Monday, 25 August 2025

Mahabharata says Nakula was most handsome among Pandavas. Since Nakula and Sahadeva are twins how is it possible that Nakula was most handsome among Pandavas?

Mahabharata says Nakula was most handsome among Pandavas. Since Nakula and Sahadeva are twins how is it possible that Nakula was most handsome among Pandavas? There was a time when women were free to go to any man they pleased. When sage Shvetaketu saw his father Uddalaka, unfazed by his mother’s association with other sages, he introduced the law of marriage so that women were bound to their husbands, enabling all men to know who their father was. They could only have children by their husbands and if their husbands were unable to give them children, they could go to other men, chosen by their husbands. The children borne by the wife however belonged to the husband, whether he fathered the son or not. When Pandu realized he could never father kings, he decided to take advantage of this rule. It was thenKunti told him about the magic formula by which she could call upon any sky-god and have a child with him instantly. This was granted to her by Rishi Durvasa who was pleased with her devotion and service to him when had visited her father’s house when she was young. Pleased with Kunti’ssolution Pandu tells Kunti to first invoke Yama, the lord of dharma. Kunti’schild with him was Yudhishtira. Later Pandu asks Kunti to invoke Vayu, the god of wind. The second child is named Bhima, strongest of men. Kunti then called upon Indra, king of Devas and had a son called Arjuna. After the birth ofArjuna,Kunti refused to invoke another god since she feared being called a whore(Pandu thought about the four men Kunti was referring to including himself, while Kunti thought about the four sky-gods) Pandu then suggested to invoke a Deva for Madri, Pandu’s second wife so that she could be a mother too and Pandu would get more sons. Kunti obeyed and Madri invoked the Ashwini twins. Instantly the two gods, lords of the morning and evening star appeared and gaveMadri twin sons, Nakula, the handsomest man in the world and Sahadeva, the most knowledgeable man in the world. I don’t know if my reasoning is valid but then like Jai Parimi's answer, they could be dizygotic twins. Also I think another reason why one son was the handsomest and the other was the most smartest could have something to do with the Ashwini twins their mother invoked(one of them was the lord of morning star and the other was lord of evening star) One more interesting story I’d like to add is when Pandu dies and his body was being cremated,Sahadeva noticed ants carrying a tiny piece of his father’s body. He put that piece in his mouth and instantly knew everything about the world – past and future. He ran to tell his mother and brothers but was stopped by a stranger who asked him whether he liked God to be his friend. Sahadeva agreed but on the condition put by the stranger that he should never tell anyone voluntarily what he knows and that when a question is asked he should reply with a question. The stranger was none other than Lord Krishna. So Sahadeva had no choice but to keep quiet, knowing all but never being able to tell people what he knew. He realized the future that he knew could be deciphered if one observed nature carefully. And so he put together various sciences that helped man predict future. In certain parts of South India, Sahadeva is renowned as the master of astrology, face reading and all other forms of divination. Source: 1. Jaya. 2. Bhagvad Kathas and Bhagwadham/Bhagwad Sapthams in temples.

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