. ==Associated temples==