The daughter of Matali, Indra’s charioteer. She was more beautiful and chaste than her other friends.

Matali went searching for a husband for her and finally, along with Narada reached patala. There, they met a naga named Sumukha. Matali felt that Sumukha would make a good husband for his daughter, but it had only been a month since Garuda had eaten Sumukha’s father Chikura, and Garuda had warned that he would eat Sumukha in a month. Sumukha had been living with his grandfather Aryaka when Matali found him. When Narada asked Aryaka, he was happy to get Sumukha married to Gunakeshi, but they were worried about Garuda. They approached Indra for a solution. Vishnu happened to be there and when Indra heard the story, he agreed to extend Sumukha’s life. Sumukha married Gunakeshi but Garuda was furious when he heard of it. He insulted Indra and Vishnu. Vishnu extended his right arm to Garuda and asked him if he could bear it on his chest. Garuda attempted it but felt the weight of the three worlds and admitted defeat, as per Mahabharata Udyogaparva Chapter 105.

Another name for Arjuna as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 138 verse 8. He got this name by conquering sleep.

A king in Bharata’s dynasty as per Bhagavata Panchamaskanda.

A famous gandharva. When he learned that Pulastya didn’t care much for music, he began annoying the sage with the sounds of a pig. The sage cursed him and made him an actual pig until he was released when he died at the hands of Ikshvaku as per Padmapurana Srishtikhanda Chapter 46.

See Bhagvad Gita

An attendant of Skanda as per Mahabharata Shalyaparva Chapter 46 verse 7.

A city mentioned several times in puranas.

In the Puruvansh, there was once a king named Kusha. Kusha had four sons with the princess of Vidarbha – Kushamba, Kushanabha, Asurtarajas, Vasu. As per their father’s instructions, each of them built a city and started living there. Kushamba built Kaushambi, Kushanabha Mahodayapura, Asurtarajas Dharmaranya and Vasu Girivraja as per Ramayana Balakanda Sarga 32.

Vasu’s son was Brihadratha and his son was Jarasandha. During Jarasandha’s time, it was a resplendent city nestled between five mountains as per Mahabharata Sabhaparva Chapter 21. Jarasandha imprisoned several other kings here. Once, because of his hatred towards Krishna, he swung his mace a 100 times and threw it at Mathura. Krishna, Arjuna and Bhima entered Girivraja in disguise and succeeded in killing Jarasandha. They installed his son as king as per Mahabharata Sabhaparva Chapter 24.

Once the king Dhundhumara gave up the blessings of gods and slept here, as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 6 verse 39.

A mountain in Nishadha. Indra once hid here as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 315 verse 13.

See Gunanidhi

A region in north east India as per Mahabharata Bhishmaparva Chapter 9 verse 42.