A son of Vaivaswatamanu. Vivasvan was born to Kashyapa and Aditi and his son was Vaivaswatamanu. Vaivaswatamanu had a total of 16 sons – Manu, Yama, Yami, Revanta, Ashwinis, Sudyumna, Ikshvaku, Nriga, Sharyati, Dishta, Dhrishta, Karusha, Narishyanda, Nabhaga, Prishadhra, Kavi, the last 10 with his wife Shradha, and the others with Chaya.

A Kaurava as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 107 verse 63. He was killed by Bhima as per Karnaparva Chapter 84.

A sage who excelled in Indra’s court. He is included in the list of sages from the west as per Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 208 verse 30.

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

A sage. Along with other angirasas, he once conducted a satra to ascend heaven. But none of them knew the path to heaven, so they chose Kalyana to find the way. He met a gandharva named Urnayu who was with a few apsaras. He advised the sage. Kalyana conveyed this to the other sages but did not divulge who told him. Though the angirasas attained heaven with the urnayuvam, Kalyana couldn’t because of his half truth and became a leper, as per Panchavimshabrahmana.

A river. It was while traveling on the banks of this river that Drupada met Upayaja as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 166. This was also where Bhrigu blessed Yudhishtira as per Mahabharata Sabhaparva Chapter 78 verse 19. Many believe that this river is the same as Yamuna.

Also known as Kanmashankhri, Mitrasaha, Saudasa, a famous 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 – Sarvakama – Sudasana – Mitrasakha – Kanmashapada

His original name was Mitrasaha. Since he was the son of Sudasa, he was also known as Saudasa, as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva chapter 78. He became known as Kanmashapada or Kanmashankhri on account of Vasishta’s curse.

Mitrasaha ruled Ayodhya well and was known as a great king. His wife was the illustrious Madayanti. But Mitrasaha was once cursed into becoming a rakshasa and roamed the forest for 12 years. The origin of the curse is seen differently in different works.

Once Mitrasaha went into the forest for a hunt. Vishwamitra wanted to make him his disciple. During the hunt, Vasishta’s son Shakti, eldest among hundred sons, and Mitrasaha crossed paths. The sage was a brahmin and the king, a kshatriya, and the question arose as to who should give way. Both refused to relent and finally, Mitrasaha used a whip on Shakti. Shakti cursed that Mitrasaha would become a rakshasa and roam the forest for a dozen years. Vishwamitra, who was watching this, got a pisacha named Kingara to enter the king’s body. The king roamed around as a rakshasa from then on, as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 176.

Another version, from the Uttararamayana, goes that when Mitrasaha was out on a hunt, he saw two tiger cubs, who were rakshasas in disguise. The king killed one of them, and the other immediately turned into his natural self, and disappeared warning the king that it would seek revenge. The king went back to his palace and told Vasishta that he would like to conduct an ashwamedha like his ancestors. Vasishta agreed to help. Later, the rakshasa who had escaped approached Mitrasaha in the form of Vasishta and told the king that he had a desire to eat meat, and the king should send some meat dishes to his hermitage secretly. The king told his queen Madayanti about this. They prepared the dishes and took it to Vasishta’s hermitage. The sage felt that the king was insulting him and cursed him into becoming a rakshasa.

As per Shivapurana Shivaratrimahatmya, Once Mitrasaha killed a rakshasa accidentally while on a hunt. The rakshasa’s younger brother decided to take revenge, and approached the king as a young brahmin cook. The king appointed him in the palace kitchen. During that time, Vasishta reached there on the invitation of Mitrasaha for a shraadh. Mitrasaha welcomed him and asked his cooks to prepare a meal for the sage. The rakshasa cook prepared a meal of human meat and gave it to the sage. Vasishta cursed that the king would roam int he forest as a man-eating rakshasa for 12 years.

Mitrasaha was angry with Vasishta for cursing him and decided to curse the sage, and prepared to recite mantras and throw water on the sage, but Madayanti stopped him. She told him that it was not proper to curse a sage and that the king should drop the water on his own feet. The king did so, and since the cursed water fell on his feet and made them dirty, he came to be known as Kanmashapada or Kanmashankhri, as per Shivapurana Shivaratrimahatmya.

But the king was still angry with Vasishta and his sons. He started roaming the forest as a man eating rakshasa. The first to be devoured was Vasishta’s eldest son Shakti, followed by Vasishta’s other 99 sons. Vasishta was saddened and decided to give up his life. He tried hanging himself, drowning, and many other ways, but failed, as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 177.

Once Uttanga visited Kanmashapada to ask for Madayanti’s earrings for his guru’s wife. See Uttanga.

Once, when Kanmashapada was romaing the forest in his rakshasa form, he saw a sage and his wife Angirasi in coitus. The rakshasa immediately devoured the sage and Angirasi cremated her husband’s remains and then jumped into the fire herself. But before she died, she cursed Kanmashapada that he would die if he touched a woman. The brahmahatya sin followed him in the form of a rakshasa. Kanmashapada ran for help to Janaka and saw the sage Gautama there. The sage advised him to meditate in Gokarna, as per Shivapurana Shivaratrimahatmya.

Towards the end of the curse duration of a dozen years, Vasishta met Kanmashapada. He sprinkled mantra-laden water on the king and he was returned to his former self. They reached the kingdom together. Since the other curse meant that the king couldn’t sleep with Madayanti, he requested Vasishta to produce an heir. Madayanti became pregnant with Vasishta’s child but even after a dozen years, she failed to deliver. She finally broke her womb open with a stone (ashma) and the child thus born was named Ashmaka as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 167.

A horse belonging to the Ulkrishta dynasty. Arjuna got it during his digvijaya from the gandharva kingdom near the Hataka region as per Mahabharata Sabhaparva Chapter 28 verse 6.

A snake mentioned in Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 35 verse 7.

See Kanmashapada.