The Vishnu Purana: Book IV: Chapter XII | Internet Sacred Text Archive

CHAP. XII.

Descendants of Krosht́ri. Jyámagha's connubial affection for his wife Śaivyá: their descendants kings of Vidarbha and Chedi.

KROSHT́RI, the son of Yadu 1, had a son named Vrijinívat 2; his son was Swáhí 3; his son was Rushadru 4; his son was Chitraratha; his son was Śaśavindu, who was lord of the fourteen great gems 5; he had a hundred thousand wives and a million of sons 6. The most renowned of them were Prithuyaśas, Prithukarman, Prithujaya, Prithukírtti, Prithudána, and Prithuśravas. The son of the last of these six 7 was Tamas 8; his son was Uśanas 9, who celebrated a hundred sacrifices of the horse; his son was Śiteyus 10; his son was Rukmakavacha 11; his son was Parávrit, who lead five sons, Rukméshu, Prithurukman, Jyámagha, Pálita, and Harita 12. To this day the following verse relating to Jyámagha

is repeated: "Of all the husbands submissive to their wives, who have been or who will be, the most eminent is the king Jyámagha 13, who was the husband of Śaivyá." Śaivyá was barren; but Jyámagha 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, Jyámagha 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 Jyámagha's approach was announced, Śaivyá 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 Jyámagha, "Who is this light-hearted damsel that is with you in the chariot?" The king unprepared with a reply,