SUKUMĀRA I A Pulinda King. The name of the capital of this King was also Sukumāra. It is stated in
[Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, Chapter 29, Verse 10] , that King Sukumāra was the son of King Sumitra. It is stated in some other Purāṇas that Sucitra was the father of Sukumāra and that during his regional conquest of the east Bhīmasena had defeated both. On another occasion Sahadeva, who had gone for the regional conquest of the south, also defeated both Sukumāra and his father.
[M.B. Sabhā Parva, Chapter 31, Verse 4] . When the battle of Bhārata was about to begin, Sukumāra, the King af Pulinda joined the side of the Pāṇḍavas. It is stated in
[Mahābhārata, Udyoga Parva, Chapter 171, Verse 15] , that King Sukumāra became one of the prominent chariot-fighters of the Pāṇḍava army.
SUKUMĀRA II A nāga (serpent) who was born in the family of Takṣaka. This serpent was burned to death in the sacrificial fire of Janamejaya.
[M.B. Ādi Parva, Chapter 57, Verse 9] .
SUKUMĀRA III A King of the Puru dynasty. The father of this King was Vibhu, the son of Varṣaketu. Two sons named Ānarta and Sukumāra were born to Vibhu. The King Satyaketu was the son of Sukumāra.
[Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 278] .
SUKUMĀRA IV A Sanskrit poet. There is a story about the devotion of Sukumāra to his teacher. Though Sukumāra was a dutiful student his teacher used to scold him always. Consequently Sukumāra harboured malice in his heart against his teacher. One night Sukumāra got on the upper attic of the house of the teacher with a big stone. His aim was to drop the stone on the head of the teacher. But that night the conversation of the teacher and his wife was about Sukumāra. The wife asked the teacher why he was scolding his disciple so often, when he was so dutiful and righteous. The teacher said that he loved him most and that the chastisement was meant to make him better and better. When Sukumāra heard this his heart was broken. With tears in his eyes, he got down with the stone and disappeared in darkness. Next morning Sukumāra had no peace of mind. He approached the teacher. He asked the teacher “What is the punishment destined for him who had tried to kill his teacher?” The teacher replied that he should die a slow death in the fire made by the husk of paddy. Instantly Sukumāra made a pit and stood in it and filled the pit with husk up to his neck and set fire to the pile. When the teacher knew that the culprit was Sukumāra, he was filled with grief. He tried his best to dissuade his beloved disciple from his attempt. But it was in vain. While he was slowly burning in the fire he composed and sang the great poem ‘Śrī Kṛṣṇa Vilāsa’. The poet was not able to complete the twelfth Sarga of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Vilāsa. The sixtysixth stanza was the last one he sang. Śrī Kṛṣṇa was showing Satyabhāmā, the various countries and describing the prominence of each, when they had reached the earth after obtaining the Pārijāta flowers from the world of the gods. After having described the kingdoms of Pāṇḍya and Cola, the poet was beginning to describe the natural beauty of ‘Saptakoṅkaṇas’ (the seven Koṅkaṇa countries). The story says that when he had sung the last line of that stanza his tongue was burnt and he could not proceed with the rest of the poem.
SUKUMĀRA V The son of King Bhavya who was the ruler of Śāka Island.
[M.B. Bhīṣma Parva, Chapter 12, Verse 26] .
SUKUMĀRA VI An ancient place. This place was near the mountain Jaladhāragiri in the Śāka Island.
[M.B. Bhīṣma Parva, Chapter 11, Stanza 21] .
SUKUMĀRA VII The capital city of the Pulindas. (See under Sukumāra III).