Śuktimatī

Śuktimatī · śukti-matī, “rich in pearl-oysters”

Śuktimatī is the city where King Jyāmagha of the line of Kroshṭu lived after he had gone alone to a new land and conquered the country along the Narmadā. The Brahma Purāṇa tells of it in the account of Jyāmagha and his wife Śaibyā, from whom Vidarbha was born.

Jyāmagha comes to Śuktimatī

The Sūta tells the munis the line of Kroshṭu, son of Yadu. Sent away by Rukmeshu and Pṛthurukma, Jyāmagha lived in an āśrama. Well instructed by brāhmaṇas, he went alone to another land, taking his bow, his banner and a chariot. Wandering alone on the bank of the Narmadā, he conquered Mekala, Mṛttikāvatī and the mountain Ṛkshavanta, and he lived in the city of Śuktimatī.

Śaibyā and the birth of Vidarbha

Jyāmagha‘s wife was Śaibyā, strong and a pativratā (devoted wholly to her husband). Though she had no children, he did not take another wife. Once he won a victory in a war and received a maiden as a gift. He brought her to his wife and, in fear, showed her: “Here is your daughter-in-law.” Śaibyā asked, “Whose daughter-in-law?” Jyāmagha said, “She is the wife of the son who is to be born to you.” The maiden performed fierce tapas (spiritual austerity), and as its fruit Śaibyā, though old, bore a son, Vidarbha. Vidarbha, in that king’s daughter, begot two sons, heroes, learned and skilled in war: Kratha and Kaiśika.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 15

Sources

• Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 15