Mādhavī

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>This chapter explores the complex narrative of Mādhavī in the Mahābhārata, focusing on her role as both subject and object within patriarchal structures, and her unique agency amid cycles of commodification, marriage, and renunciation. Mādhavī’s journey—traded by her father Yayāti and the sage Gālava to fulfil a vow, married to multiple kings, and ultimately choosing ascetic withdrawal—illuminates themes of female autonomy, sacrifice, and the negotiation of desire and duty. The analysis interrogates the intersections of lineage, procreation, and the social construction of chastity, highlighting Mādhavī’s consent, resilience, and the epic’s nuanced treatment of women’s rights and empowerment. By situating Mādhavī’s story within broader debates on commodification, abandonment, and the limits of patriarchal power, the chapter reveals her as a figure of both vulnerability and strength, whose actions challenge and redefine epic norms.</jats:p>