Māladhara

Māladhara was a prince, the son of King Śrīsiddheśvara. He had royal lustre. He is remembered in the Brahma Khaṇḍa of the Padma Mahā Purāṇa as the husband of Śyāmābālā and as the one who sat at table in the salt episode, where Śyāmābālā showed that salt is the essence of the kingdom.

His marriage

Śyāmābālā was the daughter of King Bhadraśravas of Saurāṣṭra. She kept the Guruvāra vow (the Thursday vow) of Devī Lakṣmī. When she completed the fourth Thursday of the vow, her marriage to Māladhara came about through the grace of Devī Lakṣmī. He took her home as his wife.

Bhadraśravas comes to the house

Bhadraśravas, Śyāmābālā’s father, had become poor. He came to the prosperous home of his daughter and Māladhara, looking for help. Māladhara’s servants were kind to the old man and brought him into the house. The Purāṇa says that Māladhara’s household “resorted to Lakṣmī”. It was prosperous because Śyāmābālā had been faithful to the vow.

The salt episode

Śyāmābālā brought salt from her parents’ house. She then cooked food without it. Māladhara was saddened by the tasteless meal. Then she set out the salt and called it “the essence of the kingdom”. He ate with satisfaction and praised her again and again, saying “Blessed, blessed!”

Sources

• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Chapter 11