Most of the time Anuvinda has been mentioned in association with another king called called Vinda; and nearly always they have been mentioned as āvantyau (avantyau), meaning either ‘two kings of Avantī (Avanti) kingdom’ or ‘kings of two Avantī kingdoms’ – vindānuvindāvāvantau. As both of them are mentioned as kings of the kingdom of Avantī, scholars believe that Avantī had a government of dual sovereignty, which generally refers to one kingdom being split between and each part ruled by a pair of near kin, like father-son or two brothers – pitāputrayoḥ bhrātrorvā. 

Apparently Vinda and Anuvinda were two brothers who ruled two parts of the kingdom of Avantī – vindānuvindāvāvantau sainyena mahatā vṛtau. Both of them were defeated by Sahadeva in Sabhāparva (Sabhaparva) of Mahābhārata (Mahabharata). 

Although they ruled separately two parts of the same kingdom, it appears that the brothers enjoyed a friendly relationship and used to fight together. While fighting for the Kauravas, Anuvinda’s chariot (drawn by four horses) and bow were destroyed by Arjuna’s son Irāvān (Iravan). Frustrated by Irāvān, Anuvinda had to get up on his brother Vinda’s chariot to continue fighting. Although they were again defeated by Sahadeva, they were undeniably excellent warriors.  

In Droṇaparva (Dronaparva) we find Vinda and Anuvinda attacking a tired Arjuna on the verge of calling off the day’s war. Enraged, Arjuna killed the elder brother Vinda. A heartbroken Anuvinda hit Arjuna’s chariot-driver Kṛṣṇa (Krishna) on his head with a club without inflicting much damage. At last he also was killed in the hand of Arjuna. 

According to Bhāgavatapurāṇa (Bhagavatapurana), Anuvinda was a son of Rājādhidevī (Rajadhidevi), another sister of Vasudeva. Here also we find Vinda as his brother and they are princes of Avantī. They had a sister too called Mitravindā (Mitravinda), who wanted to choose Kṛṣṇa as her husband in an open svayamvara (swayamvara). But Vinda and Anuvinda, instigated by Duryodhana, thwarted her – vindānuvindāvāvantau duryodhanau-vaśānugau. Then Kṛṣṇa abducted her from in front of the assemblage of the kings and married her. Since long before this Vinda and Anuvinda had been hostile to Kṛṣṇa. As a token of loyalty to Jarāsandha (Jarasandha), the sovereign of Magadha, they helped him by supporting the blockade of Mathurā (Mathura).