The person who carries out the kriya in yajnas. Agnidhra, Brahmanachhamsi, Maitra-Varuna, Hotha, Potha, Prashasta, Adhwarya, Gravastut, Brahman, Pratiharta, Subramanya, Ulgata, Pratiprasta, Neshta, Neta, Achhavaka are the 16 ritwiks. Those who conduct yajnas like Agnisnana, Agnishtoma, Pakayajna etc are conducted by ritwiks as per Manusmriti Chapter 2 verse 143.

A devagandharva who attended Arjuna’s birth ceremony as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 122.

A sage who meditated in the western side of India and was a devotee of Varuna as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 150 verse 36.

A chandravanshi king.

A devastri. She attended Arjuna’s birth ceremony with her friends as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 122.

A king belonging to the Ikshvaku dynasty.

Antecedents: Vishnu – Brahma – Marichi – Kashyapa – Vivasvan – Vaivasvatamanu – Ikshvaku – Vikukshi -Shashada – Puranjaya – Kukulstha – Anenas – Pridhulashwa – Prasenjit – Yuvanashwa – Maandaata – Purukutsa – Trasadasyu – Anaranya – Aryashwa – Vasumanas – Sudhanva – Trairyaruna – Satyavrata – Trishanku – Harishchandra – Rohitashwa – Harita – Chunchu – Sudeva – Bharuka – Bahuka – Sagara – Asamanjas – Amshuman -Dilipa – Bhageeratha – Shrutanada – Sindhudweepa – Ayutayus – Rituparna

When Nala was roaming in the forest, separated from Damayanti, Karkodaka bit him and transformed his appearance, but gave him a shawl to revert to his original self whenever he desired. As per Karkodaka’s advice, Nala went as Bahuka to the court of Rituparna, the king of Ayodhya, and stayed there as his charioteer. He reached the court on the tenth day of his exile. He had acquired the knowledge of Ashwahridaya, a mantra to increase the speed of horses.  Rituparna realised this, gave him hundred gold coins and made him head charioteer with 2 assistants – Varshneya and Jivala as per Mahabharata Aranyaparva Chapter 67.

Damayanti got to know that Nala was in Rituparna’s court via the messenger Parnada. To lure him out, Damayanti sent a message to Rituparna via a brahmin called Sudeva asking him to attend her marriage the next day. Rituparna asked Bahuka to get him there fast. On the way, Rituparna’s cloak accidentally fell off. Rituparna asked Nala to stop the chariot, but Nala informed him that the chariot had already crossed a yojana in a second. On seeing a huge tree in the forest, the king informed Nala that that it had 5 crore leaves and 2095 fruits. Nala was amazed. They both confided – Nala was able to drive the chariot with such speed because of the Ashwahridaya mantra, and the king was able to know the number of leaves and fruits because of the Akshahridaya mantra. They taught each other the mantras.

They reached Vidarbha where Damayanti got Nala to reveal himself. Rituparna returned the next day as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 77.

A sage glorified in the Rigveda as per Rigveda Mandala 1 Anuvaka 16 verse 112.

A sage. Jabali was his son. See Vishwakarma for more details.

Also known as Kuvalayashwa, Dhundhumara. A famous king belonging to the Ikshvaku dynasty.

Antecedents: Vishnu – Brahma – Marichi – Kashyapa – Vivasvan – Vaivasvatamanu – Ikshvaku – Vikukshi -Shashada – Puranjaya – Kukulstha – Anenas – Pridhulashwa – Vishagashwa – Adri – Yuvanashwa – Dhundhumara.

His biggest success was the killing of the asura Dhundhu. Before creation, when Vishnu was in yoganidra in Vaikuntha, wax began falling from his ears and it took the form of two asuras who were called Madhu and Kaidabha. Dhundhu was their son. After Dhundhu’s birth, Vishnu placed Madhu and Kaidabha on his thighs and killed them. Dhundhu was angry at Vishnu, and prayed to Brahma for invincibility. Having gained it, he defeated the devas and lay beneath the sand in a desert called Ujjalaka. When he took a deep breath the sky became filled with dust and the earth trembled for a week.

This caused much havoc in the three worlds. The one most affected was Uttanga, a sage who lived near Ujjalaka. When Brihadashwa, Kuvalashwa’s father, belonging to the Ikshvaku dynasty, was about to leave for the forest after entrusting the kingdom to his son, Uttanga reached there and pleaded with him to kill Dhundhu before he left. Brihadashwa passed on the duty to his son and left. Kuvalashwa had 21000 sons and he took them to Ujjalaka to kill Dhundhu. Uttanga predicted that they would get Vishnu’s help in killing Dhundhu. Kuvalashwa’s sons surrounded Dhundhu, who woke up, angry. From his eyes blazed fire, in which Kuvalashwa’s 21000 sons perished. Then Kuvalashwa battled Dhundhu killed him. The devas blessed him and he came to be known as Dhundhumara, as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapters 201-205.

In addition to the 21000 sons, Kuvalashwa’s sons were Dridhashwa, Kapilashwa, and Chandrashwa as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 204 verse 40.

Once, Galava’s meditation was frequently disturbed by the asura Patalaketu. He refused to be distracted but once sighed, looking upwards. A horse immediately appeared from the heavens and a divine voice announced that it could travel a few thousand yojanas in a day. The sage gave the horse to the chandravanshi king Ritadhwaja. The king rode on it to battle Patalaketu and killed him, as per Vamanapurana Chapter 59. The horse had been sent by Vishwavasu, whose daughter Madalasa was once molested by Patalaketu.

Another name for Krishna as per Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 342 verse 62.