Dhūminī

Dhūminī · dhūminī, “the smoke-coloured one”

Ṛksha has other meanings too: see all meanings of Ṛksha.

Dhūminī was one of the three queens of King Ajamīḍha of the lunar line, with Nīlinī and Keśinī. She was a pativratā, devoted to her husband and to keeping vratas. For a son she performed hard tapas for ten thousand years, and she became the mother of Ṛksha, from whom the line of Kuru descends.

Her tapas and her son

The Sūta tells the munis the line of Ajamīḍha, son of Bṛhat. “Best of munis,” he says, “Ajamīḍha’s queen Dhūminī was a pativratā, devoted to keeping vratas.” Wishing for progeny, she performed hard tapas for ten thousand years. She kept the agnihotra, ate sparingly, and slept on darbha grass beside the agnihotra fire.

Then Ajamīḍha united with her and begot a son, Ṛksha, smoke-coloured and handsome. From Ṛksha came Saṃvaraṇa, and from Saṃvaraṇa came Kuru, who went from Prayāga and made Kurukshetra, pure and lovely, the resort of men of puṇya. His descendants are the Kauravas.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 13

Sources

• Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 13