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Idhmajihva — Son of Priyavrata and Barhishmati, King of Plaksadvipa
Idhmajihva · Idhmajihva Priyavrateya
Idhmajihva is the second of the ten sons of Priyavrata and Barhishmati, named in the Bhagavata Purana, Canto 5. He was appointed by his father as the ruler of Plaksadvipa — the second of the seven great island-continents of the Puranic earth, named for the plaksha tree that stands at its centre. Plaksadvipa is described in the Puranic geographical tradition as a realm of great natural abundance surrounding Jambudvipa, separated from it by a sea of salt water. Beyond his appointment as its king and his position in the genealogy of Priyavrata's sons, Idhmajihva does not feature in any independent narrative episode in the primary sources consulted. His name is a compound of idhma, meaning sacrificial fuel or kindling, and jihva, meaning tongue, yielding the meaning of the tongue-of-fire or one whose tongue is the sacrificial flame — a name with sacrificial and Vedic resonance.
✦ Lineage
- Father: Priyavrata — eldest son of Svayambhuva Manu.
- Mother: Barhishmati — daughter of Vishvakarma Prajapati.
✦ References
- Bhagavata Purana, Canto 5, Chapter 1: Names Idhmajihva as second son of Priyavrata and Barhishmati and records his appointment as king of Plaksadvipa.
- Vishnu Purana, Book II, Chapter 1: Parallel genealogical listing.