Avanti (Country)
Avanti · avanti
Pāpa has other meanings too: see all meanings of Pāpa. Avantī has other meanings too: see all meanings of Avantī.
Avanti is a country. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa tells Yudhishṭhira of it, in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa, in the account of Queen Ūrmilā and her daughter Śyāmalā.
The Brahma Purāṇa names the Avantī country in the line of the Haihayas: Jayadhvaja, one of the five sons of Kārtavīryārjuna who remained, ruled it, and his son Tālajaṅgha and Tālajaṅgha’s hundred sons, the Tālajaṅghas, followed him.
Nimi, king of Mithilā, was killed by enemies on the battlefield. His wife Ūrmilā, fallen from the kingdom and without shelter, took her boy and her girl to the Avanti country and lived there by working in a brāhmaṇa’s house. Afflicted by misfortune, while grinding wheat she would steal a little wheat and keep it, and with it she fed her hungry children. After some time Ūrmilā died. Her son grew up, went from Avanti to Mithilā, regained his father’s kingdom and ruled.
His sister Śyāmalā was exceedingly beautiful. Dharmarāja, king of the Avanti country, heard of her beauty and made her his queen. He told her never to go into seven places in his house that were locked.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 54
Per Brahma Purāṇa
Sūta tells the munis the line of Yadu. Kārtavīryārjuna, the thousand-armed son of Kṛtavīrya, who had his four varas from Dattātreya, had a hundred sons. Five of them remained, strong, heroic, righteous and renowned: Śūrasena, Śūra, Vṛshaṇa, Madhupadhvaja and Jayadhvaja.
Jayadhvaja ruled the Avantī country. His son was Tālajaṅgha, and Tālajaṅgha’s hundred sons were known as the Tālajaṅghas. Among the famous clans in the line of the great Haihayas Sūta names the Vītihotras, Suvratas, Bhojas, Avantis, Tauṇḍikeras, Tālajaṅghas, Bharatas and Sujātas, and many others too many to name.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 13
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 54
- Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 13