Bhadra

In Hinduism, the word Bhadra refers to multiple deities — The wife of Kubera, Chandra's daughter, Krishna's wife, a mountain^[1] and a companion (Ashtanayika) of Goddess Durga.^[2][3][4]

Kubera's wife[]

Kubera and his wife, Bhadra, presenting gifts to Sati

Bhadra, also referred to as Yakshi, Chhavi, Riddhi, Manorama,^[5] Nidhi,^[6] Sahadevi ^[7] and Kuberi, is the goddess of auspiciousness, described as the wife of demigod, Kubera. She was a daughter of the Asura named Mura. Bhadra and Kubera had three sons named Nalakuvara, Manigriva and Mayuraja, and a daughter named Minakshi. Later she moved to Alkapuri with her husband after Ravana invaded and captured Lanka, which is present day Sri Lanka.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Chandra's daughter[]

In another account, Bhadra is a daughter of Chandra and was married to a sage named Utathya. The god Varuna, who had formerly been enamoured of her, carried her off from Utathya's hermitage, and would not give her up to Narada, who was sent to bring her back. Utathya, greatly enraged, drank up all the sea, still, Varuna would not let her go. At the desire of Utathya, the lake of Varuna was then dried up and the ocean swept away. The saint then addressed himself to the countries and to the river: -- "Saraswati, disappear into the deserts, and let this land, deserted by them, become impure." "After the country had become dried up, Varuna submitted himself to Utathya and brought back Bhadra. The sage was pleased to get her back, and released both the world and Varuna from their sufferings."^[12]

Krishna's wife[]

Bhadra is one of the Ashtabharya, the eight principal queen-consorts of Hindu god Krishna, according to the scripture Bhagavata Purana. She is named in the Bhagavat Purana as being the eighth wife of Krishna and identified as being his cross(not parallel) cousin (her mother being a sister of his father). The Vishnu Purana and the Harivamsa refer to her as 'the daughter of Dhrishtaketu' or 'the princess of Kekeya'.

Vyushitaswa's wife[]

Bhadra (or Vadra) was the daughter of Kakshivat and the wife of Puru king Vyushitaswa. When her husband died leaving no sons she intended of killing herself to follow her husband to the land of death. But at this moment an incorporeal voice said her to have intercourse with the corpse of her husband on the eighth and fourteenth day of the moon. She followed the guidance and after the catamenial bath she had intercourse with the corpse, as a result of which were born seven sons - four Madras and three Salwas.

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