A dense jungle on the southern foothills of Meru. This was where Anjana gave birth to Hanuman as per Uttararamayana.

Another name for Daksha.

A rajarishi who is ideal to be prayed to in the morning as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 165.

The daughter of Daksha prajapati and the wife of Kashyapa.

Antecedents: Vishnu – Brahma – Daksha – Kadru.

It is still debated whether Kadru is Kashyapa’s daughter or wife. As per Bhashabharata Adiparva Chapter 65, Marichi, one of Brahma’s manasaputras had a son named Kashyapa. Kashyapa married the thirteen daughters of Daksha – Aditi, Diti, Kala, Danayus, Danu, Simhika, Krodha, Pradha, Vishwa, Vinata, Kapila, Muni, Kadru.  But as per Ramayana Aranyakanda Sarga 14, Kadru is the daughter of Kashyapa and Daksha’s daughter Krodhavasha. Also, Vinata, who is said to be Kadru’s sister as per Mahabharata, is the great granddaughter of Tamra, Kashyapa’s wife and Daksha’s daughter! Tamra – Shuki – Nata – Vinata. Thus Kadru’s mother Krodhavasha and Vinata’s great grandmother Tamra were sisters.

Vinata and Kadru lived as Kashyapa’s wives as per the Mahabharata. Kashyapa was pleased by their devotion and asked them what they wished for. Kadru asked for a thousand snakes as children and Vinata asked for two children who would be stronger than Kadru’s. Kashyapa blessed them and went into the forests to meditate. A few months later, Kadru laid a thousand eggs and Vinata, two. They kept the eggs in pots for incubation. 500 years later, Kadru’s pot broke and a thousand snakes emerged. Vinata was concerned by this, and broke one egg to see how her child was faring. A half developed baby came out and this was Aruna. When Aruna came out of the egg half developed he was angry at his mother Vinata for being impatient. He cursed that Vinata would remain a slave to her sister Kadru for 500 years, and it would be broken by his brother Garuda. He also asked his mother to be patient for another 500 years for Garuda, as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 16 verses 18-23.

Kadru’s prominent children were Shesha, Vasuki, Airavata, Thakshaka, Karkodaka, Dhananjaya, kaliya, Maninaga, Purananaga, Kapiranja, Elaputra, Savama, Nila, Anila, Kanmasha, Shabala, Aryaka, Ugraka, Kalashapotaka, Sumanas, Dadhimukha, Vimala, Pindaka, Aapta, Shakha, Vali, Shikha, Nishthanaka, Hemaguha, Nahusha, Pingala, Bahyakarna, Hastipada, Mungara, Kambala, Ashwatara, Kaleekaka, Vritta, Samvritta, Patta, Shankhamukha, Kushmandaka, Kshemaka, Pindaraka, Karavira, Pushpadamshtra, Vilvaka, Bilwapandura, Mrishkada, Shankha, Shirapurna, Haridraka,  Aparajita, Jyotika, Pannaga, Shrivaha, Kauravya, Dhritarashtra, Sankhapinda, Subahu, Virajas, Shalipinda, Hastipinda, Pitharaka, Sumukha, Kaunapashana, Kuddhara, Kunjara, Prabhakara, Kumuda, Kumudaksha, Tithiri, Halika, Kardama, Bahumulaka, Karkkara, Arkkara, Kandodara, Mahodara. All nagas have evolved from these, as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 35.

Once Vinata said that the tail hairs of Indra’s horse Uchaishravas were all white, Kadru maintained that it was black. It was agreed that whoever lost would become the other’s slave. As per Kadru’s instructions, a few nagas clung to the horse’s tail and made it appear black. Vasuki and a few others refused to support this and Kadru cursed that they would die in Janamejaya’s sarpasatra. Kashyapa didn’t like this. Brahma appeared before Kashyapa and said that this was necessary for nagas who harmed others. He also taught him the vishasamhara skill as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 20.

Once Kadru told Vinata to carry her to Ramaniyaka, an island in the middle of an ocean, which was a beautiful place to stay in. She also told her that her sons – the nagas, should be carried by Garuda. They started out. Garuda flew so high that the nagas began getting burned. Kadru prayed to Indra who caused it to rain heavily. Thus Kadru and her sons were saved as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 25-26.

Kadru worshiped Brahma and stayed at the Brahmasabha as per Mahabharata Sabhaparva Chapter 11. Kadru takes the form of a skandagraha, enters the wombs of pregnant women and eats the unborn children as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 230.

This forest is situated on the banks of Kuber’s Pushkarini river, which has several Saugandhika flowers growing in it. In this forest grow a variety of different coloured bananas. Hanuman lives here as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 146.

The daughter of the sage Mankana.

There was once a town called Ikshumati, situated on the banks of a river by the same name. It was built by Vishwamitra. Mankana had built a hermitage by the river and meditated there. Once Menaka visited the place, and when the wind moved her garment and offered a glimpse of her body, Mankana ejaculated at the sight. Immediately a girl was born from it and she was Kadaligarbha. After she grew up, a king named Dridhavarma, who had come hunting to the forest, married her with the sage’s permission.

The devas advised her to drop seeds on her way to the palace so that she could trace her way back to the hermitage with the help of the plants that would grow from it, in case her husband left her. Later, the king left her because of the rumours spread by a barber. Though she found her way back to the hermitage, Mankana took her back to the king as per Kathasaritasagara Madanamanjukalambaka Taranga 6.

See Gunaddhya.

A warrior in Skanda’s army as per Mahabharata Shalyaparva Chapter 45 verse 67.

A puruvanshi king. He was the son of Sandhurodha’s brother, Pratiratha. Sandhurodha was the father of Dushyanta. As per Agnipurana, he had a son named Medhathithi.

A sage who was the foster father of Shakuntala. Among the rishikulas, Kanva’s kula was a very important one as per Rigveda. Born in the dynasty of Brahma’s son Kashyapa, Kanva is also known as Kaashyapa. As per Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 208 verse 27, Kanva’s father was Medhadhiti. Kanva built a hermitage on the banks of Malini and lived there with many students.

Kanva’s hermitage was to the north of the river Praveni, on the banks of the Malini as per Mahabharata Vanaparva. It is believed that it was located on the banks of the Chambal, 4 miles south of Kota in Rajasthan. The hermitage has been described by Kalidasa in Shakuntalam.

Once Indra sent Menaka to disrupt Vishwamitra’s meditation. They had a daughter who was left in the forest to fend for itself. The child was Shakuntala and was called so because of the Shakunta birds who fed her for a while. As per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 70, Kanva happened to see her in the forest and began raising her.

As per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 74 verse 130, Bharata, son of Dushyanta, conducted a yajna called Govitata with Kanva as the chief sage.

Once Kanva narrated to Duryodhana, the story of Matali and his wife Sudharma hunting for a groom for their daughter Gunakeshi as per Mahabharata Udyogaparva Chapter 97.

Kanva was among the sages who arrived from the east to visit Rama after his return from Lanka. Vasishta, Atri, Vishwamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Bharadwaja, Sanakas, Sharabhanga, Durvasa, Matanga, Vibhandaka, Tumburu were the others in this group.

The Rigveda has 10 mandalas. Mandalas 2-7 have been created in separate rishikulas, as 2 – Bhargava, 3 – Vishwamitra, 4 – Vamadeva, 5- Atri, 6 – Bharadwaja, 7 – Vasishta. The eighth mandala and 50 suktas of the 1st mandala have been made by Kanva’s kula.

Rigveda Mandala 1 Anuvaka 4 Sukta 12, Kanva is about Kanva’s son Medhathithi becoming a rishi.

As per the Kathasaritasagara, Kanva had a daughter with Menaka called Indivaraprabhu. See Chandravaloka, Kaashyapa.