Sishupala was ranting and raving about Krishna being offered the arghya for Yudhistira’s Rajasuya. Bhima was angry and wanted to kill the king of Cedi. Bhishma stopped Bhima and narrated the events related to his birth.
Sishupala was born with three eyes and four arms. He brayed like a donkey instead of crying like a human child. This terrified his parents, and they planned to abandon the newborn (as it was a sign that the child would bring destruction). However, a voice from heaven spoke. It said the child would be fortunate and become a warrior. The boy’s death would be in the hands of someone who was already born and brought his weapons into the world with him.
His parents requested a clue about who that person would be. The voice replied that whoever cures the deformity of the child would also be responsible for his death many years later. The then-king of Cedi called for a large celebration and sent invitations to everyone. When the guests arrived, he and his wife placed the baby Sishupala in each of their laps. However, there was no change in the baby’s body.
Krishna and Balarama also attended the event with Vasudeva. The Cedi queen was their paternal aunt (father’s sister). When she placed the baby in Krishna’s lap, the third eye vanished, and the extra arms fell off. Sishupala became a normal baby. Seeing this, his mother requested Krishna for a boon. When Krishna agreed, she asked him to pardon her son’s transgressions and not get angry at him. Krishna assured her that he would pardon a hundred of Sishupala’s offenses, even if they were bad enough to deserve death.
This meant Krishna had to wait until Sishupala committed more than a hundred crimes. It eventually happened during the Rajasuya. Krishna killed Sishupala with his chakra.
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When Sahadeva reached the ocean and the end of the land during his conquests, he thought of Ghatotkacha, Bhima and Hidimbi’s son. The rakshasa appeared immediately and bowed to his uncle. After inquiring about his well-being, Sahadeva asked Ghatotkacha to fly to Lanka and get a tribute from Vibhishana for Yudhistira’s Rajasuya. He asked Ghatotkacha to share the details and was confident that the king of Lanka would be happy to send gifts.
Note: This episode is not a part of the Critical Edition. We used Prof. P Lal’s Complete Edition as our source.
Ghatotkacha took Sahadeva’s blessings and flew across the ocean to land in Lanka. The kingdom was protected by high fort walls on all sides. He was mesmerized by the wealth and beauty of the kingdom. Gold sparkled everywhere on decorations and panels on windows, doors, etc. The grills were made of gold, silver, or ivory.
Drums sounded throughout the kingdom. The parks sparkled with lush trees and flowers. As Bhima’s son walked inside, he saw rakshasa guards carrying tridents. The women were beautiful and dressed in lovely clothes and fine jewelry. None of them were surprised or worried when they spotted a stranger.
Ghatotkacha quickly went to the palace and found a guard. He said that Sahadeva, the youngest son of Pandu, a Kuru ruler, had sent him to meet the king of Lanka. The guard went to inform the same to Vibhishana who granted the audience to the rakshasa.
Bhima’s son marveled at the decorations inside the palace as he walked through the corridors to reach the sabha. He could hear to soothing sound of veena playing somewhere in the palace. He then saw Vibhishana seated on a golden throne and stepped into the long court. Vibhishana looked like a celestial king wearing divine robes and a flower garland. Two girls in golden dresses were fanning him from both sides.
Ghatotkacha saw divinity and dharma radiate from the king. He bowed to Vibhishana in respect and introduced himself. Then, he shared Sahadeva’s message (by first providing the details of his Kuru lineage to help Vibhishana recollect the details). He said that Yudhistira had been ruling Indraprastha and planned to perform the Rajasuya. As a part of this, his younger brother, Sahadeva, conquered the kingdoms in the south and sent Ghatotkacha as a messenger to Lanka. Ghatotkacha also listed the accomplishments of the other Pandavas.
Vibhishana was impressed by Ghatotkacha’s eloquence. He already had a good impression of the Pandavas and was delighted to send his wishes for the yagna. He gave the largest tribute and sent his guards to carry everything wherever Ghatotkacha wanted. This included –
Gold, ivory, gem-studded things, expensive household items, thousands of hand-carved goblets, silver utensils, war weapons, pearls, fourteen palmyra trees to be planted at the palace gates, gem-studded palanquins, expensive coronets, gold armlets and armors, moon-white conch-shells, sandalwood and aloe-wood, woolen clothes, fine robes, and many other precious items.
Ghatotkacha took Vibhishana’s blessings and departed from Lanka with eighty-six night-ranging rakshasas carrying the tribute. They first landed at Sahadeva’s camp near the ocean shore. Ghatotkacha went back to his kingdom. The rakshasas from Lanka carried everything to Indraprastha. They returned to their kingdom after Yudhistira and Sahadeva expressed their pleasure at their service.
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Sahadeva, the youngest of the Pandava brothers, went southward as his older brothers took off in the other directions to conquer the earth for Yudhsitira’s Rajasuya.
Sahadeva’s first stop was the land of Shurasenas. From there, he went to conquer Matsya and moved on to defeat Dantavakra. After accepting tribute, he reinstalled the king on the throne and proceeded to fight Sukumara, King Sumitra, and then the Patachcharas. Sahadeva conquered the Nishadas and the region of the Goshringa Mountain before defeating King Shrenimana and another kingdom.
From there, he went to Kuntibhoja where he was welcomed with love. He proceeded to the banks of River Charmanvati and fought King Jambaka’s son. Sahadeva defeated the Bhoja and went southward. Extracting tribute at every stop, Sahadeva went towards River Narmada and defeated Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti. He moved on to Mahishmati and fought King Nila. This was a terrifying battle between both sides. The horses, chariots, and soldiers from Sahadeva’s army were blazing with fire. At one point, the youngest Pandava brother didn’t know what to do.
That was because the god of fire (Agni Deva) lived in Mahashmati and protected the kingdom. A long time ago, Agni Deva saw King Nila’s daughter during a yagna ceremony and fell in love with her. He disguised himself as a Brahmin to meet the girl. King Nila saw him with his daughter and was furious. Agni Deva revealed his true form, and Nila bowed to him. He willingly got his daughter married to the god of fire. Agni Deva blessed Nila that his kingdom would be safe from invasions and his army wouldn’t ever face fear in a battle. Additionally, the women in the kingdom no longer had to live with restrictions and had more freedom.
Sahadeva decided to appease Agni Deva. He purified himself with water and requested Agni Deva to not cause an obstruction to Yudhistira’s sacrifice. He sat on the ground with kusa grass right at the front to protect his army. The fire didn’t cross him to harm his troops. Agni Deva said that he was bound by his word to protect Mahismati as long as there was an heir to the throne. However, he also wouldn’t stop Sahadeva from achieving his goal.
Seeing Agni Deva retreat from Sahadeva impressed King Nila. He stopped the battle and welcomed the Pandava to his kingdom. Nila offered the tribute and promised to attend the Rajasuya.
Sahadeva went to defeat the Traipuras (Cedis) with King Potana and Ahriti, the king of Saurashtra. Sahadeva sent a missive to King Rukmin Bhishmaka of Bhojakata who responded in kind and offered the tribute. Then, he went to Shurparaka and Upakrita and defeated many clans ruling these lands. Next, Sahadeva moved towards Dandaka to conquer the mleccha kings, the man-eating nishadas, the Karnapravaranas, and the Kalamukhas (a cross between men and rakshasas) who lived along the Kolla Mountains.
His next stops were Murachipattana, the island known as Tamra, Mount Ramaka, and King Timingila. He sent messengers to rulers in the forests, and cities of Samjayanti, Picchanda, and Karahataka. Sahadeva used the same technique to subjugate the Pandyas, the Dravidas, the Chodras, the Keralas, the Andhras, the Talavanas, the Kalingas, the Ushtrakarnikas, the Antakhis, the Romas, and the city of the Greeks.
Nakula went westwards to conquer the kingdoms on this side while his brothers went in other directions. They had to conquer the entire world to make Yudhistira eligible for the Rajasuya.
Nakula’s journey followed Krishna’s earlier path as he conquered the same kingdoms. His first stop was Rohitaka, a land known for his cattle, grains, and wealth. He fought and defeated the Mattamayuraka warriors before proceeding towards the desert regions. This land was known as Sairishaka and was famous for its grain. Nakula’s conquests included the Maheccha, the Shibis, the Trigartas, the Ambashthas, the Malavas, the five groups of Karpatas, and the Brahmins Madhyamikaya and Vatadhana.
He then defeated the Utsavasamketa clans from the Pushkara forest, the Gramaneyas on the banks of River Sindu, and many clans of shudras and abhiras (cowherds) who lived alongside River Saraswati. Nakula proceeded to the land of five rivers and moved on to the mountains, the western Paryatas, the northern Jyotika, and a city named Vrindataka and Dwarapala. He defeated the Harhunas and other kings in the west.
As Nakula went further ahead, he sent a message to Krishna in Dwarka who along with ten other kingdoms in the region happily accepted Yudhistira’s rule and sent their tributes. From there, the fourth Pandava brother went to Shakala, a city in Madra. His maternal uncle, King Shalya, welcomed him and offered the tribute voluntarily. Shalya accepted the invitation to the Rajasuya yagna.
Nakula’s next stops were the kingdoms of fearful mlecchas, the Pahlavas, and the Barbaras alongside the ocean. He turned back to Indraprastha since there weren’t any kingdoms in the ocean.
Nakula brought so much wealth that even ten thousand camels could carry it with much difficulty.
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The four younger Pandava brothers went on the dijvijaya yatra at the same time to conquer the kingdoms. When Arjuna traveled north, Bhima went eastwards with a large army.
Bhima started with Panchala. Here, he didn’t have to fight. After accepting the tribute happily offered by his in-laws, he went on to defeat the Gandakis, the Videhas, and the Dasharnas. In Dasharna, King Sudharma fought and displayed his valor, that too without using any weapons. Bhima was so impressed that he made Sudharma the supreme general of his army and invited him to Yudhistira’s Rajasuya with respect.
From there, Bhima proceeded to Rochamana and his younger brother. Next, he moved south towards the Pulindas to conquer Sukumara and Sumitra. He went to Cedi where Sishupala welcomed him heartily. He agreed to pay tribute to Yudhistira and promised to attend the Rajasuya. Bhima stayed in Cedi for thirty nights as a guest before resuming his conquests.
Then, he vanquished Kumara Shrenimana and Brihadbala of Kosala. He defeated Dirghaprajna in Ayodhya, conquered the land of Gopalakaccha and the northern Sottamas, and fought the king of the Mallas. He also won Jaradgava along the Himalayan slope and defeated many nearby kingdoms. He also conquered Unnata and the mountains of Kukshimanta, before entering Kashi and defeating King Subandhu.
Next, Bhima fought and subdued King Kratha of Suparshva, the Matsyas, Gayas, King Mardavika, and King Mahidhara before turning northward towards the foothills. Here, he won over the Vatsas, the Bhargas, the Nishadas, and many lands owned by Manimana. Then, the second Pandava brother fought the southern Mallas and Bhogavanta. He went on to accept the truce of the Sharmakas, the Varmakasa, and King Janaka of Videha. Bhima stayed back in Videha for a while to defeat the kings from nearby kingdoms.
Bhima defeated the Suhmas and eastern Suhmas to reach Magadha where he was welcomed by Jarasandha’s son. Next, he went to Anga to fight Karna and defeated him. He conquered more kingdoms near the mountains and faced Modagiri. He also fought Vasudeva, the king of Poundra, and another king from the regions of Kaushiki. Next, Bhima conquered Vanga by defeating King Kacha. He fought Samudrasena and King Chandrasena of Tamralipta.
He journeyed along the ocean to defeat the mlecchas and reached Louhitya (Brahmaputra River) to conquer more kingdoms on the islands. Here, he extracted gems, sandalwood, garments, pearls, silver, coral, etc., as tribute.
Carrying all the wealth, Bhima returned to Indraprastha and filled the treasury.
Before the Rajasuya, the four younger Pandava brothers went in different directions to conquer the kingdoms and bring tribute to Indraprastha. Yudhistira stayed back and ruled the land. Arjuna went northwards, and his conquests were described in detail in Sabha Parva.
Arjuna set out with a large army after obtaining permission from his older brother and the blessings of the Brahmins. Armed with his inextinguishable quivers and Gandiva bow, he got into the chariot gifted by Agni Deva and rode ahead.
His first stop was the Kulinda (Kuninda), Anarta, and Kalakuta kingdoms. He appointed Sumandala as the chief of the rear end of his army and continued toward Shakala and King Prativindhya, one of the seven Dvipas. Arjuna fought an intense battle with the kings of Shakala and defeated them all.
From there, he proceeded to Pragjyotisha, ruled by Bhagadatta. They fought for eight days before Bhagadatta chose to make peace. He smiled and praised Arjuna for being a dominant warrior and offered him a gift. Arjuna informed him about the Rajasuya and asked for tribute. He also invited the king to attend the celebrations. Bhagadatta agreed to pay the tribute and said he was a good friend of Arjuna’s father (Indra) and was happy to do so.
Arjuna then went to the mountains, which were protected by Kubera. He conquered kingdoms in the inner, outer, and upper mountain regions. Next, he went to Kuluta, ruled by Brihanta. The king faced the Pandava with a fourfold army. However, he realized he couldn’t face Arjuna and agreed to a truce. He paid the tribute and accepted the invitation to attend the Rajasuya yagna.
Next, Arjuna defeated Senabindu, Modapura, Vamadeva, Sudamana, and Susamkula before reaching north Kuluta and conquering those kingdoms. He set up his army base in Divahprastha and fought King Vishvagashva Pourava. Defeating him, Arjuna tackled the even mountain-dwelling dacoit tribes known as Utsavasamketa. Then, he conquered Kashmir and Lohita kingdoms. From there, he went to defeat the Trigartas, the Darvas, the Kokanadas, the Abhisaris, and the Rochamanas, who lived in Urasha. He conquered the city of Simhapure, protected by Chitrayudhasura.
Arjuna continued his conquests and added the Suhmas and the Cholas (not the southern Cholas) to the list. He even defeated Bahlika and moved to subdue the Daradas and the Kambojas. He also tackled the bandits living in the forests in the northeast before fighting the Lohas, the Kambojas, and the northern Rishikas. After the battle with the Rishikas, he got eight horses in the color of a parrot’s breast.
Conquering the Himalayas and Nishkuta Mountains, he crossed the white mountains to the land of the Kimpurushas protected by Drumaputra. Another intense battle took place here. Arjuna then went to Hataka, protected by Guhyaka, where they signed a truce. Next, he went to Lake Manasa and visited the regions where rishis lived. From there, he conquered the lands of the gandharvas and got horses in the color of partridges and with speckles.
Arjuna traveled to the northern part of Harivarsha. However, the giant guards at the entrance informed him that he could not enter the protected lands. Anyone who entered those cities would have to die. They said they were pleased with his conquests and wished him luck. The land of the north kurus cannot have wars, and even if Arjuna entered, he wouldn’t see anything inside. They added that if he wanted anything, he could ask them, and they would give it. He respectfully replied that he wouldn’t enter if it was forbidden for humans. However, he needed a little tribute to take back as a sign of the kingdom’s support for Yudhistira’s Rajasuya. The guards gave him divine garments, ornaments, etc.
When he reached the end, Arjuna turned back towards Indraprastha with all the wealth and tributes he collected.
When Krishna visited Indraprastha, Yudhistira asked for his opinion about performing the Rajasuya yagna. Krishna said Yudhistira was worthy of the yagna, but first, they had to take some steps, such as killing Jarasandha of Magadha, freeing the other kings from imprisonment, and conquering the four sides of the earth.
Here, Krishna narrated the events related to the birth of Jarasandha and why he had to be killed by Bhima.
A long time ago, Brihadratha was the king of Magadha. He was a powerful warrior with three akshauhinis of the army – a handsome man with radiant energy like the sun. He married the twin daughters of the king of Kashi and loved them equally. He treated them as his equal partners and never showed preference or partiality to either. However, they couldn’t have children no matter how much they tried and how many sacrifices and yagnas they conducted.
One day, Chandakaushika, the son of Rishi Kakshivat, stopped at Magadha to stay in the kingdom for a few days. The king visited the rishi and paid his respects. He made proper arrangements for the rishi’s stay in the kingdom. Pleased with this, Chandakaushika offered the king a boon.
Brihadratha replied that he had decided to give up the kingdom and go to the forest with his wives as he was unfortunate to not have an heir. The rishi closed his eyes to meditate. Just then, a mango from the tree he was sitting under fell into his lap. The rishi offered the mango to Brihadratha and told him to give it to his queen. He recited a mantra to charge the fruit and said it would give him a son.
Since Brihadratha had two wives, he cut the mango into two equal parts and gave one piece each to them. Soon, the queens conceived and were delighted. However, they gave birth to two half-formed babies. Each part has one hand, one leg, etc. Heartbroken, the queens cried. The midwives wrapped the pieces in a cloth and took them out of the back gates to discard the malformed infants. They left the bundle near a forest.
A while later, a rakshasi named Jara smelled human scent and went in search of food. She lived in the same forest and was a meat eater. She saw the bundle and removed the wrappings. This caused the two parts of the infants to come together. Right before her eyes, the deformed parts became a full-bodied, healthy boy. The newborn opened his eyes and let out a loud cry. Jara knew she couldn’t eat this baby.
Meanwhile, the cry reached the queens in the palace, and they felt their breast milk flow. They rushed out to see Jara holding a baby in her arms. The rakshasi managed to shape-shift into a presentable appearance by then.
Brihadratha and his wives reclaimed their son with immense gratitude. The king asked Jara who she was. She replied that she was a rakshasi who could change forms at will and lived happily in his forest. Jara said she was safe in his kingdom and wanted to return the favor by returning the child. Then, she vanished.
The king named his son Jarasandha after the rakshasi who saved his life. He crowned the boy his heir. A few years later, Rishi Chandakaushika visited Magadha again. The king and queens went to pay homage to the rishi, who blessed them and said that he was aware of all that occurred. The rishi said Jarasandha would grow up to be a formidable ruler with no equal and that he would bring other kings under his subjugation.
When Jarasandha was old enough, Brihadratha and his wives took up vanaprastha and went to live the rest of their lives in the forest. Jarasandha achieved all that was predicted by the rishi.
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Dwarka was the kingdom Krishna built for his people with help from Vishwakarma, the celestial architect. Located to the West of Kuru and near the ocean, it was protected on four sides by high hills.
The kingdom was enclosed within gigantic walls and had gates on four sites. The main entrance was called Vardhamana. Inside the gates, the kingdom was neatly planned to accommodate several thousands of residents, with gardens, parks, etc.
The gardens always flourished with flowering plants and fruit-laden trees and resembled the Nandana in heaven. The royal buildings shone like the sun and moon. The city was surrounded by moats filled with blooming lotus flowers. The Raivataka Hill was on the east on Dwarka, the Latavesta (Rainbow Hill) on the south, Sukaksa Hill on the west, and the Venumanta Hill on the north. Krishna personally planted Vaijayanthi flags on each hill to ensure the safety of Dwarka. The Hamsakuta Hill was also located near Dwarka and was sixty palm trees tall and one yojana in width.
One could see the forests of Panchajanya and Sarvartuka from the Raivataka Hill. This was also the hill where the Yadavas celebrated their yearly festival of worshiping the mountain. The forests of Citrapushpa, Satapatra, Karavira, and Kusumbhi surrounded the Sukaksa Hill, while the Venumanta Hill provided great sights of the Caitraratha, Nandana, Ramana, and Bhavana forests. To the west of Dwarka was a large lake named Pushkarini, which measured a hundred bow lengths. Indradyumna was another big lake in the city and was the favorite spot of the kinnaras.
There were a total of fifty gates to enter Dwarka and each of them was fortified with spear-like and circular devices that prevented enemies from breaching or entering without permission. Outside the city gates, eight thousand chariots sat ready for the warriors to drive.
The central area of the city was approximately eight yojanas wide and twelve yojanas long. The adjoining sections were double this size. It boasted eight major main roads and sixteen crossroads with an intricate network of bylanes. The city was well-connected throughout. There were exclusive herb gardens with all healing herbs from Mount Meru. Krishna brought many plants and trees from Brahma’s world and planted them in Dwarka.
Houses had large windows, flags, and colorful roofs. Music was constantly played in the city and in every house. The upper rooms of the houses displayed bird cages and were studded with gems on the outside. The city glittered like a jewel everywhere. The houses were made of gold, silver, marble, bricks, and other items, depending on the owner’s choice. Every house in Dwarka had bells.
The colors used on the walls and houses were shades of gold, white, cream, etc. This led to a soothing and pleasant feeling.
Krishna’s entire palace was four yojanas square and had countless rooms and mini houses inside. The one where he lived was one yojana square with golden-domed roofs designed to suit Rukmini’s taste. Satyabhama’s palace was white with a gem-studded staircase, a lovely garden, and colorful flags. Jambavati’s palace was between Rukmini’s and Satyabhama’s with a main door glowing like Jambu gold and with the radiance of Mount Kailasa.
Sukesi, Suprabha (palace named Padmakuta), Lakshmana, and Mitravinda also had their own palaces. Mitravinda’s palace was blue-toned and made of lapis lazuli, the same shade as Krishna’s skin. Sudatta’s palace was called Ketuman.
Krishna had his personal resting place or palace called Viraja where he spent some time alone whenever necessary. It was one yojana square and decorated with precious stones, flags, etc.
Numerous birds, animals, cattle, etc., were also found in Dwarka, enjoying the beautiful gardens. Many animals roamed nearby in the surrounding forests. The ocean was to the west side of the kingdom.
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Kubera is also known as Vaishravana. His sabha is white in color (like Varuna’s) and is a hundred yojanas long and seventy yojanas wide. He built his sabha himself (like Indra). It is luminous as the moon and is located in the sky at the peak of Mount Kailasa. The sabha is held aloft by the guhyakas.
Kubera’s sabha is filled with tall golden trees and oozes divine fragrance. Extensive coral trees, scented groves, and water lilies are found in abundance. Alaka and Nandana gardens belong to this sabha. Vaishravana sits on the throne wearing colorful robes and glittering ornaments and garlands. He is handsome and surrounded by a thousand women. Many gandharvas, yakshas, and apsaras sing and dance here. The sabha is never empty. Someone will always be dancing or singing in ecstasy.
Apsaras like Mishrakeshi, Rambha, the sweet-smiling Chitrasena, Charunetra, Ghritachi, Menaka, Punjikasthala, Vishvachi, Sahajanya, Pramlocha, Urvashi, Ira, Varga, Sourabheyi, Samichi, Budbuda and Lata are a part of Kubera’s sabha.
Kinnaras, naras (humans), and many others are guests here. Nalakubera (Kubera’s son) is always in the sabha. Others like Narada Muni visit often. Shiva (Pasupati), Parvati (Uma), and their thousands of followers (dwarves, pichasas, etc.) sit with Vaishravana in this sabha.
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The sabha of Brahma Deva was not an easy place to enter, not even for Narada Muni. Surya Deva described the details of the exquisite sabha and advised Narada to perform tapasya to gain entry.
Brahma’s sabha is a place where there is no fatigue or exhaustion. It doesn’t have a fixed form or shape and constantly changes in appearance. The dimensions are also a mystery and ever-changing. It is a place to experience the pleasure of the mind and has the right temperatures with a radiance brighter than the sun. A person who enters this sabha will no longer feel hungry, thirsty, or tired.
Brahma sits in the sabha surrounded by his countless children created from his mind, arms, chest, legs, etc. Apart from them (Daksha, Pracheta, Pulastya, Pulaha, Marichi, Kashyapa, Bhrigu, Atri, Vasishtha, Goutama, and Angiras), the sabha also has the mind, sky, knowledge, senses, wind, water, moon, sun, constellations, and all the elements that play a role in evolution. The gandharvas and apsaras go to the sabha together with the twenty-seven stars and other planets like Shukra, Brihaspati, as well as Rahu and Ketu. The Maruts, Vedas, Vishwakarma, Vedangas, Shastras, somas, seven kinds of speech, Savitri mantra, learning, wisdom, knowledge, fame, intelligence, forgiveness, etc., are also a part of Brahma’s sabha.
The six seasons, day and night, five yugas, the wheel of time, Vasus, Rudras, Adityas, Ashvins, Sadhyas, Vishvadevas, etc., attend the sabha alongside the guhyakas, rakshasas, pisachas, danavas, birds, animals, and serpents. Even the Valakhilya rishis can be found here.
Anything and everything found across the universe (living and nonliving) belongs to Brahma’s sabha. The place pulses with divine energy which cannot be found anywhere else.
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Yama (Yama Dharmaraja) is the son of the sun god and is also known as Vaivasvata Yama. His sabha was built by Vishwakarma, the celestial architect.
Yama Dharmaraja’s sabha is a hundred yojanas long and can travel anywhere in the universe. It has the perfect temperature (neither hot nor cold). Grief, pain, hunger, thirst, old age, misery, fatigue, and obstructions cannot be found in this sabha. All human and divine desires can be satisfied here. There is enough food and drink for everyone and anyone. The water is tasty and can be found in hot and cold temperatures. The trees bear delicious fruit at all times.
Rajarishis and Brahmacharis attend Yama. Yayati, Nahusha, Puru, Mandhata, and many famous kings can be found in this sabha, including Pandu. Rishis like Agastya and Matanga as well as Kala, Mrithyu, Siddhas, and ancestors who performed severe austerities are a part of Yama’s sabha. Men who died on winter solstice and those who performed evil deeds are present in this sabha.
Trees like palasha, shimshapa, kusa grass, kasha, etc., are found here. The sabha is filled with several kings who act as courtiers of Yama Dharmaraja. However, the place never feels crowded. Everyone in the sabha wears spotless clothes, bracelets, earrings, and flower garlands. They sing, dance, eat, drink, and have a happy time. Gandharvas and apsaras are found even in Yama’s sabha (they travel from one sabha to another).
Sacred sounds, flowers, and fragrances fill the sabha to create a divine atmosphere. Ten million men wait upon the guests in the sabha.
Here’s the list of kings in Yama’s sabha –
Yayati, Nahusha, Puru, Mandhata, Somaka, Nriga, Trasadasyu, Turaya, Kritavirya, Shrutashrava, Aripranuda, Susimha, Kritavega, Kriti, Nimi, Pratardana, Shibi, Matysa, Prithavaksha, Brihadratha, Aida, Marutta, Kushika, Samkashya, Samkriti, Bhava, Chaturashva, Sadashvormi, the king Kartavirya, Bharata, Suratha, Sunitha, Nala from Nishadha, Divodasa, Sumana, Ambarisha, Bhagiratha, Vyashva, Sadashva, Vadhryashva, Panchahasta, Prithushrava, Rushadgu, Vrishasena, the immensely powerful Kshupa, Rushadashva, Vasumana, Purukutsa, Dhvaji, Rathi, Arshtishena, Dilipa, Usinara, Oushinara, Pundarika, Sharyati, Sharabha, Shuchi, Anga, Arishta, Vena, Duhshanta, Sanjaya, Jaya, Bhangasvari, Sunitha, Nishadha, Tvishiratha, Karandhama, Bahlika, Sudyumna, the powerful Madhu, Kapotaroma, Trinaka, Sahadeva, Arjuna, Dasharathi Rama, Lakshmana, Pratardana, Alarka, Kakshasena, Gaya, Gourashva, Jamadagni Parasurama, Nabhaga, Sagara, Bhuridyumna, Mahashva, Prithvashva, Janaka, the king Vainya, Varishena, Puraja, Janamejaya, Brahmadatta, Trigarta, King Uparichara, Indradyumna, Bhimajanu, Gaya, Prishtha, Naya, Padma, Muchukunda, Bhuridyumna, Prasenajit, Arishtanemi, Pradyumna, Prithagashva, Ajaka, the one hundred kings from Matsya, the hundred Nipas, the hundred Hayas, the one hundred Dhritarashtras, the eighty Janamejayas, the one hundred Brahmadattas, the one hundred fighting Iris, Shantanu, Pandu, Ushadgava, Shataratha, Devaraja, Jayadratha, Vrishadarbhi, Dhaman and his ministers and thousands of Shashabindus.
Note: The numbers mentioned indicate all the kings with the same name. Repeating the same names as ancestors was common in ancient times.
The celestial courtrooms aka sabhas were radiant, powerful, magical, and glorious. Here, Narada described the beauty of an underwater sabha belonging to Varuna.
Varuna’s sabha is present underwater as he is the god of water/ rain. The sabha’s dimensions are the same as Yama’s sabha (hundred yojanas). It looks just as brilliant with white walls and portals. This sabha was also built by Vishwakarma, the celestial architect. He would perform intense tapasya before building every sabha to retain its sanctity.
Located underwater, the sabha is surrounded by bejeweled trees that bloom with flowers and fruits. Blue, black, yellow, white, and red flowers carpet the pathways. Thousands of birds of all varieties can be found in the sabha’s gardens, singing melodiously. The sabha has a pleasant atmosphere and the right temperature.
Varuna adorns the throne with his wife Varuni dressed in celestial attire and jewelry. The Adityas wait upon Varuna and so do the Nagas like Vasuki, Takshaka, Airavata, and many others. Their hoods are marked with auspicious signs and sway to the divine music.
Kings like Bali, Naraka, Prahrada, Viprachitti, the danavas known as Kalakhanjas, Suhanu, Durmukha, Shankha, Sumana, Sumati, Ghatodara, Mahaparshva, Krathana, Pithara, Vishvarupa, Surupa, Virupa, Mahashirsa, Dashagriva, Vali, Meghavasa, Dashavara, Kaitabha, Vitatuta, Samhrada, and Indratapana are a part of Varuna’s sabha. Many daityas and danavas, dressed in rich robes, can also be found here. Varuna rules the sabha holding the dharma’s noose (his weapon).
The oceans, rivers, lakes, fjords, ponds, tanks, springs, fish, and all aquatic creatures are cherished in this sabha. The gandharavas and apsaras often visit to sing and dance, praise Varuna, and make merry.
Mountains with divine herbs and magical properties can be found here. The sabha is so beautiful that one cannot stop staring.
https://draupadiparashakti.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/draupadi-blanc.png00Srivalli Rekha Mantralahttps://draupadiparashakti.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/draupadi-blanc.pngSrivalli Rekha Mantrala2025-02-05 07:56:162025-02-10 08:26:11The Sabha of Varuna – Stories from Sabha Parva
The Birth of Sishupala – Stories from Sabha Parva
Sishupala was ranting and raving about Krishna being offered the arghya for Yudhistira’s Rajasuya. Bhima was angry and wanted to kill the king of Cedi. Bhishma stopped Bhima and narrated the events related to his birth.
Sishupala was born with three eyes and four arms. He brayed like a donkey instead of crying like a human child. This terrified his parents, and they planned to abandon the newborn (as it was a sign that the child would bring destruction). However, a voice from heaven spoke. It said the child would be fortunate and become a warrior. The boy’s death would be in the hands of someone who was already born and brought his weapons into the world with him.
His parents requested a clue about who that person would be. The voice replied that whoever cures the deformity of the child would also be responsible for his death many years later. The then-king of Cedi called for a large celebration and sent invitations to everyone. When the guests arrived, he and his wife placed the baby Sishupala in each of their laps. However, there was no change in the baby’s body.
Krishna and Balarama also attended the event with Vasudeva. The Cedi queen was their paternal aunt (father’s sister). When she placed the baby in Krishna’s lap, the third eye vanished, and the extra arms fell off. Sishupala became a normal baby. Seeing this, his mother requested Krishna for a boon. When Krishna agreed, she asked him to pardon her son’s transgressions and not get angry at him. Krishna assured her that he would pardon a hundred of Sishupala’s offenses, even if they were bad enough to deserve death.
This meant Krishna had to wait until Sishupala committed more than a hundred crimes. It eventually happened during the Rajasuya. Krishna killed Sishupala with his chakra.
Ghatotkacha in Lanka – Stories from Sabha Parva
When Sahadeva reached the ocean and the end of the land during his conquests, he thought of Ghatotkacha, Bhima and Hidimbi’s son. The rakshasa appeared immediately and bowed to his uncle. After inquiring about his well-being, Sahadeva asked Ghatotkacha to fly to Lanka and get a tribute from Vibhishana for Yudhistira’s Rajasuya. He asked Ghatotkacha to share the details and was confident that the king of Lanka would be happy to send gifts.
Note: This episode is not a part of the Critical Edition. We used Prof. P Lal’s Complete Edition as our source.
Ghatotkacha took Sahadeva’s blessings and flew across the ocean to land in Lanka. The kingdom was protected by high fort walls on all sides. He was mesmerized by the wealth and beauty of the kingdom. Gold sparkled everywhere on decorations and panels on windows, doors, etc. The grills were made of gold, silver, or ivory.
Drums sounded throughout the kingdom. The parks sparkled with lush trees and flowers. As Bhima’s son walked inside, he saw rakshasa guards carrying tridents. The women were beautiful and dressed in lovely clothes and fine jewelry. None of them were surprised or worried when they spotted a stranger.
Ghatotkacha quickly went to the palace and found a guard. He said that Sahadeva, the youngest son of Pandu, a Kuru ruler, had sent him to meet the king of Lanka. The guard went to inform the same to Vibhishana who granted the audience to the rakshasa.
Bhima’s son marveled at the decorations inside the palace as he walked through the corridors to reach the sabha. He could hear to soothing sound of veena playing somewhere in the palace. He then saw Vibhishana seated on a golden throne and stepped into the long court. Vibhishana looked like a celestial king wearing divine robes and a flower garland. Two girls in golden dresses were fanning him from both sides.
Ghatotkacha saw divinity and dharma radiate from the king. He bowed to Vibhishana in respect and introduced himself. Then, he shared Sahadeva’s message (by first providing the details of his Kuru lineage to help Vibhishana recollect the details). He said that Yudhistira had been ruling Indraprastha and planned to perform the Rajasuya. As a part of this, his younger brother, Sahadeva, conquered the kingdoms in the south and sent Ghatotkacha as a messenger to Lanka. Ghatotkacha also listed the accomplishments of the other Pandavas.
Vibhishana was impressed by Ghatotkacha’s eloquence. He already had a good impression of the Pandavas and was delighted to send his wishes for the yagna. He gave the largest tribute and sent his guards to carry everything wherever Ghatotkacha wanted. This included –
Gold, ivory, gem-studded things, expensive household items, thousands of hand-carved goblets, silver utensils, war weapons, pearls, fourteen palmyra trees to be planted at the palace gates, gem-studded palanquins, expensive coronets, gold armlets and armors, moon-white conch-shells, sandalwood and aloe-wood, woolen clothes, fine robes, and many other precious items.
Ghatotkacha took Vibhishana’s blessings and departed from Lanka with eighty-six night-ranging rakshasas carrying the tribute. They first landed at Sahadeva’s camp near the ocean shore. Ghatotkacha went back to his kingdom. The rakshasas from Lanka carried everything to Indraprastha. They returned to their kingdom after Yudhistira and Sahadeva expressed their pleasure at their service.
Sahadeva Conquers the Southern Kingdoms – Stories from Sabha Parva
Sahadeva, the youngest of the Pandava brothers, went southward as his older brothers took off in the other directions to conquer the earth for Yudhsitira’s Rajasuya.
Sahadeva’s first stop was the land of Shurasenas. From there, he went to conquer Matsya and moved on to defeat Dantavakra. After accepting tribute, he reinstalled the king on the throne and proceeded to fight Sukumara, King Sumitra, and then the Patachcharas. Sahadeva conquered the Nishadas and the region of the Goshringa Mountain before defeating King Shrenimana and another kingdom.
From there, he went to Kuntibhoja where he was welcomed with love. He proceeded to the banks of River Charmanvati and fought King Jambaka’s son. Sahadeva defeated the Bhoja and went southward. Extracting tribute at every stop, Sahadeva went towards River Narmada and defeated Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti. He moved on to Mahishmati and fought King Nila. This was a terrifying battle between both sides. The horses, chariots, and soldiers from Sahadeva’s army were blazing with fire. At one point, the youngest Pandava brother didn’t know what to do.
That was because the god of fire (Agni Deva) lived in Mahashmati and protected the kingdom. A long time ago, Agni Deva saw King Nila’s daughter during a yagna ceremony and fell in love with her. He disguised himself as a Brahmin to meet the girl. King Nila saw him with his daughter and was furious. Agni Deva revealed his true form, and Nila bowed to him. He willingly got his daughter married to the god of fire. Agni Deva blessed Nila that his kingdom would be safe from invasions and his army wouldn’t ever face fear in a battle. Additionally, the women in the kingdom no longer had to live with restrictions and had more freedom.
Sahadeva decided to appease Agni Deva. He purified himself with water and requested Agni Deva to not cause an obstruction to Yudhistira’s sacrifice. He sat on the ground with kusa grass right at the front to protect his army. The fire didn’t cross him to harm his troops. Agni Deva said that he was bound by his word to protect Mahismati as long as there was an heir to the throne. However, he also wouldn’t stop Sahadeva from achieving his goal.
Seeing Agni Deva retreat from Sahadeva impressed King Nila. He stopped the battle and welcomed the Pandava to his kingdom. Nila offered the tribute and promised to attend the Rajasuya.
Sahadeva went to defeat the Traipuras (Cedis) with King Potana and Ahriti, the king of Saurashtra. Sahadeva sent a missive to King Rukmin Bhishmaka of Bhojakata who responded in kind and offered the tribute. Then, he went to Shurparaka and Upakrita and defeated many clans ruling these lands. Next, Sahadeva moved towards Dandaka to conquer the mleccha kings, the man-eating nishadas, the Karnapravaranas, and the Kalamukhas (a cross between men and rakshasas) who lived along the Kolla Mountains.
His next stops were Murachipattana, the island known as Tamra, Mount Ramaka, and King Timingila. He sent messengers to rulers in the forests, and cities of Samjayanti, Picchanda, and Karahataka. Sahadeva used the same technique to subjugate the Pandyas, the Dravidas, the Chodras, the Keralas, the Andhras, the Talavanas, the Kalingas, the Ushtrakarnikas, the Antakhis, the Romas, and the city of the Greeks.
Next, we went to Bharukaccha and finally reached the end of the land. From here, Sahadeva sent Ghatotkacha to Vibhishana of Lanka who was happy to provide a massive tribute to Yudhistira.
The youngest Pandava brother returned to Indraprastha with overwhelming amounts of wealth and gifts. Read about Arjuna, Bhima, and Nakula’s conquests.
Nakula Conquers the Western Kingdoms – Stories from Sabha Parva
Nakula went westwards to conquer the kingdoms on this side while his brothers went in other directions. They had to conquer the entire world to make Yudhistira eligible for the Rajasuya.
Nakula’s journey followed Krishna’s earlier path as he conquered the same kingdoms. His first stop was Rohitaka, a land known for his cattle, grains, and wealth. He fought and defeated the Mattamayuraka warriors before proceeding towards the desert regions. This land was known as Sairishaka and was famous for its grain. Nakula’s conquests included the Maheccha, the Shibis, the Trigartas, the Ambashthas, the Malavas, the five groups of Karpatas, and the Brahmins Madhyamikaya and Vatadhana.
He then defeated the Utsavasamketa clans from the Pushkara forest, the Gramaneyas on the banks of River Sindu, and many clans of shudras and abhiras (cowherds) who lived alongside River Saraswati. Nakula proceeded to the land of five rivers and moved on to the mountains, the western Paryatas, the northern Jyotika, and a city named Vrindataka and Dwarapala. He defeated the Harhunas and other kings in the west.
As Nakula went further ahead, he sent a message to Krishna in Dwarka who along with ten other kingdoms in the region happily accepted Yudhistira’s rule and sent their tributes. From there, the fourth Pandava brother went to Shakala, a city in Madra. His maternal uncle, King Shalya, welcomed him and offered the tribute voluntarily. Shalya accepted the invitation to the Rajasuya yagna.
Nakula’s next stops were the kingdoms of fearful mlecchas, the Pahlavas, and the Barbaras alongside the ocean. He turned back to Indraprastha since there weren’t any kingdoms in the ocean.
Nakula brought so much wealth that even ten thousand camels could carry it with much difficulty.
Read about Arjuna, Bhima, and Sahadeva’s conquests.
Bhima Conquers the Eastern Kingdoms – Stories from Sabha Parva
The four younger Pandava brothers went on the dijvijaya yatra at the same time to conquer the kingdoms. When Arjuna traveled north, Bhima went eastwards with a large army.
Bhima started with Panchala. Here, he didn’t have to fight. After accepting the tribute happily offered by his in-laws, he went on to defeat the Gandakis, the Videhas, and the Dasharnas. In Dasharna, King Sudharma fought and displayed his valor, that too without using any weapons. Bhima was so impressed that he made Sudharma the supreme general of his army and invited him to Yudhistira’s Rajasuya with respect.
From there, Bhima proceeded to Rochamana and his younger brother. Next, he moved south towards the Pulindas to conquer Sukumara and Sumitra. He went to Cedi where Sishupala welcomed him heartily. He agreed to pay tribute to Yudhistira and promised to attend the Rajasuya. Bhima stayed in Cedi for thirty nights as a guest before resuming his conquests.
Then, he vanquished Kumara Shrenimana and Brihadbala of Kosala. He defeated Dirghaprajna in Ayodhya, conquered the land of Gopalakaccha and the northern Sottamas, and fought the king of the Mallas. He also won Jaradgava along the Himalayan slope and defeated many nearby kingdoms. He also conquered Unnata and the mountains of Kukshimanta, before entering Kashi and defeating King Subandhu.
Next, Bhima fought and subdued King Kratha of Suparshva, the Matsyas, Gayas, King Mardavika, and King Mahidhara before turning northward towards the foothills. Here, he won over the Vatsas, the Bhargas, the Nishadas, and many lands owned by Manimana. Then, the second Pandava brother fought the southern Mallas and Bhogavanta. He went on to accept the truce of the Sharmakas, the Varmakasa, and King Janaka of Videha. Bhima stayed back in Videha for a while to defeat the kings from nearby kingdoms.
Bhima defeated the Suhmas and eastern Suhmas to reach Magadha where he was welcomed by Jarasandha’s son. Next, he went to Anga to fight Karna and defeated him. He conquered more kingdoms near the mountains and faced Modagiri. He also fought Vasudeva, the king of Poundra, and another king from the regions of Kaushiki. Next, Bhima conquered Vanga by defeating King Kacha. He fought Samudrasena and King Chandrasena of Tamralipta.
He journeyed along the ocean to defeat the mlecchas and reached Louhitya (Brahmaputra River) to conquer more kingdoms on the islands. Here, he extracted gems, sandalwood, garments, pearls, silver, coral, etc., as tribute.
Carrying all the wealth, Bhima returned to Indraprastha and filled the treasury.
Read about Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva’s conquests.
Arjuna Conquers the Northern Kingdoms – Stories from Sabha Parva
Before the Rajasuya, the four younger Pandava brothers went in different directions to conquer the kingdoms and bring tribute to Indraprastha. Yudhistira stayed back and ruled the land. Arjuna went northwards, and his conquests were described in detail in Sabha Parva.
Arjuna set out with a large army after obtaining permission from his older brother and the blessings of the Brahmins. Armed with his inextinguishable quivers and Gandiva bow, he got into the chariot gifted by Agni Deva and rode ahead.
His first stop was the Kulinda (Kuninda), Anarta, and Kalakuta kingdoms. He appointed Sumandala as the chief of the rear end of his army and continued toward Shakala and King Prativindhya, one of the seven Dvipas. Arjuna fought an intense battle with the kings of Shakala and defeated them all.
From there, he proceeded to Pragjyotisha, ruled by Bhagadatta. They fought for eight days before Bhagadatta chose to make peace. He smiled and praised Arjuna for being a dominant warrior and offered him a gift. Arjuna informed him about the Rajasuya and asked for tribute. He also invited the king to attend the celebrations. Bhagadatta agreed to pay the tribute and said he was a good friend of Arjuna’s father (Indra) and was happy to do so.
Arjuna then went to the mountains, which were protected by Kubera. He conquered kingdoms in the inner, outer, and upper mountain regions. Next, he went to Kuluta, ruled by Brihanta. The king faced the Pandava with a fourfold army. However, he realized he couldn’t face Arjuna and agreed to a truce. He paid the tribute and accepted the invitation to attend the Rajasuya yagna.
Next, Arjuna defeated Senabindu, Modapura, Vamadeva, Sudamana, and Susamkula before reaching north Kuluta and conquering those kingdoms. He set up his army base in Divahprastha and fought King Vishvagashva Pourava. Defeating him, Arjuna tackled the even mountain-dwelling dacoit tribes known as Utsavasamketa. Then, he conquered Kashmir and Lohita kingdoms. From there, he went to defeat the Trigartas, the Darvas, the Kokanadas, the Abhisaris, and the Rochamanas, who lived in Urasha. He conquered the city of Simhapure, protected by Chitrayudhasura.
Arjuna continued his conquests and added the Suhmas and the Cholas (not the southern Cholas) to the list. He even defeated Bahlika and moved to subdue the Daradas and the Kambojas. He also tackled the bandits living in the forests in the northeast before fighting the Lohas, the Kambojas, and the northern Rishikas. After the battle with the Rishikas, he got eight horses in the color of a parrot’s breast.
Conquering the Himalayas and Nishkuta Mountains, he crossed the white mountains to the land of the Kimpurushas protected by Drumaputra. Another intense battle took place here. Arjuna then went to Hataka, protected by Guhyaka, where they signed a truce. Next, he went to Lake Manasa and visited the regions where rishis lived. From there, he conquered the lands of the gandharvas and got horses in the color of partridges and with speckles.
Arjuna traveled to the northern part of Harivarsha. However, the giant guards at the entrance informed him that he could not enter the protected lands. Anyone who entered those cities would have to die. They said they were pleased with his conquests and wished him luck. The land of the north kurus cannot have wars, and even if Arjuna entered, he wouldn’t see anything inside. They added that if he wanted anything, he could ask them, and they would give it. He respectfully replied that he wouldn’t enter if it was forbidden for humans. However, he needed a little tribute to take back as a sign of the kingdom’s support for Yudhistira’s Rajasuya. The guards gave him divine garments, ornaments, etc.
When he reached the end, Arjuna turned back towards Indraprastha with all the wealth and tributes he collected.
Read about Bhima, Nakula, and Sahadeva’s conquests.
The Birth of King Jarasandha – Stories from Sabha Parva
When Krishna visited Indraprastha, Yudhistira asked for his opinion about performing the Rajasuya yagna. Krishna said Yudhistira was worthy of the yagna, but first, they had to take some steps, such as killing Jarasandha of Magadha, freeing the other kings from imprisonment, and conquering the four sides of the earth.
Here, Krishna narrated the events related to the birth of Jarasandha and why he had to be killed by Bhima.
A long time ago, Brihadratha was the king of Magadha. He was a powerful warrior with three akshauhinis of the army – a handsome man with radiant energy like the sun. He married the twin daughters of the king of Kashi and loved them equally. He treated them as his equal partners and never showed preference or partiality to either. However, they couldn’t have children no matter how much they tried and how many sacrifices and yagnas they conducted.
One day, Chandakaushika, the son of Rishi Kakshivat, stopped at Magadha to stay in the kingdom for a few days. The king visited the rishi and paid his respects. He made proper arrangements for the rishi’s stay in the kingdom. Pleased with this, Chandakaushika offered the king a boon.
Brihadratha replied that he had decided to give up the kingdom and go to the forest with his wives as he was unfortunate to not have an heir. The rishi closed his eyes to meditate. Just then, a mango from the tree he was sitting under fell into his lap. The rishi offered the mango to Brihadratha and told him to give it to his queen. He recited a mantra to charge the fruit and said it would give him a son.
Since Brihadratha had two wives, he cut the mango into two equal parts and gave one piece each to them. Soon, the queens conceived and were delighted. However, they gave birth to two half-formed babies. Each part has one hand, one leg, etc. Heartbroken, the queens cried. The midwives wrapped the pieces in a cloth and took them out of the back gates to discard the malformed infants. They left the bundle near a forest.
A while later, a rakshasi named Jara smelled human scent and went in search of food. She lived in the same forest and was a meat eater. She saw the bundle and removed the wrappings. This caused the two parts of the infants to come together. Right before her eyes, the deformed parts became a full-bodied, healthy boy. The newborn opened his eyes and let out a loud cry. Jara knew she couldn’t eat this baby.
Meanwhile, the cry reached the queens in the palace, and they felt their breast milk flow. They rushed out to see Jara holding a baby in her arms. The rakshasi managed to shape-shift into a presentable appearance by then.
Brihadratha and his wives reclaimed their son with immense gratitude. The king asked Jara who she was. She replied that she was a rakshasi who could change forms at will and lived happily in his forest. Jara said she was safe in his kingdom and wanted to return the favor by returning the child. Then, she vanished.
The king named his son Jarasandha after the rakshasi who saved his life. He crowned the boy his heir. A few years later, Rishi Chandakaushika visited Magadha again. The king and queens went to pay homage to the rishi, who blessed them and said that he was aware of all that occurred. The rishi said Jarasandha would grow up to be a formidable ruler with no equal and that he would bring other kings under his subjugation.
When Jarasandha was old enough, Brihadratha and his wives took up vanaprastha and went to live the rest of their lives in the forest. Jarasandha achieved all that was predicted by the rishi.
The City of Dwarka – Stories from Sabha Parva
Dwarka was the kingdom Krishna built for his people with help from Vishwakarma, the celestial architect. Located to the West of Kuru and near the ocean, it was protected on four sides by high hills.
The kingdom was enclosed within gigantic walls and had gates on four sites. The main entrance was called Vardhamana. Inside the gates, the kingdom was neatly planned to accommodate several thousands of residents, with gardens, parks, etc.
The gardens always flourished with flowering plants and fruit-laden trees and resembled the Nandana in heaven. The royal buildings shone like the sun and moon. The city was surrounded by moats filled with blooming lotus flowers. The Raivataka Hill was on the east on Dwarka, the Latavesta (Rainbow Hill) on the south, Sukaksa Hill on the west, and the Venumanta Hill on the north. Krishna personally planted Vaijayanthi flags on each hill to ensure the safety of Dwarka. The Hamsakuta Hill was also located near Dwarka and was sixty palm trees tall and one yojana in width.
One could see the forests of Panchajanya and Sarvartuka from the Raivataka Hill. This was also the hill where the Yadavas celebrated their yearly festival of worshiping the mountain. The forests of Citrapushpa, Satapatra, Karavira, and Kusumbhi surrounded the Sukaksa Hill, while the Venumanta Hill provided great sights of the Caitraratha, Nandana, Ramana, and Bhavana forests. To the west of Dwarka was a large lake named Pushkarini, which measured a hundred bow lengths. Indradyumna was another big lake in the city and was the favorite spot of the kinnaras.
There were a total of fifty gates to enter Dwarka and each of them was fortified with spear-like and circular devices that prevented enemies from breaching or entering without permission. Outside the city gates, eight thousand chariots sat ready for the warriors to drive.
The central area of the city was approximately eight yojanas wide and twelve yojanas long. The adjoining sections were double this size. It boasted eight major main roads and sixteen crossroads with an intricate network of bylanes. The city was well-connected throughout. There were exclusive herb gardens with all healing herbs from Mount Meru. Krishna brought many plants and trees from Brahma’s world and planted them in Dwarka.
Houses had large windows, flags, and colorful roofs. Music was constantly played in the city and in every house. The upper rooms of the houses displayed bird cages and were studded with gems on the outside. The city glittered like a jewel everywhere. The houses were made of gold, silver, marble, bricks, and other items, depending on the owner’s choice. Every house in Dwarka had bells.
The colors used on the walls and houses were shades of gold, white, cream, etc. This led to a soothing and pleasant feeling.
Krishna’s entire palace was four yojanas square and had countless rooms and mini houses inside. The one where he lived was one yojana square with golden-domed roofs designed to suit Rukmini’s taste. Satyabhama’s palace was white with a gem-studded staircase, a lovely garden, and colorful flags. Jambavati’s palace was between Rukmini’s and Satyabhama’s with a main door glowing like Jambu gold and with the radiance of Mount Kailasa.
Sukesi, Suprabha (palace named Padmakuta), Lakshmana, and Mitravinda also had their own palaces. Mitravinda’s palace was blue-toned and made of lapis lazuli, the same shade as Krishna’s skin. Sudatta’s palace was called Ketuman.
Krishna had his personal resting place or palace called Viraja where he spent some time alone whenever necessary. It was one yojana square and decorated with precious stones, flags, etc.
Numerous birds, animals, cattle, etc., were also found in Dwarka, enjoying the beautiful gardens. Many animals roamed nearby in the surrounding forests. The ocean was to the west side of the kingdom.
The Sabha of Kubera – Stories from Sabha Parva
Kubera is also known as Vaishravana. His sabha is white in color (like Varuna’s) and is a hundred yojanas long and seventy yojanas wide. He built his sabha himself (like Indra). It is luminous as the moon and is located in the sky at the peak of Mount Kailasa. The sabha is held aloft by the guhyakas.
Kubera’s sabha is filled with tall golden trees and oozes divine fragrance. Extensive coral trees, scented groves, and water lilies are found in abundance. Alaka and Nandana gardens belong to this sabha. Vaishravana sits on the throne wearing colorful robes and glittering ornaments and garlands. He is handsome and surrounded by a thousand women. Many gandharvas, yakshas, and apsaras sing and dance here. The sabha is never empty. Someone will always be dancing or singing in ecstasy.
Apsaras like Mishrakeshi, Rambha, the sweet-smiling Chitrasena, Charunetra, Ghritachi, Menaka, Punjikasthala, Vishvachi, Sahajanya, Pramlocha, Urvashi, Ira, Varga, Sourabheyi, Samichi, Budbuda and Lata are a part of Kubera’s sabha.
Kinnaras, naras (humans), and many others are guests here. Nalakubera (Kubera’s son) is always in the sabha. Others like Narada Muni visit often. Shiva (Pasupati), Parvati (Uma), and their thousands of followers (dwarves, pichasas, etc.) sit with Vaishravana in this sabha.
Also, read about Indra’s Sabha, Yama’s Sabha, Brahma’s Sabha, and Varuna’s Sabha.
The Sabha of Brahma – Stories from Sabha Parva
The sabha of Brahma Deva was not an easy place to enter, not even for Narada Muni. Surya Deva described the details of the exquisite sabha and advised Narada to perform tapasya to gain entry.
Brahma’s sabha is a place where there is no fatigue or exhaustion. It doesn’t have a fixed form or shape and constantly changes in appearance. The dimensions are also a mystery and ever-changing. It is a place to experience the pleasure of the mind and has the right temperatures with a radiance brighter than the sun. A person who enters this sabha will no longer feel hungry, thirsty, or tired.
Brahma sits in the sabha surrounded by his countless children created from his mind, arms, chest, legs, etc. Apart from them (Daksha, Pracheta, Pulastya, Pulaha, Marichi, Kashyapa, Bhrigu, Atri, Vasishtha, Goutama, and Angiras), the sabha also has the mind, sky, knowledge, senses, wind, water, moon, sun, constellations, and all the elements that play a role in evolution. The gandharvas and apsaras go to the sabha together with the twenty-seven stars and other planets like Shukra, Brihaspati, as well as Rahu and Ketu. The Maruts, Vedas, Vishwakarma, Vedangas, Shastras, somas, seven kinds of speech, Savitri mantra, learning, wisdom, knowledge, fame, intelligence, forgiveness, etc., are also a part of Brahma’s sabha.
The six seasons, day and night, five yugas, the wheel of time, Vasus, Rudras, Adityas, Ashvins, Sadhyas, Vishvadevas, etc., attend the sabha alongside the guhyakas, rakshasas, pisachas, danavas, birds, animals, and serpents. Even the Valakhilya rishis can be found here.
Anything and everything found across the universe (living and nonliving) belongs to Brahma’s sabha. The place pulses with divine energy which cannot be found anywhere else.
Also, read about Indra’s Sabha, Yama’s Sabha, Kubera’s Sabha, and Varuna’s Sabha.
The Sabha of Yama Dharmaraja – Stories from Sabha Parva
Yama (Yama Dharmaraja) is the son of the sun god and is also known as Vaivasvata Yama. His sabha was built by Vishwakarma, the celestial architect.
Yama Dharmaraja’s sabha is a hundred yojanas long and can travel anywhere in the universe. It has the perfect temperature (neither hot nor cold). Grief, pain, hunger, thirst, old age, misery, fatigue, and obstructions cannot be found in this sabha. All human and divine desires can be satisfied here. There is enough food and drink for everyone and anyone. The water is tasty and can be found in hot and cold temperatures. The trees bear delicious fruit at all times.
Rajarishis and Brahmacharis attend Yama. Yayati, Nahusha, Puru, Mandhata, and many famous kings can be found in this sabha, including Pandu. Rishis like Agastya and Matanga as well as Kala, Mrithyu, Siddhas, and ancestors who performed severe austerities are a part of Yama’s sabha. Men who died on winter solstice and those who performed evil deeds are present in this sabha.
Trees like palasha, shimshapa, kusa grass, kasha, etc., are found here. The sabha is filled with several kings who act as courtiers of Yama Dharmaraja. However, the place never feels crowded. Everyone in the sabha wears spotless clothes, bracelets, earrings, and flower garlands. They sing, dance, eat, drink, and have a happy time. Gandharvas and apsaras are found even in Yama’s sabha (they travel from one sabha to another).
Sacred sounds, flowers, and fragrances fill the sabha to create a divine atmosphere. Ten million men wait upon the guests in the sabha.
Here’s the list of kings in Yama’s sabha –
Yayati, Nahusha, Puru, Mandhata, Somaka, Nriga, Trasadasyu, Turaya, Kritavirya, Shrutashrava, Aripranuda, Susimha, Kritavega, Kriti, Nimi, Pratardana, Shibi, Matysa, Prithavaksha, Brihadratha, Aida, Marutta, Kushika, Samkashya, Samkriti, Bhava, Chaturashva, Sadashvormi, the king Kartavirya, Bharata, Suratha, Sunitha, Nala from Nishadha, Divodasa, Sumana, Ambarisha, Bhagiratha, Vyashva, Sadashva, Vadhryashva, Panchahasta, Prithushrava, Rushadgu, Vrishasena, the immensely powerful Kshupa, Rushadashva, Vasumana, Purukutsa, Dhvaji, Rathi, Arshtishena, Dilipa, Usinara, Oushinara, Pundarika, Sharyati, Sharabha, Shuchi, Anga, Arishta, Vena, Duhshanta, Sanjaya, Jaya, Bhangasvari, Sunitha, Nishadha, Tvishiratha, Karandhama, Bahlika, Sudyumna, the powerful Madhu, Kapotaroma, Trinaka, Sahadeva, Arjuna, Dasharathi Rama, Lakshmana, Pratardana, Alarka, Kakshasena, Gaya, Gourashva, Jamadagni Parasurama, Nabhaga, Sagara, Bhuridyumna, Mahashva, Prithvashva, Janaka, the king Vainya, Varishena, Puraja, Janamejaya, Brahmadatta, Trigarta, King Uparichara, Indradyumna, Bhimajanu, Gaya, Prishtha, Naya, Padma, Muchukunda, Bhuridyumna, Prasenajit, Arishtanemi, Pradyumna, Prithagashva, Ajaka, the one hundred kings from Matsya, the hundred Nipas, the hundred Hayas, the one hundred Dhritarashtras, the eighty Janamejayas, the one hundred Brahmadattas, the one hundred fighting Iris, Shantanu, Pandu, Ushadgava, Shataratha, Devaraja, Jayadratha, Vrishadarbhi, Dhaman and his ministers and thousands of Shashabindus.
Note: The numbers mentioned indicate all the kings with the same name. Repeating the same names as ancestors was common in ancient times.
Also, read about Indra’s Sabha, Brahma’s Sabha, Kubera’s Sabha, and Varuna’s Sabha.
The Sabha of Varuna – Stories from Sabha Parva
The celestial courtrooms aka sabhas were radiant, powerful, magical, and glorious. Here, Narada described the beauty of an underwater sabha belonging to Varuna.
Varuna’s sabha is present underwater as he is the god of water/ rain. The sabha’s dimensions are the same as Yama’s sabha (hundred yojanas). It looks just as brilliant with white walls and portals. This sabha was also built by Vishwakarma, the celestial architect. He would perform intense tapasya before building every sabha to retain its sanctity.
Located underwater, the sabha is surrounded by bejeweled trees that bloom with flowers and fruits. Blue, black, yellow, white, and red flowers carpet the pathways. Thousands of birds of all varieties can be found in the sabha’s gardens, singing melodiously. The sabha has a pleasant atmosphere and the right temperature.
Varuna adorns the throne with his wife Varuni dressed in celestial attire and jewelry. The Adityas wait upon Varuna and so do the Nagas like Vasuki, Takshaka, Airavata, and many others. Their hoods are marked with auspicious signs and sway to the divine music.
Kings like Bali, Naraka, Prahrada, Viprachitti, the danavas known as Kalakhanjas, Suhanu, Durmukha, Shankha, Sumana, Sumati, Ghatodara, Mahaparshva, Krathana, Pithara, Vishvarupa, Surupa, Virupa, Mahashirsa, Dashagriva, Vali, Meghavasa, Dashavara, Kaitabha, Vitatuta, Samhrada, and Indratapana are a part of Varuna’s sabha. Many daityas and danavas, dressed in rich robes, can also be found here. Varuna rules the sabha holding the dharma’s noose (his weapon).
The oceans, rivers, lakes, fjords, ponds, tanks, springs, fish, and all aquatic creatures are cherished in this sabha. The gandharavas and apsaras often visit to sing and dance, praise Varuna, and make merry.
Mountains with divine herbs and magical properties can be found here. The sabha is so beautiful that one cannot stop staring.
Also, read about Indra’s Sabha, Brahma’s Sabha, Kubera’s Sabha, and Yama’s Sabha.