Devi Mandodari

Once upon a time, there was an apsara in the court of Devraj Indra, named Madhura (meaning sweet or sweetness). Although she lacked the unfathomable beauty of Devi Rambha or Devi Urvashi, her appearance was quite appealing with a lively, innocent face and a slim physique. She was also an exceptional singer, with a sweeter voice than a cuckoo. 

Image by Artur Pawlak from Pixabay

Madhura was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. She once visited the adobe of Shiva on Mount Kailash with a few other gandharvas and apsaras to pay homage to Devi Parvati and the omniscient, omnipotent Lord Shiva. After praising Shiva-Parvati, the gandharvas and apsaras began singing and dancing to entertain them. But it was Madhura's mellisonant voice that stood out above the others. Lord Shiva and Parvati were captivated by her singing. Madhura continued to sing with fervor when she got the opportunity to please her revered god. All the other apsaras and gandharvas stopped their performances to listen to her. 

Shiva not only appreciated her with great enthusiasm for her pleasing voice and musical skills after she finished singing, but he also asked her to stay at Kailash for a few days so that he could hear her pleasing voice again. Madhura nodded joyfully, but Devi Parvati was not very happy with the way Mahadev appreciated the apsara. 

Madhura remained in Kailash when the other gandharvas and apsaras left. She used to sing songs for Shiva every day, and Shiva gradually grew enchanted by her dulcet voice and pretty face. One day, Devi Parvati noticed that Madhura was singing and that Lord Shiva was staring at her affectionately. Devi Parvati knew her husband better than anyone. She could feel that Shiva had developed an infatuation for the apsara. Madhura was also aware of this, and she was blushing and enjoying the moments of attention from Mahadev. Parvati became extremely jealous, and after her performance, she told Madhura that they were pleased to hear her, but now she should return to her own place. Shiva was disheartened but could not say anything in fear of Devi Parvati.

Madhura understood that Devi was not happy to see her at Kailash, and thus she left on the very next day. But Madhura became entranced by Shiva's calm demeanor and charisma. She couldn't concentrate on anything else and was always thinking about Shiva. Thus, one day, she decided to go to Kailash alone to meet Shiva. 

As she reached Kailash, Devi Parvati was not there. She was relieved but found that Shiva was also in deep meditation. Therefore, she sat in front of him and waited till Shiva awakened from his dhyana. Suddenly she noticed that in an earthen pot, there was vibhuti (ash mixed with herbs), from which a compelling aroma was coming out. Shiva used to smear his whole body with that vibhuti. Unable to contain her emotions, Madhura took a small amount of vibhuti and used it to cover her forehead and hands quietly. That made her very content, since it seemed as though Shiva had touched her physically.

Sitting on the ground, she continued to gaze intently at Shiva's face in admiration. When Shiva woke up, he saw Madhura dozing on the ground. Shiva was unable to take his eyes off of her, as she was looking so innocent and adorable. 

Parvati returned at the same moment. She was shocked to see Madhura lying on the ground in front of Shiva, who was staring at her with adoration. Devi Parvati asked Shiva what Madhura was doing in her absence. Shiva was also not sure what to say, and he started to fumble. Madhura got awakened by the noise, and upon seeing Devi Parvati and Shiva, she rose up and started to fix her clothes.

Devi Parvati suddenly spotted Shiva's vibhuti on her forehead and hands. Assuming that the vibhuti had came from Shiva's body, Parvati lost her temper. 

Without giving Madhura any chance to clarify herself, she cursed her, saying that she would turn into a manduka, meaning "frog" in Sanskrit. Madhura burst into tears at once. Shiva was also taken aback by the reaction of Devi Parvati. But Devi Parvati immediately went away from there. After a while, Shiva told Madhura that not even he could lift Devi Parvati's curse. But he assured her that after spending a few years as a frog, she would be reborn as a maiden again. She would be married to a man with exceptional abilities, and she would be the mother of an invincible son. Soon, Madhura turned into a frog and forgot everything about her past.

Shiva became furious at Devi Parvati for her impulsive reaction. Devi Parvati also soon realized the mistake she had made, but it was too late. Shiva gently took the frog in his palm and placed her in a disused well in Dandakaranya Forest. 

Several years passed. One day, Mayasura and his wife, apsara Hema, paid a visit to Lord Shiva. They pleaded with Shiva that, despite having two sons, Mayabhi and Dundubhi, they wanted a daughter. Shiva instructed them to go to Dandakaranya, where they discovered a golden-colored frog in a well with traces of vibhuti permanently smeared on its body. As told by Shiva, they performed a rite to obtain a daughter and sacrificed the frog in the fire.

From the altar emerged a lovely damsel. Her name was Mandodari, which means "woman with a thin belly." When demon king Ravan saw her in Mayasura's house, he fell in love with her. 

Soon, she was married to Ravan, who was an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, a feared warrior, well-versed in the Vedas, and had innumerable qualities and capabilities. Mandodari became the mother of Meghnad, a great warrior and sorcerer who defeated the Devraj Indra and acquired the name Indrajit. 

Devi Mandodari was not only breathtakingly beautiful but also very intelligent and knowledgeable. She used to assist her husband with statecraft. She was a devoted wife who continuously warned Ravan to refrain from committing sins. However, her wise words fell on deaf ears, and she lost both her husband and son in the war against Ramachandra, as well as seeing the fall of Golden Lanka. 

Devi Mandodari is regarded as one of the five most esteemed women  (Pancha-kanya) in Indian mythology, the other four being Ahalya, Tara, Kunti, and Draupadi.