VISHNU PURANA. BOOK IV. CHAP. XII.

 

VISHNU PURANA. BOOK IV. CHAP. XII.

 

Descendants of Kroshtri. Jyamagha's connubial affection for his wife S'aivya: their descendants kings of Vidarbha and Chedi.

 

KROSHTRI, the son of Yadu, had a son named Vrijinivat; his son was Swahi; his son was Rushadru; his son was Chitraratha; his son was S'as'avindu, who was lord of the fourteen great gems; he had a hundred thousand wives and a million of sons. The most renowned of them were Prithuyas'as, Prithukarman, Prithujaya, Prithukirtti, Prithudana, and Prithus'ravas. The son of the last of these six was Tamas; his son was Us'anas, who celebrated a hundred sacrifices of the horse; his son was S'iteyus; his son was Rukmakavacha; his son was Paravrit, who lead five sons, Rukmeshu, Prithurukman, Jyamagha, Palita, and Harita. To this day the following verse relating to Jyamagha is repeated: "Of all the husbands submissive to their wives, who have been or who will be, the most eminent is the king Jyamagha, who was the husband of S'aivya." S'aivya was barren; but Jyamagha was so much afraid of her, that he did not take any other wife. On one occasion the king, after a desperate conflict with elephants and horse, defeated a powerful foe, who abandoning wife, children, kin, army, treasure, and dominion, fled. When the enemy was put to flight, Jyamagha beheld a lovely princess left alone, and exclaiming, "Save me, father! Save me, brother!" as her large eyes rolled wildly with affright. The king was struck by her beauty, and penetrated with affection for her, and said to himself, "This is fortunate; I have no children, and am the husband of a sterile bride; this maiden has fallen into my hands to rear up to me posterity: I will espouse her; but first I will take her in my car, and convey her to my palace, where I must request the concurrence of the queen in these nuptials." Accordingly he took the princess into his chariot, and returned to his own capital.

 

When Jyamagha's approach was announced, S'aivya came to the palace gate, attended by the ministers, the courtiers, and the citizens, to welcome the victorious monarch: but when she beheld the maiden standing on the left hand of the king, her lips swelled and slightly quivered with resentment, and she said to Jyamagha, "Who is this light-hearted damsel that is with you in the chariot?" The king unprepared with a reply, made answer precipitately, through fear of his queen; "This is my daughter-in-law." "I have never had a son," rejoined S'aivya, "and you have no other children. Of what son of yours then is this girl the wife?" The king disconcerted by the jealousy and anger which the words of S'aivya displayed, made this reply to her in order to prevent further contention; "She is the young bride of the future son whom thou shalt bring forth." Hearing this, S'aivya smiled gently, and said, "So be it;" and the king entered into his great palace.

 

In consequence of this conversation regarding the birth of a son having taken place in an auspicious conjunction, aspect, and season, the queen, although passed the time of women, became shortly afterwards pregnant, and bore a son. His father named him Vidarbha, and married him to the damsel he had brought home. They had three sons, Kratha, Kais'ika, and Romapada. The son of Romapada was Babhru, and his son was Dhriti. The son of Kais'ika was Chedi, whose descendants were called the Chaidya kings. The son of Kratha was Kunti; his son was Vrishni; his son was Nirvriti; his son was Dasarha; his son was Vyoman; his son was Jimuta; his son was Vikriti; his son was Bhimaratha; his son was Navaratha; his son was Das'aratha; his son was S'akuni; his son was Karambhi; his son was Devarata; his son was Devakshatra; his son was Madhu; his son was Anavaratha; his son was Kuruvatsa; his son was Anuratha; his son was Puruhotra; his son was Ans'u; his son was Satwata, from whom the princes of this house were termed Satwatas. This was the progeny of Jyamagha; by listening to the account of whom, a man is purified from his sins.