Also known as Kuvalayashwa, Dhundhumara. A famous king belonging to the Ikshvaku dynasty.

Antecedents: Vishnu – Brahma – Marichi – Kashyapa – Vivasvan – Vaivasvatamanu – Ikshvaku – Vikukshi -Shashada – Puranjaya – Kukulstha – Anenas – Pridhulashwa – Vishagashwa – Adri – Yuvanashwa – Dhundhumara.

His biggest success was the killing of the asura Dhundhu. Before creation, when Vishnu was in yoganidra in Vaikuntha, wax began falling from his ears and it took the form of two asuras who were called Madhu and Kaidabha. Dhundhu was their son. After Dhundhu’s birth, Vishnu placed Madhu and Kaidabha on his thighs and killed them. Dhundhu was angry at Vishnu, and prayed to Brahma for invincibility. Having gained it, he defeated the devas and lay beneath the sand in a desert called Ujjalaka. When he took a deep breath the sky became filled with dust and the earth trembled for a week.

This caused much havoc in the three worlds. The one most affected was Uttanga, a sage who lived near Ujjalaka. When Brihadashwa, Kuvalashwa’s father, belonging to the Ikshvaku dynasty, was about to leave for the forest after entrusting the kingdom to his son, Uttanga reached there and pleaded with him to kill Dhundhu before he left. Brihadashwa passed on the duty to his son and left. Kuvalashwa had 21000 sons and he took them to Ujjalaka to kill Dhundhu. Uttanga predicted that they would get Vishnu’s help in killing Dhundhu. Kuvalashwa’s sons surrounded Dhundhu, who woke up, angry. From his eyes blazed fire, in which Kuvalashwa’s 21000 sons perished. Then Kuvalashwa battled Dhundhu killed him. The devas blessed him and he came to be known as Dhundhumara, as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapters 201-205.

In addition to the 21000 sons, Kuvalashwa’s sons were Dridhashwa, Kapilashwa, and Chandrashwa as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 204 verse 40.

Once, Galava’s meditation was frequently disturbed by the asura Patalaketu. He refused to be distracted but once sighed, looking upwards. A horse immediately appeared from the heavens and a divine voice announced that it could travel a few thousand yojanas in a day. The sage gave the horse to the chandravanshi king Ritadhwaja. The king rode on it to battle Patalaketu and killed him, as per Vamanapurana Chapter 59. The horse had been sent by Vishwavasu, whose daughter Madalasa was once molested by Patalaketu.