About
Shami — Andhaka Prince and Ancestor of Hridika
Shami · Samin
Shami is a Yadava prince of the Andhaka branch of the Satvata line. He is identified in the Harivamsha as one of the sons of Rajadhideva, grandson of Viduratha, and a member of the fifth generation of descent from Bhajamana. His son was Pratiksatra, whose son Svayambhoja fathered Hridika, making Shami the direct ancestor of Kritavarma through the intermediate generations. In the condensed account of the Garuda Purana, Shami is presented as the son of Shura (who is placed as direct son of Viduratha), compressing the lineage by one generation. Shami appears in the Harivamsha (1.38.2–4) and the Garuda Purana.
✦ The Name
Shami is a Sanskrit name related to shama, denoting calmness, restraint, or pacification. It is also the name of a sacred tree (Prosopis cineraria) widely associated with Vedic ritual. Whether the personal name carries the botanical or the ethical resonance is not specified in the genealogical texts.
✦ Lineage
- Father (Harivamsha): Rajadhideva — son of Viduratha, one of the Andhaka kings; Shami is among the eight sons named in the Harivamsha account.
- Father (Garuda Purana): Shura — named in the Garuda Purana as the son of Viduratha and the father of Shami, omitting Rajadhideva.
- Brothers (Harivamsha): Datta, Atidatta, Shonashva (Shura), Svetavahana, Dandasharma, Dandashatru, and Shatrujit.
- Son: Pratiksatra — whose son was Svayambhoja, the father of Hridika.
✦ Textual Variants and Inconsistencies
As noted above, the Harivamsha makes Shami a son of Rajadhideva (and thus a brother of Shura/Shonashva), while the Garuda Purana makes him a son of Shura (son of Viduratha). The functional genealogical position — as the ancestor of Pratiksatra, Svayambhoja, and Hridika — is consistent across both accounts; only the immediate paternal identity differs.
✦ References
- Harivamsha, Harivamsha Parva, 1.38.2–4: Names Shami as one of the sons of Rajadhideva; records that Shami's son was Pratiksatra, whose son was Svayambhoja, the father of Hridika.
- Garuda Purana, Chapter 139 (Dutt translation): Names Shami as son of Shura (son of Viduratha) and father of Pratiksatra.