An apsara born to Kashyapa and his wife Pradha.

Once there was a sage named Dadhicha who started meditating on the banks of the Saraswati. Indra became scared of his energy and deployed Alambusha to distract him. When the sage stepped into the river, she approached him seductively. Dadhicha was immediately struck by her beauty and ejaculated. The semen fell into the river, and Saraswati became pregnant. She soon delivered a boy named Saraswata. Alambusha took the baby to Dadhicha, who blessed that later, when the land would suffer from drought for 12 years, and the brahmins would forget the verses in the vedas, Saraswata would remind them of it. During this time, Indra lost his vajra. The asuras attacked devaloka and Indra got to know that a weapon made of Dadhicha’s bones alone could repel the asuras. He got the other devas to request Dadhicha for his bones. The sage agreed and his soul went to heaven. From his bones, Indra created vajra, chakras, maces and many other weapons, and killed the asuras. Soon the land faced a huge drought and brahmins left. Saraswata remained there with hsi mother. After 12 years, the drought ran its course, but by then the brahmins had forgotten the vedas. As per Mahabharata Shalyaparva Chapter 51, they approached Saraswata who taught them.

Once, when Indra visited Brahma, he was accompanied by a vasu called Vidhuma. While they were there, Alambusha too came to greet Brahma. A gust of wind shifted the dress she was wearing and Vidhuma became infatuated. Alambusha recognised this and acknowledged it. Brahma noticed this exchange and conveyed his displeasure to Indra. Indra cursed that both of them would be born as humans, and then they could marry each other. Vidhuma was born as Sahasranika, a famous Chandravanshi king, and Alambusha was born to Kritavarma and his wife Kalavati, as Mrigavati, according to Kathasaritasagara Kathamukhalambaka Taranga 1.

Before Sahasranika and Mrigavati got married, Indra invited Sahasranika to devaloka. He stayed there as his guest for a while and after defeating some asuras, got ready to leave. Indra sent Tilottama with him for company. As Matali drove the chariot, Sahasranika remained silent, thinking of Mrigavati. So he didn’t pay attention to what Tilottama was saying. She cursed that he would be separated from whatever he was thinking of, for fourteen years. He didn’t register that either.

Sahasranika reached his capital Kaushambi and soon got married to Mrigavati. Mrigavati  became pregnant. She expressed a desire to bathe in a pool of blood. Sahasranika built a pool of Lakshadirasa which seemed like blood. While Mrigavati was bathing in it, an eagle carried her away. Sahasranika fell unconscious on seeing this. Matali came down from the heavens and helped him recover, while Tilottama told him about the curse. The king was distraught and he ignored his court, blamed Tilottama and decided to wait till the curse was lifted.

The eagle left Mrigavati on top of the Udaya mountain. The queen realised her situation and started crying loudly. Just then a large snake appeared and tried to devour her. A divine being reached there, and disappeared after saving her. She was saddened by her plight and attempted to kill herself. But even the wild animals of the jungle ignored her. As she wandered through the jungle, a young sage approached her and asked what she was doing in the jungle. After hearing her story, he consoled her and took her to the sage Jamadagni’s hermitage. She prostrated before him. He told her that she would give birth to a brave boy in the hermitage. Mrigavati stayed in the hermitage eagerly awaiting the day she would be united with her husband. In a few months, she gave birth to a boy. A divine voice proclaimed that he would become an illustrious king named Udayana and that his son would be a highly knowledgeable person. The boy grew up in the hermitage and Jamadagni taught him the scriptures as well as weaponry. Mrigavati gave her son a bangle with Sahasranika’s name engraved on it. Once, Udayana saw a snake charmer catching a snake. He asked the snake charmer to release it. He replied that this was his livelihood and he had worked hard to catch this snake. Udayana gave him his bangle and got the snake released. The snake told him that he was Vasumeni, Vasuki’s elder brother, and was obliged to Udayana for saving him. Vasumeni gifted Udayana a veena, and the mantras to get a garland that would never wither and a symbol on the forehead that would never fade. Udayana returned to the hermitage and the snake charmer went to the marketplace to sell the bangle. The merchants saw the king’s name and alerted the guards who took him to the palace. The king asked the snake charmer how he came to possess the bangle, and was told the entire story. Just as the king wondered the boy in the story was his son, a divine voice confirmed it, and said that the curse had been lifted.

Sahasranika left the very next day to get back his wife, with the snake charmer accompanying them as a guide. They reached the hermitage and was received by young sages. The king was delighted to see his wife and son again. The king asked Jamadagni’s permission to leave immediately. Jamadagni said that though the king was used to the comforts of his palace, he wouldn’t be inconvenienced in the hermitage either. He reminded the king of the curse and told him that in future, he would help the king whenever the situation warranted it. The king thanked Jamadagni but declined to stay at the hermitage since he was required to get back and attend to his duties. He however, promised to visit the sage regularly. Jamadagni was happy to hear this and told Mrigavati that during her stay at the hermitage, all its residents had developed an affection for her. So they were sad to see her go, but were happy that she had been reunited with her husband. He also told her that since she was by nature a good woman and the stay in the hermitage had only enhanced this, she didn’t need any advice from him. He then kissed Udayana on the forehead and told Sahasranika that the boy would bring glory to his family. Mrigavati was too overwhelmed by the occasion to speak, and the family left the hermitage after thanking the sage. On reaching the city, Sahasranika crowned Udayana as the king, and left with his wife for the Himalayas, to meditate, as per Kathasaritasagara, Kathamukhalambaka, Taranga 2.

Once Alambusha seduced a king called Trinabindu. They got married and a girl called Idavida (Ilabila) was born to them. She in tuen, married Vishravas and their son was Kuber. Trinabindu and Alambusha also had three sons named Vishala, Dhumaketu and Shunyabandhu, as per Bhagavata Navamaskanda Chapter 2 verses 31 -33.

Alambusha took part in the festivities during Arjuna’s birth.

She was also mother to an apsara named Kalavati, as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 65 verse 49. (see Dhindhakarala)

A rakshasa who ate humans. He was the son of Jatasura. Since Jatasura had been killed by Bhima earlier, Alambala fought on the Kaurava side in the Mahabharata war. During the war, Ghatotkacha cut off Alambala’s head and threw it on to Duryodhana’s chariot, as per Mahabharata Dronaparva Chapter 149.

A holy place where Garuda rested while on his way to get the amrit from the devas, as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 39 verse 39.

A sage in Yudhishtira’s court. There is a story in the Mahabharata that shows the strength of his tapas energy. During their exile, when the Pandavas reached a holy place called Madhugilasamanga, a sage called Lomasha told them this story.

Long ago, in Madhugilasamanga, two sages named Raibhya and Bharadwaja built a hermitage. Bharadwaja had a son named Yavakrita, and Raibhya had two sons named Arvavasu and Paravasu. Yavakrita focused on meditation while Arvavasu and Paravasu focused on knowledge. Yavakrita started meditating to learn things without being taught by brahmins. Indra appeared and told him that this was impossible and he should stop his meditation. Yavakrita refused. Later, Indra approached him as a brahmin while he was bathing in the river. The brahmin tried to build a bridge with the sand grains on the river’s banks. Yavakrita pointed out that it was impossible. Indra told him his meditation was, too. Yavakrita still refused. Finally, Indra gave him the boon. He returned to the hermitage, arrogant and lusted after Raibhya’s daughter-in-law. Raibhya created a rakshasa from his matted locks, and the rakshasa killed Yavakrita. Bharadwaja was shattered by this and  jumped into his son’s pyre after cursing that Raibhya would die at the hands of his own son.

During that time, a brahmin called Brihadyumna conducted a yajna, and invited Arvavasu and Paravasu. As Paravasu was walking through the forest, he saw his father covered up in krishnajina and mistook him for a deer. He killed his own father and confessed to Arvavasu. Arvavasu conducted his father’s last rites in the forest, but Paravasu spread the rumour that Raibhya had been killed by Arvavasu. No one believed Arvavasu, who was dejected. He went into the forest and prayed to Surya. Surya blessed him and Arvavasu revived Raibhya, Bharadwaja and Yavakrita, as per Mahabharata Aranyaparva Chapters 135-138.

As per Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 36 verse 7, Arvavasu once had a conversation with Krishna while on his way to Hastinapura.

He is one of the sages whose aura is akin to Rudra, as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 150 verses 30-32.

Arvavasu prayed to Surya for a child. Surya conveyed the Saptamikalpavidhi to Arvavasu and said that if he followed it, he would gain a son and prosperity, as per Bhavishyapurana Brahmaparva.

A son born to the prajapati Pulaha and his wife Kshama, as per Vishnupurana.

As per Vishnupurana, the son of Ripunjaya.

A suryavanshi king.

One of the 12 adityas born to Kashyapa and Aditi. The others were Dhata, Mitra, Shakra, Varuna, Ansha, Bhaga, Vivasvan, Pusha, Savita, Twashta and Vishnu, as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 65 verse 15.

An asura who was killed by Indra, as per Rigveda Mandala 1 Anuvaka 10 sukta 51.

Another name for Mount Abu, as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 82 verse 55.