Sudevā, Wife of Ikṣvāku

Sudevā was the beloved queen of Ikṣvāku Mahārāja, the king of Kośala and Ayodhyā, a descendant of Manu. She appears in the Bhūmi Khaṇḍa of the Padma Mahā Purāṇa, in the account of the great hunt (Chapters 43 to 46).

After the hunt she took pity on a wounded female boar and gave her cool water. The boar then spoke to her in Sanskrit. Through Sudevā’s kindness, the boar’s own story was opened and her path to liberation began.

This Sudevā is not the first wife of Śivaśarma, who has the same name. The boar’s story is the story of that other Sudevā.

Who she was

The Purāṇa calls Sudevā the devī (queen) beloved of Ikṣvāku. She went with him on the royal hunt.

When she touched the boar with her kind hand and the boar saw her, the boar’s pāpa (sin) grew less. The boar said so herself, in Sanskrit. This is from the Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Bhūmi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 46.

Meeting the wounded boar

A great battle was fought between Ikṣvāku’s hunting party and the herd of boars. The male boar was killed and given divine honours. He was Raṅgavidyādhara, who had been born as the boar. The eldest son of the boars was also killed.

The female boar lay wounded on the field, breathing with difficulty. Sudevā saw her and was filled with karuṇā (compassion). She went to her and sprinkled cool water on her face and body. This was a simple act of kindness, shown to a wounded animal.

The boar then spoke to Sudevā in clear Sanskrit. She said: “O Devī! You have helped me with cool water. May good come to you! By the puṇya (merit) of a mahānubhāva (a noble one) like you, and by the sight of you, my heap of pāpa (sin) has grown smaller.”

Sudevā was astonished that an animal could speak pure Sanskrit so clearly. She told Ikṣvāku of the wonder. This is from the Bhūmi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 46.

Asking the boar her story

Ikṣvāku was just as astonished. He asked Sudevā to find out who the boar was. Sudevā went to her and said: “Śubhakarī! Who are you? Everything about you is extraordinary. You were born as an animal, yet you speak Sanskrit clearly and smoothly. Tell me your story. Tell me your past life, what you did, how you came to this birth, and the wonderful account of your husband’s courage.”

So the boar was invited to tell her own story because of Sudevā’s kindness and Ikṣvāku’s wish to know. Her story is that of Sudevā, the first wife of Śivaśarma, and of Raṅgavidyādhara, the gandharva who had become the boar. This is from the Bhūmi Khaṇḍa, Chapters 46 and 47.

Sources

• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Bhūmi Khaṇḍa, Chapters 43–46
• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Bhūmi Khaṇḍa, Chapter 47