#mandapala

She is the first wife of the sage Mandapala. She belongs most definitely to a tribe that used bird motifs, living in the Khandava forest, as this is repeated for her and her children: Jaritaari, Saarisrikka, Stambhamitra and Drona.

After she conceives, Mandapala leaves her to go live with a younger woman. When he finds out that Krishna and Arjuna are planning to burn down the forest, he asks Agni to spare his sons (despite his second wife's objections), but doesn't bother to tell his family that.

So, when the fire spreads in the forest, Jarita is faced with the choice of either dying there with her sons or carrying only one of them to safety in time. She blames her husband for leaving them to fend for themselves in this situation.

Finally, all her sons convince her to save her own life instead of worrying about them, since she could have more sons later, but if she dies, then the family line dies. They also insist that they haven't done her any favours, she doesn't know them very well (since they're young), and she's beautiful (weird logic).

Jarita flees, after being unable to convince her four sons to hide in a cave to escape the spreading fire. Then, the fledgelings complain to Agni that their mother has left them and they have never met their father, and seek asylum. Additionally, they insist that a bunch of cats which bullied them earlier must be burned.

To his credit, Agni miraculously spares them.

After this, Mandapala is regretful and wishes to check on his first wife and kids, but his second wife angrily rebukes him for his sudden remembrance. Mandapala lectures her for a bit and then goes to introduce himself to his children.

Jarita, who has not reunited with her sons, scolds her husband for trying to get back with them, and directs him to return to his other wife. Mandapala rebukes her as well, citing "a father's right to his children" and that "women become unfaithful to their husbands because they love their children more". Later they reconcile.

She is the second wife of the sage Mandapala. He moves in with her after leaving his first wife Jarita and unborn children. When Mandapala expresses his desire to reunite with his other family, she becomes angry, and implores him to leave her to fend for herself jsut as he had done Jarita. She also tries to stop him from checking if his sons are alive after the burning of the Khandava forest.