Introduction
Simhika is a Danava woman, the wife of the chief Vipracitti, and, in the Puranic genealogies that trace the origin of Rahu and Ketu, the mother of the Asura Svarbhanu.
Family
- Husband: Vipracitti
- Sons: Rahu, Ketu, Svarbhanu
In the genealogies
Simhika's name is also, confusingly, shared by an unrelated Rakshasi in the Ramayana, who attempts to seize Hanuman's shadow as he crosses the ocean to Lanka; the two figures are distinct despite the shared name.
Mother of Svarbhanu
As the mother, with Vipracitti, of Svarbhanu, Simhika stands genealogically behind the origin story of Rahu and Ketu, the eclipse-causing planets, though the principal narrative role in that story belongs to her son rather than to her.