Template:Larasati
Larasati – (Dewi) – Mahabharata
When her mother was working as a singer for the royal family in the kingdom of Mandura, the king, Basudewa, fell in love with her voice and her beauty. He decided one day that he would sleep with her. Since no one knew that they had slept together they assumed that Larasati was the daughter of her husband Demang Antiyagupa., the herdsman of Prabu Basudewa from the country of Madura.
But in fact Larasati is Basudewa's daughter which is kept secret. Larasati is Patih Udawa's sister from Dwarawati.
Dewi Larasati has three brothers who were also born from a scandal involving her mother. The three of them became governors in different countries. Her first brother was named Pratayoga who was the secret son of Prabu Kuntibojo who later became governor of the Mandura Kingdom. Her second brother was named Udawa who was the secret son of Prabu Basudewa who later became governor of the Dwarawati Kingdom, and the third brother was named Adi Manggala who was the dark son of Ugrasena who became governor of the Awangga Duchy. When Larasati was growing up, she lived in a village named Widarakangdang with three other children of the king Basudewa (Kakrasana, Narayana and Bratajaya). Everyone in the village immediately realized how beautiful she was, but everyone was too afraid to ask whose child she really was.
The Prince Kangsa’s (ogre; other son of Basudewa’s wife from an affair with Gorawangsa) followers came to Widarakandhang to take Bratajaya to their king, but Arjuna came and saved them from the ogres. When he first laid his eyes on Larasati, he realized that he was in love, and promised himself that he would marry her. Since he was already engaged to Bratajaya, he could not tell Larasati that he was in love with her. Instead, he married them both.
In Arjuna's house, Larasati became the mediator. Dewi Sumbadra is the main wife, Srikandhi is the guardian of the kaputren, and Larasati is the caretaker of the guest house. Larasati, who also has the name Rarasati , is a symbol of aras or love and affection that is intermediate between the gentle Sumbadra and the evil Srikandhi. Like Larasati's closeness with Dewi Subadra, her two children were also close to Abimanyu (Subadra's son) who was also Arjuna's wife.
Dewi Larasati is so humble that she doesn’t want to announce her military skill until one day she is called by Arjuna to show her archery skill in from of Srikandi (his other wife). On that day everyone starts to know that Dewi Larasati’s archery expertise is outstanding, much better than Srikandi who is allegedly the best female archer in Javanese wayang and the bravest female heroine of all.
Dewi Larasati is then declared the one having as good skill as Arjuna’s, the best archer in Javanese wayang. Yet she never boasts of being as good as her husband in archery. She chooses to be the queen of the knight of war and mindfulness Arjuna, the beloved mother of her two sons, Bambang Sumitra and Branatalaras, the aunt of Pandawa’s offsprings.
In Baratayuda, Bambang Sumitra and Brantalaras died, some time before Abimanyu died in battle.
Source: History of Wayang Purwa - Hardjowirogo - PN Balai Pustaka - 1982
