# Madhabi > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Madhabi > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Madhabi.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhabi > Source revision: 1347992988 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Nepali novel by Madan Mani Dixit}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2022}} {{For|the feminine given name|Madhabi (given name)}}{{Infobox book | published = | publisher = [Sajha Prakashan](/source/Sajha_Prakashan) | isbn = 99933-2-908-8 | author = [Madan Mani Dixit](/source/Madan_Mani_Dixit) | language = Nepali | country = Nepal | genre = Mythological fiction | image = Madhabi-novel.jpg | media_type = Print ([Paperback](/source/Paperback)) | pub_date = 13 April 1983 | name = Madhabi | title_orig = माधवी | orig_lang_code = ne | set_in = | caption = | pages = 639 | awards = {{Plainlist| *[Madan Puraskar](/source/Madan_Puraskar) *[Sajha Puraskar](/source/Sajha_Puraskar)}} | oclc = 610184696 }} '''''Madhabi''''' ({{Langx|ne|माधवी}}) is a 1983 [Nepali](/source/Nepali_language) [mythological](/source/mythological) novel by [Madan Mani Dixit](/source/Madan_Mani_Dixit).{{Cite news|title=साहित्यकार मदनमणि दीक्षितको देहावसान|language=ne|work=BBC News नेपाली|url=https://www.bbc.com/nepali/news-49355958|access-date=2021-11-11}} It was published on 13 April 1983 by [Sajha Prakashan](/source/Sajha_Prakashan), and won the [Madan Puraskar](/source/Madan_Puraskar) (2039 [BS](/source/Vikram_Samvat)) for the same year.{{Cite web|title=मदन पुरस्कार समर्पण समारोह (वि.सं. २०४०) – मदन पुरस्कार गुठी|url=https://guthi.madanpuraskar.org/puraskar-samaroha-2039-40/|access-date=2021-11-11|website=guthi.madanpuraskar.org}}{{Cite web|title=Litterateur Madan Mani Dixit cremated with national honors|url=https://english.khabarhub.com/2019/15/38411/|access-date=2021-11-11|website=Khabarhub|date=15 August 2019|language=en}} It is a retelling of the story of [Madhabi](/source/Madhavi_(princess)) and Gallav from [Mahabharata](/source/Mahabharata). Written in a grandiose setting, the novel depicts the economic, social and political conditions of Vedic Indian society three thousand years ago. The original story is told in Mahabharat to [Duryodhana](/source/Duryodhana) to teach him about the result of stubbornness and how it can destroy life. The book illustrates the evils of ancient Indian society, such as slavery and [patriarchy](/source/patriarchy), and the helplessness of a woman in a patriarchal society and her exploitation by men. Madhavi is used by multiple men throughout the book, but is neglected towards the end. The novel is considered a classic in Nepali literature.{{Cite web |title=Madan Mani Dixit, a pioneering writer and journalist, dies at 96 |url=https://kathmandupost.com/books/2019/08/15/senior-litterateur-madan-mani-dixit-dies-at-96 |access-date=2021-11-11 |website=kathmandupost.com |language=English}} == Background == Madan Mani Dixit, a journalist by trade, wrote the novel during the [Panchayat rule](/source/Panchayat_(Nepal)) in Nepal at a time when [censorship](/source/censorship) was prevalent for writers and journalists. His newspaper ''Samikshaya'' was closed by the government. Dixit was dejected by the censorship and decided to self-immolate outside [Narayanhiti palace](/source/Narayanhiti_Palace) on 16 December 1977 (1 [Poush](/source/Poush_(Nepali_calendar)) 2034 BS) but on the day of the planned suicide, he could not follow through on his plan. He thought that the act of censorship was not a crime that he had committed, and as such he should not be punished for it, instead he decided to start writing the story of Madhabi and Galav. He completed the manuscript in December 1982 ([Poush](/source/Poush) 2039) and the book was published on 13 April 1983 (30 [Chaitra](/source/Chaitra_(Nepali_calendar)) 2039 BS) by Sajha Praksahan.{{Cite web|last=Setopati|first=रोहेज खतिवडा |title='माधवी' पञ्चायतले जन्माइदिएको इखको परिणाम|url=https://www.setopati.com/art/art-activity/187902/|access-date=2021-11-11|website=Setopati|language=hi}} == Synopsis == The book is based on the [Udyoga Parva](/source/Udyoga_Parva) of Mahabharat. When Galav refuses to give [g''uru-dakshina''](/source/Gurudakshina) to his teacher Guru [Vishwamitra](/source/Vishvamitra), Vishwamitra asks for four white horses with black ears. The horses are required in order to organize a [Mahayagya](/source/Yajna) for the abolition of slavery. Galav reaches the court of king [Yayati](/source/Yayati), who is famous for his generosity and asks for his help to find the horses. Unable to gain those horses for Galav, Yayati decides to give away his daughter Madhabi in marriage to Galav. [Madhabi](/source/Madhavi_(princess)) is the daughter of king Yayati and an [apsara](/source/apsara), and is born with a divine power to remain a virgin forever. Galav takes Madhabi to three different kings of whom Madhabi has sons with, and Madhabi is then able to become a virgin again. Galav asks for a horse in exchange of each son. When Galav returns to Vishwamitra with three white horses with black ears, Vishwamitra has a son with Madhabi for the remaining one horse. Their son, Ashtaka, goes on to become a great king, and Madhabi is sent back to her father. Yayati organizes a ''[swayamvara](/source/Svayamvara)'' for Madhabi, which Galav does not participate in. Madhabi, dejected by the neglect of Galav, decides to become a hermit and leaves for a forest. Galav also wanders through a different forest to find Madhabi.{{Cite web|title=प्रेमको समाजशास्त्र/टिप्पणी: 'माधवी'को दुःखान्त प्रेम|url=https://gorkhapatraonline.com/arts/2021-02-21-32417|access-date=2021-11-11|website=GorakhaPatra}} == Characters == The novel's main characters are: * [Madhabi](/source/Madhavi_(princess)) – Daughter of Yayati, the titular character of the book * Galav – Madhabi's husband and disciple of Guru Vishwamitra * Vishwamitra – Guru of Galav, a learned sage * '''[Yayati](/source/Yayati) –''' a powerful [Chandravanshi](/source/Chandravansha) king and Madhabi's father * Haryasva '''–''' king of [Ayodhya](/source/Ayodhya_(Ramayana)) * Vasumanasa – son of Haryasva and Madhabi * Divodasa '''–''' king of [Kashi](/source/Kingdom_of_Kashi) * Pratardana – son of Divodasa and Madhabi * Ushinara – king of [Bhoja](/source/Bhoja) * Sibi – son of Ushinara and Madhabi * Pramatak – nephew of Vishwamitra * Ashtaka – son of Pramatak and Madhavi, emperor of Champa [mahajanapada](/source/Mahajanapadas) == Awards == The book won the ''Madan Puraskar'' for the year 2039 BS (1982/ 1983). The award was presented in a ceremony on 11 October 1983 (25 Ashwin 2040 BS).{{Ref|a|[Note a]}} In the acceptance speech, Madan Mani said "... Madhavi of Vyas, you have been rewarded only now after thousands of years because you no longer have to sacrifice any infant in ''Varunavali'', no need to be exchanged with horses, no need to obey Vishwamitra's orders and conceive a child with Pramatak and you don't have to leave room for the Galav's flowers in the garland you have weaved."{{Cite web|title='माधवी' को महिमा|url=https://www.himalkhabar.com/news/679|access-date=2021-11-11|website=Himal Khabar}}{{Ref|b|[Note b]}} The book also won the [Sajha Puraskar](/source/Sajha_Puraskar) in the same year.{{Cite web |title=मेरी माधवीविरुद्ध अक्षम्य अपराध |url=https://annapurnapost.com/news/58242-58242 |access-date=2022-04-11 |website=मेरी माधवीविरुद्ध अक्षम्य अपराध |language=en}} == See also == * ''[Shirishko Phool](/source/Shirishko_Phool)'' * ''[Ranahar](/source/Ranahar)'' * ''[Yayati](/source/Yayati_(novel))'' *''[Madhavi](/source/Madhavi_(play))'' == References == {{Reflist}} == Notes == * {{Note|a|[Note a]|All dates are manually converted from BS to CE.}} * {{Note|b|[Note b]|Translated from Nepali; Original quote: "{{lang|ne|...व्यासकी माधवी, तिमी हजारौं वर्षपछि अहिले मात्र पुरस्कृत भयौ किनभने तिमीले वरुणावलिमा अब कुनै शिशुलाई अर्पित गर्नुपर्ने छैन, घोडाहरूसँग साटिनुपर्ने छैन, नियोगका निम्ति विश्वामित्रको आदेश पालन गरेर प्रमतकलाई स्वागत गर्नुपर्ने छैन र आफूले उनेको मालामा गालवका फूलका लागि ठाउँ छाड्दै जानुपर्ने छैन।}}"}} == External links == * [https://guthi.madanpuraskar.org/puraskar-samaroha-2039-40/ Acceptance speech for ''Madan Puraskar''] {{Nepali literature|state=collapsed}}{{Works based on the Mahabharata|state=collapsed}} Category:1983 Nepalese novels Category:Novels based on the Mahabharata Category:Madan Puraskar–winning works Category:Sajha Puraskar–winning works Category:Nepali-language novels Category:Nepalese mythological novels --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Madhabi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhabi) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhabi?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.