Gāndinī
Gāndinī, “she who was given cows”
Andhaka has other meanings too: see all meanings of Andhaka. Arimejaya has other meanings too: see all meanings of Arimejaya. Kāśī has other meanings too: see all meanings of Kāśī. Madgu has other meanings too: see all meanings of Madgu.
Gāndinī was the daughter of the king of Kāśī, the wife of Śvaphalka of the Vṛshṇi line, and the mother of Akrūra. Every day she gave a cow to a brāhmaṇa. Her name, the Purāṇa says, became famous because her father always gave her cows.
Her marriage to Śvaphalka
Śvaphalka, son of Vṛshṇi, was devoted to dharma, and in the land where he lived there was no fear of disease and no drought. Once Indra sent no rain for three years in the kingdom of the king of Kāśī. The king brought Śvaphalka to his kingdom, and because Śvaphalka dwelt there, Indra sent rain. Then Śvaphalka married Gāndinī, the daughter of the lord of Kāśī. Every day she gave a cow to a brāhmaṇa as dāna (a sacred gift).
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 14
Her name
The Purāṇa tells it again in the account of the Syamantaka gem: Śvaphalka married the daughter of the king of Kāśī, and her name was Gāndinī. Her father always gave her cows, and so the name became famous.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 16
Her children
To Gāndinī and Śvaphalka was born Akrūra: a giver, a performer of yajñas, a hero, learned, fond of guests and giver of abundant dakshiṇā, a mahānubhāva (one of great nobility). In Chapter 14 his brothers are Upamadgu, Madgu, Mandara, Arimejaya, Avikshita, Andhakaru, Avāha and Prativāha, and his sister is Sundarī. In Chapter 16 Śvaphalka’s sons besides Akrūra are Upamadgu, Madgu, Mṛdura, Arimardana, Arikshepa, Upeksha, Arimejaya, Dharma, Gṛdhrabhoja, Andhaka, Āvāha and Prativāha, and his daughter is Vasundharā, who married Viśrutāśva and became his chief queen.
Akrūra is called “the son of Gāndinī” when he performed the Akrūra-yajñas for sixty years for the sake of the Syamantaka, and when, wearing the gem received from Śrī Kṛshṇa‘s own hand, he shone like the Sun.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapters 14, 16–17
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Chapters 14, 16–17