Vidarbha Kingdom
| Vidarbha Kingdom | ||||||||||
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.png) Vidarbha and other kingdoms of the late Vedic period
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| Capital | Not specified | |||||||||
| Religion |
Vedic Hinduism Buddhism Jainism |
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| Government | Monarchy | |||||||||
| Historical era | Iron Age | |||||||||
| • | Established | unknown (?~1100 BCE) | ||||||||
| • | Disestablished | unknown (?~500 BCE) | ||||||||
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The Vidarbha kingdom in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata is among the many kingdoms ruled by Yadu kings (Bhoja Yadus). It is the southernmost kingdom within the epic's geographical horizon, south of the Vindhya range, in the region still known as Vidarbha in what is now Central India.
Damayanti, the wife of Nala was the princess of Vidarbha. Similarly Rukmini, the eldest wife of Vasudeva Krishna was from Vidarbha. Sage Agastya's wife Lopamudra, also was a princess from the country of Vidarbha as mentioned in the Mahabharata.Kundinapuri was its capital, which is identified as Kundapur in the eastern Maharashtra. Rukmini's brother Rukmi founded another kingdom with capital Bhojakata, close to Vidarbha proper. During the Kurukshetra War, when all other kingdoms participated in the battle, Vidarbha under Rukmi stayed neutral, because his army was rejected by both Pandavas and Kauravas who were the two parties engaged in the war. It is not clear if any other king from Vidarbha participated in the war. There is a mention at MBh 6:51, that a Vidarbha army sided with Kauravas under the generalissimo Bhishma.
King Bhima is mentioned as the ancient ruler of Vidarbha at many places in Mahabharata. (MBh 3:53 to 77). The
Mahabharata gives clues on a route that existed in ancient times connecting Vidarbha to the northern kingdoms like Kosala.
The following conversation between Nala and Damayanti describes many ancient roads or pathways connecting kingdoms of north, south and central India of ancient times. (MBh 3:61)
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