Iravan, although played a smaller role in Mahabharata has a very interesting story. Iravan or Aravan as called in southern India was the son of Arjuna and Uloopi. He was a Naga prince and a fierce warrior. His life was not as dramatic as his death. Like his mother Uloopi, Iravan was also half human and half serpent.

Iravan also participated in Kurukshetra war. It was evident in the war that, Kaurava’s camp was very powerful and it was almost next to impossible to defeat Kaurava’s. Krishna realized that Pandava’s must offer their prayers to Kali (goddess) if they want to win. But, the only condition was that Kali’s prayer would need a human sacrifice and humans need to have 32 characters (Lakshans). The only three humans in Kurukshetra who had these characters were Krishna, Arjuna, and Iravan.

It was never possible to sacrifice Krishna. Arjuna also could not be sacrificed as he was the main warrior of Pandava’s camp. At the end, he offers himself for sacrifice. But, Iravan conveys his preconditions to Krishna. First one was to have a death of a warrior on the battlefield. The second one was that he wanted to die married (i.e. he didn’t want to die as a virgin) so that, he could get rightly cremated. Krishna grants him the boons. He then sacrifices himself to goddess Kali on an Amavasya (no moon day). He cuts himself into 32 pieces and offers to Kali. Goddess satisfied and very happy with sacrifice appears in front of Iravan and Pandava’s and grants them a boon to be victorious. According to boons granted to Iravan by Krishna, he lives for whole 18 days of the Kurukshetra war. Iravan dies on the battleground while fighting.

In Kurukshetra war, Iravan defeats Srutayush (a Kshatriya king who was daitya/demon in the previous life), Vinad-Anuvinda princes of Avanti Kingdom, Gaya, Gavaksha, Vrishava, Charmavat, Arjava, and Suka (princes of Gandhara Kingdom). Iravan is finally killed by the rakshasa a giant named Alamvusha or Alambusha. Ghatotkach avenges Iravan’s death by killing Alambusha.

As far as the story of Iravan is concerned, ‘his boon about not dying as a virgin’, more information comes from folklore and Bhagavata Purana. As he was destined to die in ongoing war, no lady wanted to marry him. In the end, Lord Krishna, in his feminine form as Mohini marries with Iravan and spends a night with him.