1

thy son is the descended Káma; and this is (the goddess) Rati, his wife. There is no occasion for any uncertainty: this is thy daughter-in-law." Then Rukmińí was glad, and Kesava, also. The whole city resounded with exclamations of joy;* and all the people of Dwárakᆠwere surprised at Rukminí's recovering a son who had so long been lost.

The daughter of Daksha, but not enumerated amongst those formerly specified (Vol. I., p. 109). She was born from his perspiration, according to the Káliká Purána.

of these readings; in which, apparently, he thought he saw °, in the sense of something 'airy' or 'unreal'. The whole expression signifies "sexual congress and other enjoyments".

नगरी च समस्ता सा साधु साध्वित्यभाषत ।

†The original has Dwaravati.

The rendering of this Chapter deviates rather more widely than usual from literality.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Wives of Krishna. Pradyumna has Aniruddha: nuptials of the latter. Balarama, beat at dice, becomes incensed, and slays Rukmin and others.

RUKMIŃÍ bare to Krishna these other sons: Chárudeshúa, Sudeshňa, Chárudeha,* Susheña, Chárugupta, Bhadracháru, Cháruvinda,† Sucháru, and the very mighty Cháru; also, one daughter, Chárumatí. Krishna had seven other beautiful wives: § Ká

*

Mahábala, in one MS., follows Chárudeha. It would be difficult to prove that it is not a proper name.

Instead of Susheńa and Cháruvinda, the Bhagavata-puráňa has Vicháru and Charuchandra.

Several other sons of Rukminí, elsewhere recognized as such, are here unnoticed. See Vol. IV., p. 112, note **.

§ The original is as follows:

अन्याश्च भार्याः कृष्णस्य बभूवुः सप्त शोभनाः ।

It is signified, by this verse, that seven beautiful wives are about to be named; but it is not expressly said that the specification is restricted to seven wives, or to beautiful ones only. The commentators, however, endeavour to reduce the catalogue to a septenary. Śridhara's identification, in order to this reduction, is spoken of, by the Translator, in his note in p. 81, infra, but is not accepted by him. Further particulars Śridhara does not enter into; and the Translator, who does not even allude to Ratnagarbha's roll of the ladies, assumes that we are to find, here, precisely the same seven-and no more,-that are enumerated at the beginning of Chapter XXXII. of this Book. But, as will appear from my annotations that follow, it is more or less possible that several wives are designated over and above the heptad with which the commentators content themselves. My Ajmere MS. ends the verse quoted above with faЯHT:; thus premising 'very beautiful' wives, -not simply beautiful', -and omitting all definition of their number. Ratnagarbha asserts that the seven are: Mitravindá, Satyá, Jámbavati, Rohini, Suśílá, Satyabhámá, and Lakshmana; and the words connected with these names are, he pronounces, epithets. Unlike Sridhara, he

lindí,* Mitravindá, † the virtuous: Nágnajití, § the queen Jámbavatí; Rohińí, ** of beautiful form; †† the || ¶

takes Jámbavati to be a different person from Rohini; and he considers Kalindi to be a synonym of Mitravinda.

In Vol. IV., p. 112, we read that Krishna's principal wives "were Rukmini, Satyabhámá, Jámbavati, Cháruhásini, and four others." If we knew who these four others were, it could be ascertained how far the principal wives tallied with the beautiful ones, and whether the group under discussion contains additions to those two categories.

For her origin, see Vol. IV., p. 286, note *. Her offspring, as named in the Bhagavata-purána, were Śruta, Kavi, Vŕisha, Vira, Subáhu, Bhadra, Śánti, Darśa, Púrúamása, and Somaka.

+ Corrected from " Mitravŕinda", which I find nowhere but in a carelessly executed copy of Sridhara's text and commentary, to which Professor Wilson was very partial, and which he too often used without controlling it.

Mitravinda's children, the Bhagavata-purána, alleges, were ten: Vŕika, Harsha, Anila, Gridhra, Vardhana, Annáda, Mahaśa, Pávana, Vahni, and Kshudhi.

* The original is सत्या नाग्नजिती तथा । According to Sridhara, in his commentary on the Bhagavata-purána, the lady here intended is Satya, patronymically called Nágnajiti. For the Translator's "the virtuous Nagnajiti", we should, therefore, read 'Satya, daughter of Nagnajit.' M. Langlois makes the same mistake, in his translation of the Harivamsa, Vol. I., p. 500. See further, note § in the preceding page, and note in p. 82, infra.

§ Mother, the Bhagavata-purána alleges, of Vira, Chandra, Aśwasena, Chitragu, Vegavat, Vŕisha, Áma, Sanku, Vasu, and Kunti.

|| देवी जाम्बवती चापि । It is barely possible that we should read 'Devi,' not “the queen". Compare the Harivaṁśa, śl. 9179.

For Jambavati, see Vol. IV., p. 79.

The Bhagavata-purána represents her as mother of Samba, Sumitra, Purujit, Śatajit, Sahasrajit, Vijaya, Chitraketu, Vasumat, Dravida, and

Kratu.

** An elder Rohini was one of Krishna's numerous step-mothers. See Vol. IV., pp. 109 and 260.

Krishna's wife Rohini had, on the authority of the Bhagavata-purána, the following sons: Váma, Ayus, Satyaka, Diptimat, Támratapta, and others unnamed.

Hafqut Possibly, this is a proper name, Kámarúpiní; but, probably, it is an epithet. See the Harivamsa, śl. 6701.

amiable and excellent daughter of the king of Madra,*

*

Madraraja. Leaving out of question the interpretation "king of Madra", our choice lies, according to circumstances, between "king of the Madras" and "King Madra." In the purest Sanskrit, only the former of these two significations is admissible. There are many cases, in later literature, similar to Madrarája, thus considered; such as Kásirája, Vatsarája, Bhojarája, Bhojapati, &c. &c. Instances in which there is not the option spoken of above, but in which, at variance with classical canons, substantival members of a compound stand in apposition, are Varadarája, Bhojadeva, Kámadeva, Madhavadeva, Nandisa, Venkatesa, Bháillesa, Kapileswara, Rámeswara, Gorakshanátha, Seshanaga, Aghasura, &c. &c.

Mádri's father might, as has been said, be Madrarája in the sense of "King Madra"; only no such ruler has been discovered among Krishna's contemporaries. Conclusively, Lakshmańá—as the lady who bears the patronym of Madri is distinctively called,—is said, in the Bhagavatapurána, to have been daughter of Madrádhipati, which it would be very unsafe to translate otherwise than by "king of the Madras".

In Sanskrit, names of countries and kingdoms are denoted, very frequently, by compounds ending with a word for country or kingdom,— deśa, vishaya, rájya, ráshtra. Examples of such names standing independently are rare, and seem to be confined to feminines. Most generally, a plural is employed; and this plural imports a people. Thus, where we should be disposed to say "he lives in Malava", an ancient Hindu would have said "he lives in the country of the Málavas", qufa CZI, or, in accordance with the somewhat more prevalent idiom, "he lives among the Mälavas", वसति मालवेषु.

The preponderant usage here referred to may, perhaps, be accounted for in this wise. The earliest Hindus were grouped in tribes, not in nations; and these tribes were distinguished by lineage, not by place of abode. The titles which they bore were eponymous; and it should seem that they were long in acquiring fixed habitations. Hence, it may be surmised, and not for the reason that led Louis Philippe to style himself "king of the French",--it is that we read of, for instance, "the king of the Panchalas"; somewhat as, from a sense of vagueness, the Yavanas, Húnas, Chínas, Turushkas, and Sakas were never localized, further than by the indeterminate forms Yavana-deśa, "country of the Yavanas," and the like. In later times, as history informs us, kingdoms of more or less definite bounds were established, and lasted for long periods. But the old idiom had become so firmly rooted as, in spite of the altered state of things, to hold its ground; and the option of mentioning a region or state (by its simple name), instead of its people, was seldom accepted. The sole exceptions seem to be afforded

(Mádrí);* Satyabhámá, † the daughter of Sattrájita;‡ and Lakshmaná, of lovely smiles. '§ Besides these,

'The number specified, however, both in this place and in Chapter XXXII., is nine, instead of eight. The commentator || endeavours to explain the difference, by identifying Rohini with Jámbavati. But, in the notices of Krishna's posterity, both in

by the names of cities which were, of themselves, kingdoms; and most Hindu cities bore appellations of the feminine gender. The Kurukshetra, Mashńára, Sáchiguna, and Avachatnuka of the Aitareya-bráhmańa I take to be cities with masculine names,—like Kanyakubja, &c.,—not countries. If this view be not fallacious, we can, therefore, only plead convenience, when we speak of Abhira, Ánarta, Chedi, Kerala, Kosala, Kuru, Madra, Magadha, Málava, Śúrasena, &c. &c., after the manner of the latest and most corrupt Sanskrit, and of the living vernaculars of India. Similarly, we find, in Latin, only Sabinorum ager or Sabinus ager, and in Sabinis versari, in Sabinos proficisci; but, in the present day, we have la Sabina. The Greeks, it is true, devised the name Zaßívn; and, in the same way, they invented the names Abiria, Cirrhadia, Gandaritis, etc., though the ancient Hindus recognized no countries denominated Abhira, Kiráta, Gandhára, &c.

* I have parenthesized this name, as being added by the Translator. The original has सुशीला शीलमण्डना । The latter word is, palpably, an epithet of the former, and suggested thereby. The Harivaṁsa, śl. 6700, places this point beyond all doubt. We must read, therefore, "Suśílá," and eliminate "amiable and excellent". Vide supra, p. 78, note §. Suśílá appears, in p. 107, infra, under her patronym Mádrí.

To Madri the Bhagavata-puráňa assigns progeny bearing the names of Praghosha, Gátravat, Simha, Bala, Prabala, Úrdhwaga, Maháśakti, Saha, Oja, and Parájita.

According to the Bhagavata-purána, she had ten children: Bhánu, Subhánu, Swarbhánu, Prabhánu, Bhánumat, Chandrabhánu, Brihadbhánu, Atibhánu, Śríbhánu, and Pratibhánu.

Corrected from "Śatrujit". The original has Sáttrájiti, patronymic of Sattrȧjita, for whom and his daughter Satyabhámá, see Vol. IV., pp. 79, 80. § #ICETÍAÛ | Here we have, possibly, another name of Lakshmaná, rather than an epithet. For Cháruhásiní, see Vol. IV., p. 112, note . Also see note § in p. 83, infra. My Ajmere MS. gives fu; and Priyadarśaná, too, is a lady's name, as in my Vásavadattá, p. 236. Śridhara is intended. Vide supra, p. 78, note §.