The story of Iravan is one of the most moving stories of sacrifice in the Mahabharata. Iravan was the son of Arjuna and Ulupi, a Naga princess. He was a brave and skilled warrior, but he was also a eunuch, having been born without male genitalia.
When the Pandavas and Kauravas were preparing for the war of Kurukshetra, the Pandavas needed a 16-year-old boy to sacrifice to the goddess Kali in order to ensure victory. Arjuna volunteered his son, Iravan, but Iravan refused, saying that he did not want to die.
Arjuna was heartbroken, but he knew that the sacrifice was necessary. He promised Iravan that he would marry him to a beautiful woman before he died. Iravan agreed, and Arjuna went to the kingdom of Manipur to find a bride for him.
The king of Manipur had a daughter named Chitra, who was known for her beauty and her skill in archery. Arjuna was immediately smitten with her, and she with him. They were married, and Iravan was given a furlough from the war to spend time with his new wife.
On the night before the sacrifice, Iravan asked Chitra to promise him that she would never marry again. Chitra agreed, and Iravan then went to the battlefield and offered himself to the goddess Kali. He was cut into 32 pieces, and his body was offered to the goddess.
The Pandavas were victorious in the war, and Chitra fulfilled her promise to Iravan by never marrying again. She became a nun, and she spent the rest of her life praying for the souls of the dead warriors.
The story of Iravan is a story of sacrifice, but it is also a story of love. Iravan gave up his life for the sake of his family and his friends, and Chitra gave up her chance at happiness to honor her husband's memory. Their story is a reminder that true love is selfless and that sacrifice is sometimes necessary for the greater good.
Here are some other examples of sacrifice in the Mahabharata:
* Karna sacrificed his own happiness to protect his mother, Kunti.
* Draupadi sacrificed her modesty to protect the Pandavas.
* Yudhishthira sacrificed his kingdom and his brothers to uphold his dharma.
The Mahabharata is a rich and complex text, and there are many other stories of sacrifice that could be told. These are just a few examples of the many ways in which the concept of sacrifice is explored in this great epic.