Śrutakīrti, Wife of Śatrughna

Śrutakīrti was the daughter of Kuśadhvaja, who was the brother of Janaka. She became the wife of Śatrughna. Her name means “one whose fame is heard”.

She married Śatrughna in the great four-part wedding at Mithilā. On the same occasion Sītā married Rāma, Ūrmilā married Lakshmaṇa, and Māṇḍavī married Bharata.

Marriage at Mithilā

All four sons of Daśaratha were married to princesses of the Vaideha royal house. Kuśadhvaja gave his two daughters, Māṇḍavī and Śrutakīrti, to Bharata and Śatrughna. Janaka gave his own daughters, Sītā and Ūrmilā, to Rāma and Lakshmaṇa. The four weddings were held together, with full Vedic rites. The Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa tells this in Chapter 73 of the Bāla Kāṇḍa.

Her sons in Rāma-rājya

The Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa tells of Śrutakīrti’s motherhood in the Janma Kāṇḍa. This was in the years of Rāma-rājya (the rule of Bhagavān Rāma), after the hundred Aśvamedha yajñas (fire rituals) were complete and Sītā had returned to Ayodhyā.

Śrutakīrti, Ūrmilā and Māṇḍavī all became pregnant in those good years. Sītā performed the kautuka rites (the rites of blessing for an expectant mother) for all three queens with love and care.

Śrutakīrti gave birth to twin sons:

• The first twin was named Subāhu by Vasishṭha. He was Śatrughna’s firstborn. Later he was set up at Mathurā as Śatrughna’s successor.
• The second twin was named Yūpaketu. He was Śatrughna’s second son.

The devas celebrated their births with divine music and showers of flowers. Rāma arranged festivals all over Ayodhyā. Vasishṭha performed the jātakarma (the birth rite) and the nāmakaraṇa (the naming rite). In due time Vasishṭha also performed their upanayana (the rite of the sacred thread). Both princes then went on a five-month tīrtha-yātrā (pilgrimage) to the sacred places of Bhāratavarsha, together with their six royal cousins.

Sources

• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapter 73
• Ānanda Rāmāyaṇa, Janma Kāṇḍa, Chapter 9