the princess of the Matsya house

Also known as: Matsya's soft-eyed princess / Matsya's young and beauteous princess · Family: Matsyas · Role: princess · First appears: Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · Introduction

In Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · Introduction, Draupadi disguised herself as a waiting-woman and served the princess of the Matsya house. In Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · V. Warrior's Guerdon, Arjun declined Virata’s offer of the princess as a bride, saying he loved her “with father's pride,” and proposed that she marry his son Abhimanyu instead. Virata agreed, and in Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · VI. The Wedding, Arjun joined the princess’s hands to Abhimanyu’s at the bridal ceremony.

In Book IX (Fall of Drona) · III. Abhimanyu's Death, she is remembered as “Matsya's soft-eyed princess” who loved Abhimanyu.

Relationship record

Life events

• Draupadi disguised herself as a waiting-woman and served the princess.(Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · Introduction)
  • With: Draupadi
  • “Draupadi too disguised herself as a waiting-woman, and served the princess of the Matsya house in that humble capacity.”
• Arjun refused Virata's offer of the princess as his bride.(Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · V. Warrior's Guerdon)
  • With: Virata Arjun
  • “And to valiant Arjun offered Matsya's princess fair and young! “Pardon, monarch,” answered Arjun, “but I may not take as bride, Matsya's young and beauteous princess whom I love with father's pride,”
• Arjun proposed that Abhimanyu marry the princess, and Virata agreed.(Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · V. Warrior's Guerdon)
  • With: Arjun Abhimanyu Virata
  • “Grant her to my son, O monarch, as his wedded wife and joy! Abhimanyu trained in battle, handsome youth of godlike face, Krishna's sister, fair Subhadra, bore the child of princely grace! Worthy of thy youthful daughter, pure in heart and undefiled, Grant it, sire, my Abhimanyu wed thy young and beauteous child!” Answered Matsya's noble monarch with a glad and grateful heart: “Words like these befit thy virtue, nobly hast thou done thy part! Be it as thou sayest, Arjun; unto Pandu's race allied, Matsya's royal line is honoured, Matsya's king is gratified!”
• Arjun takes Virata's daughter as the bride of Abhimanyu, his son by Subhadra.(Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · VI. The Wedding · 📍 Virata's royal palace)
  • With: Arjun Virata Abhimanyu Subhadra
  • “Arjun from the Matsya monarch takes the princess passing fair, For his son by fair Subhadra, nursed by Krishna's loving care, With a godlike grace Yudhishthir stands by faithful Arjun's side, As a father takes a daughter, takes the young and beauteous bride, Joins her hands to Abhimanyu's, and with cake and parched rice, On the altar brightly blazing doth the holy sacrifice.”

Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · Introduction

• subordinate: Draupadi “Draupadi too disguised herself as a waiting-woman, and served the princess of the Matsya house in that humble capacity.”

Book VI (Cattle-Lifting) · V. Warrior's Guerdon

• engaged with Abhimanyu (Virata assents to Arjun's proposal that Abhimanyu wed his daughter.) “Be it as thou sayest, Arjun; unto Pandu's race allied, Matsya's royal line is honoured, Matsya's king is gratified!”
• parent: Virata “Grant it, sire, my Abhimanyu wed thy young and beauteous child!”

Book IX (Fall of Drona) · III. Abhimanyu's Death

• married with Abhimanyu “Brief, alas! thy radiant summers, fair Subhadra's gallant boy, Loved of Matsya's soft-eyed princess and her young heart's pride and joy!”

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Extracted from the original text of Maha-bharata, The Epic of Ancient India. Made with Rho MD.