Jambavati

Jambavati

Jambavati (IAST jāmbavatī) is one of the Ashtabharya, the eight principal queen-consorts of Hindu god Krishna, an avatar of the god Vishnu and the king of Dwarka – in the Dwapara Yuga (epoch). While she was married second to Krishna, Jambavati was third in the order of importance after Rukmini and Satyabhama, whom Krishna married third. She was the only daughter of the bear-king Jambavan. Krishna married her, when he defeated Jambavan to retrieve the stolen Syamantaka jewel.

Jambavati, a patronymic, means daughter of Jambavan. Sridhara, a commentator on the Bhagavata Purana, identifies her with Krishna's wife Rohini. However, another commentator Ratnagarbha disagrees. The Harivamsa also suggests that Rohini may be an alternate name of Jambavati. Jambavati is also given the epithets Narendraputri and Kapindraputri,

Jambavan or Jambavat appears in the Hindu epic Ramayana as an advisor of the vanara-king Sugriva, who aided Rama, Krishna's previous humanly form. Though he is often described here as a sloth bear, he is also identified with monkeys as his nature is similar or same as to that of gorillas, chimps, or even monkeys. In the epic Mahabharata, Jambavan is introduced as Jambavati's father. The Bhagavata Purana and the Harivamsa calls him the king of bears.

Visvanatha Chakravarti mentions that while narrating this story, few devotees associated Jambavati with the girl that Jambavan offers to Rama. However, Rama, who is already married and has taken a vow to marry only once, politely refuses. Jambavati would marry Rama in his next birth. So, Rama marries Jambavati in his birth as Krishna.

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