See Indraprastha

Once, a king named Shwetaki began a yajna that lasted a hundred years. Many brahmins attended as ritwiks. The smoke coming from the sacrificial fire started blinding the ritwiks after many years and they started leaving. Shwetaki prayed to Shiva to show him a ritwik. Shiva asked him to take Durvasa as ritwik. The yajna was then concluded successfully. But Agni, who had been consuming the offerings for many years fell ill and lost his taste. He shared his plight with Brahma who said that he would become normal if he consumed the fat from the enemies of the devas who lived in Khandava. Agni arrived in Khandava, but found Indra’s friend Thakshaka staying there with his family. Agni began consuming the forest. Indra heard of this and decided to save Thakshaka. He made it rain and Agni couldn’t consume the forest. This happened seven times and once again Agni approached Brahma. Brahma told him that when the Naranarayanas incarnated as Krishna and Arjuna, he would be able to fulfill his desire.

Once, when the Pandavas were living in Indraprastha, the heat became unbearable and Arjuna went to Khandava with Krishna and their wives. Agni appeared there as a brahmin and told them his story. He appealed to them for help and they agreed. But they didn’t have sufficient weapons, so Agni prayed to Varuna, who gave Arjuna the Chandradhanus (Gandiva), a quiver with unlimited arrows, a chariot with a monkey on the flag, and to Krishna, the chakra. He also gave Arjuna four white horses. Krishna became Arjuna’s charioteer.

Agni began razing the forest and Arjuna and Krishna guarded the boundaries so that no creature could escape. The creatures began suffocating and many sages complained to Indra. Indra got ready for battle and it started raining over Khandava. Arjuna build a cover of arrows and Agni continued to raze the forest. Thakashaka was in Kurukshetra then. His wife saw their son Ashwasena getting burnt and swallowed him whole. She then raced to the forest edge to save him. Arjuna tried to strike Ashwasena’s head but he was saved by Indra in the nick of time. Arjuna was angry and began killing everything he saw. Arjuna, Krishna and Agni all cursed that Ashwasena would not find refuge anywhere. Ashwasena harboured a grudge against Arjuna for this. During the Mahabharata war, when Arjuna fought Karna, and Karna sent the nagastra against Arjuna, Aswasena hid in it and burned Arjuna’s crown, but when the arrow returned, Karna refused to accept it because of the curse.

The uragas and garudas battled Arjuna. He hacked them, and the asuras were annihilated by Krishna’s chakra. Indra came to battle on Airavat. Kala, Kuber, Skanda, Ashwinis all joined him. But Krishna and Arjuna prevailed.

Towards the end of the battle, Krishna and Arjuna informed Indra that Thakshaka was in Kurukshetra, and the truth about their identity. Indra blessed them and withdrew from battle. Agni continued burning the forest. Then, Maya emerged from Thakshaka’s lair and requested Krishna and Arjuna to help him. Arjuna saved him.

In the forest, lived a sage named Mandapala. He attained salvation and reached the pitr world, but didn’t get the benefits of his meditation. The sage wanted to know why and the devas told him it was because he did not have any descendants. The sage went back to the forest to marry and have sons. Mandapala married a bird named Jarita and they had four sons – Jaritari, Sarisrikka, Stambamitra, Drona. He then left his wife and children and went behind a woman named Lapita. Before the kids even sprouted feathers, the Khandavadaha began. Jarita knew that she could fly away, but her children couldn’t. She refused to leave them and decided to die with them. The children argued with her. She finally said that there was a rat’s lair beneath the tree, and the rat had been earlier carried away by an eagle. She said that she would place them there and return after the fire had died out. But the children feared there would be other rats there and preferred to die in the fire. Jarita reluctantly flew away. Meanwhile, Mandapala remembered his children, and bidding farewell to Lapita, decided to go to them. Agni’s flames reached the children, who pleaded for mercy. Agni spared them, and Jarita and Mandapala too reached there then. They then lived happily and attained salvation.

Agni went back to devaloka as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapters 223-346.

A region in ancient India as per Mahabharat Dronaparva Chapter 122 verse 41.

Kashyapa’s wife. As per Vishnupurana Ansh 1 Chapter 15 Aditi, Diti, Danu, Arishta, Surasa, Surabhi, Vinata, Tamra, Krodhavasha, Ira, Kadru, Muni were his other wives.

A river in ancient India as per Mahabharata Bhishmaparva Chapter 9 verse 28.

An asura race. As per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 155 verse 22, Vasishta once destroyed the race with his spiritual energy.

Another name for Vishnu as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 17 verse 43.

Skanda’s attendant as per Mahabharata Shalyaparva Chapter 46 verse 22.

Skanda’s attendant as per Mahabharata Shalyaparva Chapter 46 verse 22.

Skanda’s attendant as per Mahabharata Shalyaparva Chapter 46 verse 26.