A holy place on the banks of the river Ambumati, situated on the Kurukshetra border. Bathing here makes a person free from all diseases and also attain Brahmaloka as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 83 verse 57.

A famed charioteer who fought for the Pandavas in Kurukshetra as per Mahabharata Udyogaparva Chapter 171 verse 15.

A son of prajapati Kavi as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 85 verse 133.

Citizens of the city as per Mahabharata Bhishmaparva Chapter 106 verse 18.

Another name for Varanasi/Banaras. See Divodasa to know how it got this name.

A holy place. The Vishwanatha temple is located here. As per the Halasyamahathmya, the shivalinga here was installed by Brahma himself. People from many parts of the world walk to Kashi to bathe in the Ganga. As per Agnipurana Chapter 112, once Shiva told Parvati that the temple at Varanasi would exist forever, hence it would be called avimukta. Offerings made here would also fall in the same category. he added that devotees should go to Kashi on foot and never leave. There are eight mahatheerthas around Kashi, within 2 yojanas to the east and half a yojana to the west. They are Harishchandratheertha, Aavratakeshwaratheertha, Japyeshwaratheertha, Sriparvatitheertha, Mahalayatheertha, Bhrigutheertha, Chandeshwaratheertha, and Kedaratheertha. The river Varana is also situated here. In the midst of all this is Varanasi.

Kashi is mentioned several times in the Mahabharata. Pandu once conquered it as per Bhishmaparva Chapter 9. Bhima married Balandhara, the princess of Kashi as per Adiparva Chapter 95 verse 77. Bhima conquered Kashi as per Sabhaparva Chapter 30 verse 6. Sahadeva conquered Kashi as per Udyogaparva Chapter 50 verse 31. The king of Kashi supported the Pandavas in the battle at Kurukshetra as per Udyogaparva Chapter 196 verse 1. Arjuna conquered Kashi as per Adiparva Chapter 122 verse 40. Krishna conquered Kashi as per Dronaparva Chapter 11 verse 5. Karna conquered it for Duryodhana as per Karnaparva Chapter 8 verse 19. According to Anushasanaparva Chapter 30 verses 12-15, Kashi was ruled by Haryashva, Sudeva, Divodasa.  As per Anushasanaparva Chapter 32 verse 9, it was also ruled by Vrishadarbha and Ushinara. Bhishma conquered Kashi during Amba’s swayamwar as per Anushasanaparva Chapter 44 verse 38. Yudhishtira’s ashwamedha horse reached here as per Ashwamedhaparva Chapter 83 verse 4.

The mother of Shukra, guru of the asuras. The scriptures are undecided on whether Shukra was the son of Bhrigu or Kavi. Bhrigu’s wife was Puloma, but Shukra is known as the son of Kavya. There is no mention of Kavi’s wife. Kavi was the son of Bhrigu. So either Shukra was born to Bhrigu of another wife, or he was the son of Kavi.

Once the asuras lost a battle with the devas. They came to Shukra for help, but he couldn’t help them, because the devas were supported by Vishnu. He asked them to hold on for a while, and went to Shiva for a special mantra. He meditated, hanging upside down, in Kailash, for a thousand years to please Shiva. During that time, the devas once again attacked the asuras. They approached Kavyamata for help. She looked at the devas and put them into a deep sleep. Vishnu rescued Indra by merging him with his own self. Kavyamata then made Vishnu and Indra immobile, but Vishnu managed to invoke the sudarshana chakra, and cut away Kavyamata’s neck. But Bhrigu arrived there and revived Kavyamata. She was furious and cursed that Vishnu would have to incarnate as a human many times, as per Devibhagavata Chaturthaskanda.

Son of Kavi, a prajapati as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 85. Another name for Shukra.

A river in southern India. Holy places like Kumbhakona, Sriranga are on the banks of this river. This goddess lives in Varuna’s court as per Mahabharata Sabhaparav Chapter 9 verse 20.

Once Agastya prayed to Shiva in Kailash. Asfter many years, Shiva appeared and asked him what boon he desired. During that time, Kaveri was also praying to Shiva nearby. Agastya said that he wanted to establish holy places on earth and required water sources for that. Shiva filled Agastya’s kamandalu with Kaveri. On his way back, Agastya cursed Krauncha and pushed Vindhya downwards. (see Agastya)

He suffered many hardships and finally reached the south. He meditated with the kamandalu in front of him. At that time, Ganesha appeared there as a crow, on Indra’s request and sat at the edge of the kamandalu. The vessel fell and the water became a river. As per Skandapurana Asurakanda, this was Kaveri.

Another name for Kali as per Agnipurana Chapter 278.

Skanda’s attendant as per Mahabharata Shalyaparva Chapter 46.