aṃśumátī (das substantivirte Fem. vom adj.
aṃśumant) f.
1) der Wasserstrom in den Lüften (nach dem Schol. die Yamunā) ṚV. 8, 96, 13 - 15.
— 2) N. einer Pflanze, Hedysarum gangeticum AK. 2, 4, 4, 3. MED. t. 184.
AṂŚUMATĪ . The daughter of the Gandharva King
named Dramila. Her story is narrated in the Śiva
Purāṇa to illustrate the benefits of performing the Pra-
doṣa-Vrata. Sūta expatiates on the importance and
advantages of Pradoṣa-Vrata to a number of sages
in Naiṃiśāraṇya. King Satyaratha was a scrupulous
observer of Pradoṣa-Vrata. Unfortunately he defaulted
in his observance of the Vrata owing to unavoidable
circumstances and, after his death, was born again as
the King of Vidarbha. He was killed in a battle by the
King of Sālva and his wife, pregnant at that time, fled
to a forest. She gave birth to a son on the bank of a
river. Then, when she stepped into the river to drink
some water, she was carried away by a crocodile. Pre-
sently a Brahmin woman named Uṣā happened to pass
that way with her son named Śucivrata. Seeing a new-
born infant there, that Brahmin woman took him, gave
him the name, Dharmagupta and brought him up as
her own son. According to the advice of a pious Brah-
min named Śāṇḍilya, both Śucivrata and Dharmagupta
started performing Pradoṣa-Vrata. Lord Śiva was pleas-
ed with them and gave them much wealth. Dharma-
gupta happened to meet Aṃśumatī, daughter of the
Gandharva King, Dramila, one day in a forest and
they fell in love with each other. Dramila came to
know of their love and so gave his daughter in marriage
to Dharmagupta. As a result of the wealth and power
which he had acquired by observing strictly Pradoṣa-
Vrata Dharmagupta was able to return to Vidarbha,
defeat King Sālva and regain his kingdom from him.