A king belonging to the Ikshvaku dynasty.
Antecedents: Vishnu – Brahma – Marichi – Kashyapa – Vivasvan – Vaivasvatamanu – Ikshvaku – Vikukshi -Shashada – Puranjaya – Kukulstha – Anenas – Pridhulashwa – Prasenjit – Yuvanashwa – Maandaata – Purukutsa – Trasadasyu – Anaranya – Aryashwa – Vasumanas – Sudhanva – Trairyaruna – Satyavrata – Trishanku – Harishchandra – Rohitashwa – Harita – Chunchu – Sudeva – Bharuka – Bahuka – Sagara – Asamanjas – Amshuman -Dilipa – Bhageeratha – Shrutanada – Sindhudweepa – Ayutayus – Rituparna
When Nala was roaming in the forest, separated from Damayanti, Karkodaka bit him and transformed his appearance, but gave him a shawl to revert to his original self whenever he desired. As per Karkodaka’s advice, Nala went as Bahuka to the court of Rituparna, the king of Ayodhya, and stayed there as his charioteer. He reached the court on the tenth day of his exile. He had acquired the knowledge of Ashwahridaya, a mantra to increase the speed of horses. Rituparna realised this, gave him hundred gold coins and made him head charioteer with 2 assistants – Varshneya and Jivala as per Mahabharata Aranyaparva Chapter 67.
Damayanti got to know that Nala was in Rituparna’s court via the messenger Parnada. To lure him out, Damayanti sent a message to Rituparna via a brahmin called Sudeva asking him to attend her marriage the next day. Rituparna asked Bahuka to get him there fast. On the way, Rituparna’s cloak accidentally fell off. Rituparna asked Nala to stop the chariot, but Nala informed him that the chariot had already crossed a yojana in a second. On seeing a huge tree in the forest, the king informed Nala that that it had 5 crore leaves and 2095 fruits. Nala was amazed. They both confided – Nala was able to drive the chariot with such speed because of the Ashwahridaya mantra, and the king was able to know the number of leaves and fruits because of the Akshahridaya mantra. They taught each other the mantras.
They reached Vidarbha where Damayanti got Nala to reveal himself. Rituparna returned the next day as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 77.