Kamalanayani
Kamalanayani, Sanskrit (कमलनयनी), also known as Krishnaputri-Kamalanayani (Kamalanayani, the daughter of Lord Krishna), is the eldest princess of Dvārakā. She was the eldest daughter of Krishna and was born to his wife Satyabhama at her request. According to the Mahabharata, she was in love with Krishna's nephew and Arjuna—Subhadra's son, Prince Abhimanyu. (Note: Not to be confused with Lord Balarama's daughter)
Birth
Queen Satyabhama wished to have a daughter, as there were no girl children in the palace of Dvārakā. When she expressed this desire to Lord Krishna, he held a lotus close to his eyes. From it, a toddler girl was born and named Kamalanayani (derived from Lord Krishna's other name, Kamalanayana; her name means the lotus-eyed girl). She was raised as the daughter of Queen Satyabhama and Lord Krishna, as the crown princess of Dvārakā.
Life
Although Lord Krishna had many sons, she was his first daughter and cherished by all her relatives. She was closely attached to her father, who loved her dearly. She also took care of her father's daily makeover before he went to the royal court. This was a boon from Lord Krishna, who gave her a peacock feather each day, which she considered a prestigious gift and collected. She always kept the first peacock feather she received but ultimately gave it to Prince Abhimanyu before he went to the Kurukshetra war as a protective shield.
Her favourite art was Bharathanatya, and she performed for the people of Dvārakā every Shivaratri festival at the Somnath temple in Dvārakā. Her younger sister, Princess Charumati (daughter of Lord Krishna and Queen Rukmini, also known as Padmavadhani—the lotus-faced girl), was the only other princess who lived with Kamalanayani. All other daughters of Lord Krishna were born after Kamalanayani's death. Princess Charumati also joined her during every Shivaratri festival, providing musical accompaniment. According to some sub-stories of the Mahabharata, Princess Kamalanayani specialized in performing Lord Shiva's dance postures and gestures.
Love and Engagement
When Kamalanayani reached marriageable age, Lord Krishna asked her opinion about arranging a Swayamvara, but she refused, expressing her love for her paternal cousin, Prince Abhimanyu, son of the third Pandava brother Arjuna and his wife Subhadra. Lord Krishna inquired with the prince, who initially refused, not wanting any distractions from his war preparations. However, he was convinced by Prince Pradyumna, the crown prince of Dvārakā and a good friend of Prince Abhimanyu. It is said that the princess sought help from her brother, Prince Pradyumna, who played a vital role in convincing Prince Abhimanyu, who then developed feelings for the princess. Their love was accepted by both sets of parents (as Prince Abhimanyu's father Arjuna was in 13 years of exile, his mother Queen Subhadra accepted the marriage proposal), but their marriage was postponed until after the war, per the prince's wish. So the princess began performing various austerities to Goddess Maha Gauri and Margali-nonbu (a special fast performed by girls to obtain their desired husband) to secure Prince Abhimanyu as her husband without problems.
Death
After Lord Krishna and Prince Abhimanyu left for war, Kamalanayani stayed in Dvārakā with her mother. Meanwhile, Lord Krishna predicted the prince's death in the war, so he arranged Prince Abhimanyu's wedding with Princess Uttara of Virata. On the 13th day of the war, Abhimanyu died in the Chakravyuha. His death was not revealed to Princess Kamalanayani until Krishna returned to Dvārakā. Upon his return, he brought Arjuna, Subhadra, and Uttara with him. Upon seeing Princess Uttara as a widow, Princess Kamalanayani fainted and died in her father Krishna's lap, stating that she had no reason to live after her love had departed. Witnessing this, Krishna granted her a boon: that she would be reborn in Kali Yuga for her true love and that he would arrange the marriage of his daughter and nephew without fail. He added that the austerities she performed and the pure love in her heart would help fulfil her desire.
References
- List of wives and Children of Lord Krishna https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtabharya
- "The Genealogical Table of the Family of Krishna". Krsnabook.com. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
- Mani, Vettam (1975). Puranic Encyclopaedia: a Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. p. 657. ISBN 978-0-8426-0822-0.
- Horace Hayman Wilson (1870). The Vishńu Puráńa: a system of Hindu mythology and tradition. Trübner. pp. 81–3, 107–8. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
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