According to several Purāṇas, Āhuka is the son of Punarvasu, belonging to the vaṁśa (genealogical line) of Yadu-Vṛṣṇi. However, in Harivaṁśapurāṇa it is said that Āhuka was the grandson of Punarvasu. Punarvasu’s son Abhijit was the father of Āhuka. King Āhuka was an eminent personality, with much wealth and power. In Vāyupurāṇa and Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa it […]

Akapi is one of the seven sages existing at the time of the fourth epoch, known as Tāmasa manvantara (Tamasa manwantara). The name Akapi can be found only in Matsyapurāṇa (Matsyapurana) and in connection with another sage named Kapi of the same sect. The names of the seven sages present during the Tāmasa manvantara recorded in […]

A sage king and the lord of the countries Śairīṣaka (Shairishaka) and Mahottha (Mahottha). Akrośa was defeated by Nakula during the westward journey of conquest that preceded the Rājasūya yajña (Rajasuya yajna) organised by Yudhiṣthira (Yudhisthira). The Haridasa Siddhantabagisha edition of Mahābhārata (Mahabharata) reads Akrośa (Akrosha) as Akrodha.

Born in the Vṛṣṇi (Vrishni) clan, Akrūra (Akrura) was one of Kṛṣṇa ‘s (Krishna’s) kinsmen. He has been referred to as a Vṛṣṇi hero in Mahābhārāta (Mahabharata) time and again. In Mahābhārata, several heroes from the Vṛṣṇi clan attended Draupadī’s svayaṃvara (swayamvara) as her suitors. The Pāñcāla (Panchala) prince Dhṛṣtyadyumna (Dhrishtadyumna), while listing the names […]

Vasudeva was born of the womb of Māriṣā (Marisha), or Vāsī (Vasi), daughter of King Bhoja — according to Vāyupurāṇa (Vayupurana). He is also called Ānakadundubhi (Anakadundubhi). As soon as Vasudeva was born, the gods, with their divine vision, could realise that the incarnation of the Supreme Divinity will be born in the house of […]

Prajāpati (Prajapati) was Manu’s son, and Manu was Brahmā’s (Brahma’s) son. Anala was born of Prajāpati to Śāṇḍilī (Shandili). He was a luminous god. He was one of the eight Vasu. In some Purāṇas (Puranas) it is said that the eight Vasu were born of Kaśyapa (Kashyapa). In others, it is said that they were […]

A country or kingdom. The word Aṇga (Anga) is also used to refer to the citizens of the kingdom of Aṇga. Usually, it is mentioned along with four other kingdoms situated in eastern India—Aṇga, Vaṇga (Banga), Kaliṇga (Kalinga), Suhma (Suhma) and Puṇḍra (Pundra). Perhaps these five kingdoms formed a confederacy of which the capital was […]

While making offerings to the Ādityas (aditya) in Ṛgveda (Rigveda), Aṃśa has been mentioned as one of the many Ādityas — imā gira ādityebhyo ghṛitasnuḥ śṛiṇotu mitro/ aryamā bhago na stubijāto baruṇo dakṣo aṁśaḥ. Twelve ādityas were created after being cast from the mouth of Sun god Sūrya of Vivasvān— mukharāgaṁ tu yat pūrbat mārtaṇḍasya mukhacyutam. Aṃśa […]

According to some Purāṇas (Puranas), all but four of the sixty thousand sons born of King Sagara’s first wife perished by the fire of Sage Kapila’s wrath. Pañcajana (Panchajana)(Pañcavana or Panchabana according to Vāyupurāṇa or Vayupurana) was one of the sons of King Sagara who survived. Śivapuraṇa (Shivapurana) states that Pañcajana became king after Sagara. Aṃśumāna (Angshuman) was Pañcajana’s […]

Aṃśumāna (Angshumana) was one of the many kings present at Draupadī’s (Draupadi’s) Svayamvara (Swayamvara) ceremony. However, not much information is available on his lineage in Mahābhārata (Mahabharata). In the  Karṇaparva (Karnaparba) phase of the Kurukṣetra (Kurukshetra) war, Sañjaya lists the names of warriors killed so far. Among those names we find the name of Bhoja […]

In the additional reading of the Southern recension of Mahābhārata, there are some ślokas regarding the vālyalīlā (valyalila; childhood play) of Kṛṣṇa. In one of these verses, we get the name of Ariṣṭa. Assuming the form of a bull, he came to kill Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa slew him in order to to good to all the […]

Asamañja (Asamanja)was the eldest son of Sagara, a king belonging to Ikṣvākuvaṃśa (Ikshwakuvamsa; the Ikshwaku dynasty). In  Mahābhārata (Mahabharata), king Sagara, along with his two wives, worshiped Mahādeva (Mahadeva), in order to get the boon of having a son. Please with their tapasyā (tapasya; ascetic penance), Mahādeva said, “The moment in which you have asked for […]

One of the sons born of the womb of Aditi, mother of the gods, was Vivasvān. Vivasvān is another name for Sūrya, or the Sun-god. Sanjñā was one of the three wives of Vivasvān. She was the daughter of Tvaṣṭā. Unable to bear the energy and power of Vvasvān, Sanjñā created a clone of herself, […]

The primary meaning of the term Avatāra is derived from avataraṇa, that is, to come down. God comes down to earth, assuming a different form, from his celestial abode — this is the avatāra or avataraṇa (incarnation) of God. The huge gap between the worldly abode of mankind and the distant antarīkṣaloka seems to be […]

Haribaṁśa (Haribamsa) explains the word Ekānaṁśā (Ekanamsa) in the following way- Though Ekānaṁśā (Ekanamsa) was born from a part of Lord Viṣñu (Vishnu), the saviour of his subjects, conceptually and by nature, she was one and all. She was the Māyāśakti (Mayasakti or feminine power) of the Lord- Yogamāyā (Yogamaya)- Viddhi caināmathotpannāthaṁśāddevīṃ prajāpateḥ. Ekānaṁśāṃ yogakanyāṃ […]

The figure and characteristics of Indra  as depicted in Mahābhārata-Rāmāyaṇa-Purāṇa is completely different from that of his acts and manners as described in  old Veda and Brāhmaṇa treaties. Indra in/of Veda  the greatest warrior, he is slaughter of Vṛtra, Namuci, Śuṣṇa, Cumuri, Dhuni, Śambara, Pripru, Vala, Arbuda, Kuyava — killing these dangerous demons/Asuras he is […]

Paulamī, wife of Indra, is generally known as Indrāṇi. In the age of Ṛgveda (Rigveda), Indra was the major god to worshipped. From this conception, Indraṇī Śachī was also worshipped as an epitome of good fortune. In several mantra(s) of Ṛgveda, Indrāṇī had been invited to yajña (yajna), along with Varuṇāṇī (Varunani), wife of Varuṇa, […]

Ṛcīka (Richika) was a sage who belonged to the clan of Maharṣi Bhṛgu (Maharshi Bhrigu). In the Mahābhārata (Mahabharata), in one instance it was said that Ṛcīka (Richika) was a son of Bhṛgu (Bhrigu). But according to some Purāṇas (Puranas), he was the son of Maharṣi Ūrva (Maharshi Urva) or Āpluvāna (Apluvana) who belonged to […]

In Śāntiparva (Santiparva)of Mahābhārata (Mahabharata), while describing the greatness of the grandsire Bhīṣma, Yudhiṣṭhira mentions one Chakravartī (Chakravarti) king named Ugrāyudha (Ugrayudha). Ugrāyudha was defeated and slain by Bhīṣma (Bhishma). But in Mahābhārata, nothing more can be found about his lineage, and the reason of his enmity with Bhīṣma. However in other versions of Mahābhārata, […]

Upāṃśu-vrata A term called upāṃśu-vrata can be found in Mahābhārata. It means some serious vow, unknown or previously undisclosed to others. Janamejaya, son of Parīkṣita wished to accept Somaśravā, son of sage Śrutaśravā. The sage proposed that the king should take another of his sons, charged with great ascetic powers, but with a condition. He […]