Ulupi was the daughter of the Naga king Kauravya, who ruled the underwater kingdom in the Ganga River. Initially, she was married to a Naga prince, but he died in a fight with Garuda shortly after their marriage.
During exile, one day after finishing prayer in the Ganga river, Arjuna turned toward the shore, but the water force pulled him and when he woke up he was in the Naglok. Ulupi brought him there and confessed her affection to him. Arjuna said that he was in exile and bound by a vow of celibacy. To this Ulupi clarified that his vow of celibacy applied only to his wife, Draupadi. She also pleaded with him, saying that if he refused to marry her, she would end her life.
Arjuna agreed and from their marriage born a son named Iravan. Ulupi didn’t go with Arjuna to Indraprastha, instead, she stayed at the Naglok and brought up Iravan with love and care.
Ajuna was saved by Ulupi
During the Kurukshetra war, Arjuna put Bhishma on the arrow bed, who was one of the eight Vasus. It happened with Bhishma’s consent. Still, the other Vasus and Gangamata were furious with Arjun and cursed him that he would die at the hands of his son. Now Ulupi the second wife of Arjuna, came to know this and She along with her father, pleaded with them and finally got their grace. Vasus told her that Arjun had to fall at the hands of his son.
After the war which of Arjuna’s sons was alive? Abhimanyu, Srutakarma and Iravan all died. Only Babhruvahana was alive. When Yudhisthir performed Aswamedha yagna. Arjun went with the horse to win over the earth yet again. When he reached Manipur, Babruvahna received him with great respect and love but Arjuna wanted to fight with him to see how brave his son is. Ulupi also encouraged him to fight to let the curse happen. Babhruvahana attacked his father. A furious fight happened and at one point Arjun fell, hurt by Babhruvahan’s arrow. Ulupi then revived Arjun with the ancestral gem from Nagalok and redeemed him from the curse of Vasus!
Iravan
When Arjuna returned to Indraprastha. After that dice game, they lost their kingdom and went for 13 years of exile. At that time Arjuna went to heaven to collect Divyastras. Iravan could not resist meeting his father, so he went to heaven to do that. Arjuna received him with love and ordered him to participate in the upcoming war. Ulupi did not restrict her only son from joining the war. Iravan died on the eighth day of the Kurukshetra war, fighting bravely with the demon Alambusha.
There are many folklores about Iravan, in south India and Indonesia.
The most popular story according to Folklores
Even after 7 days of the Mahabharat war, no sign of any side winning, So Shri Krishna suggested human Sacrifice to please goddess Kali. Not just any human but the human with 36 auspicious signs will be needed for it. At that time only three humans had this quality, Krishna, Arjuna, and Iravan.
Krishna and Arjuna were impossible options, so Krishna convinced Iravan for this sacrifice. Being Kshatriya, he had no objection to that but he wanted to marry before he died. How to find a woman who can marry for one night and then be a widow for her whole life? So stories suggested that, on that night Krishna himself took a form of Mohini and Spent a night with him. The next day Iravan sacrificed himself before the goddess Kali thus ensuring the victory of the Pandavas.
Another addition to the story is that after self-sacrifice the head of Iravan watched the Mahabharata battle from a mountain near Kurukshetra. This is one reason why the head of Aravan is worshiped in many Draupadi Amman Temples in South India. The head of Aravan watching the Mahabharata war is quite similar to the Khatu Shyam story in North India.
At Last…
After the Mahabharat war, Ulupi stayed with Arjuna at Hastinapur. When Pandavas decided to go on pilgrimage Ulupi returned to her parental home.