To share powerful stories like that of Madalasa, we have created Vidushi Series where we feature the stories of learned women from our Shastras.

Because of the very nature of the Internet, it supports popular content over good content, and that is why If you are not actively searching for terms like Rani Madalasa, it would be very difficult for you to discover it on the Internet. The only help can be those websites that curate such stuff on purpose.

This is the story of Rani Madalasa from Markandeya Purana, who on purpose, made her 3 sons ascetic and then, on her husband’s request how, she made her fourth son an exemplary king just with the power of her lullabies.

After the story, we will also share the meaning of the powerful lullaby she sang for her children.

This story shows the power of an enlightened mother and her process of grooming her children. This also shows how someone with great knowledge can counter the mass perceptions.

Caution – This is a very powerful stuff. Be aware, that even you may start considering becoming an ascetic after reading this

You must know a statement from Romeo and Juliet ‘What’s in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet’

But this story of Rani Madalasa from far far earlier times explains this concept of ‘What is in a name’ in a much deeper way.

Madalasa Story

Madālasā was the daughter of a Gandharva named Vishvavasu. She was a very intelligent and learned woman, who had a deep understanding of our shastras.

When she grew up, she became the queen of King Ritadhvaja.

The story tells that over time she had 3 sons

Every time a new son came, the king would name them in a way suitable to a king and on this Madalasa would laugh

It would make the king annoyed, he could not understand that Madalasa had different plans.

Whenever these three sons, Vikranta, Subahu, and Shatrumardana would cry, instead of giving them a toy, Madalasa would sing lullabies, while rocking them to sleep in bed.

These lullabies kept teaching them divine wisdom on how they are pure, enlightened, and spotless, how this world is just an illusion, and why should they know about it as early as possible.

This process gave these children a disinterest in worldly pleasures and one after the other they developed vairagya and left for the forest to lead their lives as an ascetic.

The time came again, the fourth son was born and this time King Ritadhvaja talked to her queen about being worried about not having a successor for his throne and requested Rani Madalasa to do something about it.

She agreed to help

This time the king asked her to name the son as he knew she would laugh otherwise.

She named her son Alarka, which was ironic as it was not at all a name, suitable for a King because it meant ‘a mad dog‘.

And this time the king started laughing and called it meaningless.

Then she replied,

You named our first son Vikrant connected to ‘Kranti’, which signifies a movement from one place to another, but our atman does not go from one place to another, it is everywhere

She added

Then you named our second son Subahu means good hands, but atman does not have a form then how ccan it have arms

Then you named our third son Shatrudaman means one who crushes his enemy, now when everybody has the same atman, how do you define who is a friend and who is a foe, and how the atman that has no form can be crushed,

then she further enquired,

I wonder why you laughed only this time, Alarka is not the only meaningless name here, you see and that is why I laughed every time

The king was speechless, such was the calibre of Rani Madalasa and her teachings to her sons.

Alarka became a king but later even he renounced worldly pleasure and opted for vairagya. Let’s look at the Rani Madalasa lullaby or her upadesh

शुद्धोसि बुद्धोसि निरँजनोऽसि
सँसारमाया परिवर्जितोऽसि
सँसारस्वप्नँ त्यज मोहनिद्राँ
मँदालसोल्लपमुवाच पुत्रम्।

Madalasa tells her crying kid, “You are pure, enlightened, and spotless.”
Let go of the world’s illusions and awaken from delusion.

शुद्धोऽसि रे तात न तेऽस्ति नाम
कृतँ हि तत्कल्पनयाधुनैव।
पच्चात्मकँ देहँ इदँ न तेऽस्ति
नैवास्य त्वँ रोदिषि कस्य हेतो॥

My child, you are forever pure! You don’t have a name. A name is only an artificial superimposition on you. This body composed of five elements is not yours, nor do you belong to it. So, for what, are you crying?

न वै भवान् रोदिति विक्ष्वजन्मा
शब्दोयमायाध्य महीश सूनूम्।
विकल्पयमानो विविधैर्गुणैस्ते
गुणाश्च भौताः सकलेन्दियेषु॥

The universe’s essence does not cry in actuality. Oh Prince, everything is a maya of words! Please get this. The numerous attributes you appear to possess are simply your fantasies; they are components of the senses (and have nothing to do with you).

भूतनि भूतैः परिदुर्बलानि
वृद्धिँ समायाति यथेह पुँसः।
अन्नाम्बुपानादिभिरेव तस्मात्
न तेस्ति वृद्धिर् न च तेस्ति हानिः॥

The elements [that make up this body] increase with the addition of new elements or shrink in size when certain elements are removed. This is what happens when a body grows in size or becomes slim as a result of food and water consumption. Neither you experience growth nor deterioration.

त्वम् कँचुके शीर्यमाणे निजोस्मिन्
तस्मिन् देहे मूढताँ मा व्रजेथाः।
शुभाशुभौः कर्मभिर्देहमेतत्
मृदादिभिः कँचुकस्ते पिनद्धः॥

You are in the body, which is similar to a worn-out garment. Do not have the mistaken belief that you are the body. This body is like a garment to which you are attached in order to fructify your good and bad karmas.

तातेति किँचित् तनयेति किँचित्
अँबेति किँचिद्धयितेति किँचित्।
ममेति किँचित् न ममेति किँचित्
त्वम् भूतसँघँ बहु म नयेथाः॥

Some may refer to you as Father, while others may refer to you as Son, Mother, or Wife. Some say “you are mine” while others say “you are not mine.” These are all references to the “Combination of Physical Elements”; do not identify with them.

सुखानि दुःखोपशमाय भोगान्
सुखाय जानाति विमूढचेताः।
तान्येव दुःखानि पुनः सुखानि
जानाति विद्धनविमूढचेताः॥

The misguided see things of enjoyment as providing happiness by eliminating unhappiness. The wise recognize that the identical object that now brings enjoyment will eventually bring unhappiness

यानँ चित्तौ तत्र गतश्च देहो
देहोपि चान्यः पुरुषो निविष्ठः।
ममत्वमुरोया न यथ तथास्मिन्
देहेति मात्रँ बत मूढरौष।

The vehicle that drives on the ground is not the same as the person inside it, and neither is this body. The owner of the body differs from the body! Oh, how ridiculous it is to think I am the body!

Hope you liked the story of Madalasa.