Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c29.104

c29.104

Māndhātṛ had three sons, Purukutsa, Ambariṣa and Mucukunda.⁴ Tradition suggests that Māndhātṛ or his sons carried their arms south to the river Narmadā.⁵ Purukutsa’s wife was named Narmadā;⁶ and a fable says that the Nāgas induced him through the river’s mediation to destroy the Mauneya Gandharvas, who had despoiled them.⁷ Moreover Mucukunda, who was a famous king (p. 93), appears to be the Mucukunda whom the Harivaṃśa describes in an erroneous setting. He built and fortified a town on the rocky bank of that river, at the foot of both the Vindhya and Ṛkṣa (Satpura) ranges, that is, at a place where the two ranges approach the river. It was Māhiṣmatī,⁸ the modern Māndhātā on an island in the river.⁹ He also built a spacious town named Purikā on the south bank near the Ṛkṣa range. They were his capitals. His kingdom did not survive long, as will appear.