A region in ancient India. Its king visited Yudhishtira with many presents as per Mahabharata Sabhaparva Chapter 51 verse 17.

A shudra girl who lived in Ushinara’s kingdom. Gautama’s son Kakshivan and others were born to her as per Mahabharata Sabhaparva Chapter 21 verse 5.

Another name for Shibi, the son of Ushinara.

A sage, and son of Angiras, he is mentioned in the Rigveda. He was a member of Yudhishtira’s court as per Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 208.

A king in ancient India, who was considered an equal to Indra, as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 1 verse 226.

A holy place on the banks of the Saraswati. As per the Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 83, Brahma, and many devas and sages lived here for a while.

The place is also known as Kapalamochana. In Dandakaranya, Rama killed a lot of demons. The skulls of many of these demons, carried away by Rama’s arrows, fell in a forest nearby. Later, when the sage Mahodara was walking through this area, one of the skulls pierced his foot. It not only became a huge sore, but the sage was not able to remove the skull from his foot. He visited many holy places but could not find a way to remove it. Finally he reached Oushanas. There, not only did he manage to remove the skull, he also received many powers. Thus this place also came to be known as Kapalamochana. After this, Brahma, Balarama, Vishwamitra and many others visited this place as per Mahabharata Shalyaparva Chapter 39.

A brahmin who lived in Malavadesa. His wife was Sumedha and they had a daughter called Shamika. She was married at a young age to Mandara, the son of Dhaumaka and the disciple of Shaukana, but she continued to live with her parents. Later, after that had grown up, Mandara came to collect her. Ourva blessed them both and sent them on their way. During their journey they saw the sage Bhrishundi and started laughing. The sage cursed them and transformed them into trees.

Ourva and Shaunaka realised that the couple were missing and started searching for them. They came to know of the curse and began praying. Ourva entered the Shamika tree as fire and Shaunaka made a Ganesha idol out of the Mandara tree. Pleased with their prayers, Ganesha released the couple from the curse as per Ganeshapurana.

Also known as Oorva and Ooruja. He was a famous sage in the dynasty of Bhrigu.

Antecedents: Vishnu – Brahma – Bhrigu – Chyavana – Ourva.

Chyavana married Arushi, daughter of Manu and Ourva was born to them. Jamadagni and Parashurama were his descendants.

Bhrigu’s descendants were the spiritual gurus of the Hehaya dynasty. Kritavirya, a famous king in this dynasty, and father of Kartaviryarjuna spent his childhood in Bhrigu’s hermitage for his education. After completing it, he rewarded the sages there wh became rich. Though Kritavirya died later, his sons were not happy at the wealth having been given away. Many of the sages had buried their wealth and once, a king found buried wealth in one of the Bhargava sages’ homes. From then on, the Kshatriyas started raiding the Bhargava homes. The Bhargavas fled and among them was Arushi, who hid her pregnancy in her Ooru (thigh) and stayed in a remote place in the Himalayas. A hundred years later, she was spotted by another brahmin woman, who conveyed this to the kshatriyas. They reached there. Suddenly Arushi’s child came out of her thigh and he was called Ourva  (from ooru) as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 178.

Ourva emerged in a blazing fire and the kshatriya kings were blinded by it. They pleaded with him and regained their sight as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 179.

Ourva was angry at the kshatriyas for attacking his forefathers. He started meditating with the aim of destroying all three worlds. The world started burning and the pitrs tried to calm Ourva. Ourva told them that when he was hidden in his mother’s thigh, he had heard a cry, and that was from the wives of sages who were being hunted by the kshatriyas. From then, I have been angry at the kshatriyas. The pitrs tried to convince him once more telling him that the world would end because of him. He then calmed down and he deposited his anger in the ocean. It manifested itself as a horsehead and drunk up the ocean dry. It is believed that it still exists in the ocean, and from it emerges fire. It is called Bandhavagni as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 180.

Ayodhya was ruled by Subahu, an Ikshvaku king at that time. His wife, Saushilyadi, a Yadavi, was a pious woman. Once Talajankha, a Hehaya kingfrom Mahishtati conquered Ayodhya and that was the time that the queen was pregnant. She was poisoned by the other jealous queens, but she survived, though the child was affected. After being defeated by Talajankha, Subahu and his queen took refuge in Ourva’s hermitage. After 7 years, Subahu died and when the queen tried to follow her husband into the pyre, Ourva stopped her. He told her that in a few months she would deliver a child who was destined for greatness. The queen gave up her plans of killing herself and in a few months delivered a boy. Since the child had survived the poison (gara) and survived in the womb for 7 years, Ourva named him Sagara as per Brahmandapurna Chapters 16,17.

Vinata’s son Garuda had a sister named Sumati. Once the sage Upamanyu had a desire to marry her. But her relatives were not happy with the proposal. This angered the sage and he cursed that the brahmin who married her would die. Thus Sumati remained unmarried. Vinata had a sanyasini friend who lived in the forest and she sent Garuda to discuss this issue with her. She suggested that he visit Ourva in the Gandhamadana mountains to solve this. It was at this time that the citizens of Ayodhya arrived at Ourva’s hermitage to enquire about Subahu and his wife. They were sad to hear about Subahu’s death but were glad that his heir Sagara had been born. Garuda arrived there and told Ourva about Sumati’s marriage and Ourva suggested that she marry a kshatriya. Ourva got her married to Sagara, blessed that he would conduct an ashwamedha and send them all back to Ayodhya. There, he managed to defeat his enemies and became emperor as per Brahmandapurana Chapters 18-21.

Sagara ruled for 3000 years. He had two wives Sumati and Keshini, but he was childless. He entrusted the kingdom to his ministers and went to Ourva’s hermitage for a solution. He said that Keshini would have a son who would carry the dynasty forward and Sumati would have 60000 sons who would amount to nothing. Keshini became pregnant and gave birth to Asamanjas. Sumati gave birth to a large piece of meat. When the king was about to throw it away, Ourva arrived there, cut it into 6000o pieces and asked the king to store them in vessels of ghee, and said that each year, a prince would be born from these vessels. Thus 60000 sons were born as per Brahmandapurana Chapter 92.

Sagara spent his last years in Ourva’s hermitage and was advised by the sage on several matters as per Vishnupurana Ansh 3 Chapter 8.

As per Brahmandapurana Chapter 63, all the Bhargava sages lived in the same hermitage. Once Parashurama arrived there and greeted Bhrigu, his wife Khyati, his son Chyavana and Chyavana’s son Ourva.

A region in ancient India. It was conquered by Krishna as per Mahabharata Dronaparva Chapter 11 verse 16.

A holy place in ancient India. It got its name because of the sage Uddalaka who lived there. Bathing here will rid one of all sins as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 84 verse 161.