Creation in the Harivaṃśa: Brahmā to Sagara

The Hari Vaṃśa Parva of the Harivaṃśa begins with creation. Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa places his seed in the waters, and Brahmā is born from a golden egg. Brahmā creates the seven great ṛshis, the devas, the asuras and all other beings. The account then follows the families of Svāyambhuva Manu, Daksha Prajāpati and Kaśyapa, down to the Vaivasvata Manvantara, in which Bhagavān Kṛshṇa was to come.

Nārāyaṇa and the cosmic waters

Before all creation, Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa first made water (nāra). The waters are the birthplace of all beings, and Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa lives within them. This is one reason given for his name Nārāyaṇa. He placed his vīrya (seed) in the waters, and from it came the Hiraṇya-aṇḍa, the golden egg. Brahmā was born from within that egg.

Brahmā stayed inside the egg for a long time. Then he split it in two. From one half he made the earth (bhūmi). From the other half he made the sky (svarga). From the space between the two halves he made the middle region (antarīksha). He set the earth on the waters. He made the ten directions, the sun, time (kāla), mind (manas), speech (vāk), desire (kāma), anger (krodha) and affection (anurāga). (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 1)

Brahmā creates beings

From his mind Brahmā made the seven great ṛshis (the Saptarshis): Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu and Vasishṭha. These ṛshis held the karma-mārga (the path of action) to be the highest. Before them, Brahmā had already brought forth Sanatkumāra, who chose the path of brahmacarya (a life of self-control).

Brahmā then made Rudra in a fierce form. The Saptarshis and Rudra gave rise to families full of children. Among them were the yakshas, the sūryas (solar devas), and Kaśyapa and the other maharshis. Together they made lightning, thunder, clouds, the rainbow, birds, and Parjanya, the deva of rain. For the sake of yajña (the fire ritual) they also made the Ṛgveda, the Yajurveda and the Sāmaveda.

Brahmā then made the devas from his face, the pitṛ-devatās from his chest, human beings from his liṅga, and the asuras from his waist. He also made the ancient devas called the Sādhyas. Countless large and small beings were born from his various limbs. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 1)

After this creation by mind, Brahmā saw that the number of beings was not growing. So he divided his own body into two, one half male and one half female. Through their union a great multitude of beings arose and filled the earth and the sky. Bhagavān Vishṇu then made the Virāṭ-purusha, and from him Manu descended. Manu set the order of the Manvantaras in motion. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 1)

Svāyambhuva Manu and his family

The one called Āpava became a Prajāpati. His wife was Śatarūpā, who was ayonijā (not born from a womb). She performed tapas (austerity) for ten thousand years and then went to her husband. This Āpava is Svāyambhuva Manu, whose Manvantara lasts seventy-one yugas. Through Śatarūpā, Svāyambhuva Manu had a son named Vīra. Vīra’s sons were Priyavrata and Uttānapāda, and he had a daughter named Kāmyā. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 2)

Kāmyā married Priyavrata and had four sons.

Samrāṭ
Kukshi
Virāṭ
Prabhu

The ṛshi Atri took Uttānapāda as his heir.

Uttānapāda and Dhruva

Uttānapāda had four sons by his wife Sūnṛtā. The names given are Dhruva, Kīrtimān, Śiva, Śānta and Ayaspati. Dhruva performed tapas for three thousand divine years. Brahmā was well pleased and gave him a place that has no equal, standing in the northern sky before even the Saptarshis. Śukrācārya sang his praises.

Dhruva’s sons were Ślishṭi, Bhavya and Śambhu. Ślishṭi had five sons by his wife Succāyā: Ripu, Ripuñjaya, Puṇya, Vṛkala and Vṛkatejas. Ripu’s wife Bṛhaspatī had a son named Cākshusha, who became the sixth Manu, Cākshusha Manu. Cākshusha had ten sons by Pushkariṇī. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 2)

Aṅga, Vena and Pṛthu

Ūru was a son of Cākshusha Manu by the daughter of Agni. He had six sons, and the eldest was Aṅga. Aṅga had a son named Vena by Sunīdhā, the daughter of Yama.

Vena turned away from dharma. In his kingdom he forbade yajñas, upasthānas and vaishṭakāras, and he declared that he alone was to be worshipped. The great ṛshis were angry. They first seized Vena and churned his left thigh. From it came a very short, dark man, who became the father of the Nishāda people and of the fisherman jātis. Then the ṛshis churned Vena’s right hand, and Pṛthu was born from it. He blazed like fire and was born already carrying a bow and armour. The people rejoiced at his birth, because he would protect them. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapters 2 and 5)

Pṛthu Cakravartī

Brahmā crowned the son of Vena as Pṛthu, the first king. Pṛthu was the first to perform the Rājasūya yajña. From the soma vessel of that yajña the wise Sūta and Māgadha, the praise-singers, were born. The ṛshis asked them to sing Pṛthu’s praise. They praised him for his truth, his generosity, his patience, his compassion and his devotion to dharma. Pleased, Pṛthu gave the Anūpa country to the Sūta and the Magadha country to the Māgadha.

In the earlier Manvantaras the earth had been uneven. Pṛthu made it level by striking the mountains with his bow. Cities, villages and farming settlements came into being for the first time in this Vaivasvata Manvantara. Pṛthu then milked the earth, who took the form of a cow. Svāyambhuva Manu was the calf. Pṛthu drew out all kinds of grain as her milk, and it feeds people to this day.

In this great milking, the different orders of beings also milked the earth-cow, each with a fitting vessel, and drew out what they needed. These were the devas, ṛshis, pitṛ-devatās, asuras, nāgas, yakshas, gandharvas and others. The earth became Pṛthu’s daughter and received the name Pṛthivī. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapters 5 and 6)

The Pracetasas and the birth of Daksha

Through several generations, Pṛthu’s family came to Prācīnabarhi. He married Svarṇā, the daughter of the ocean. His ten sons were the Pracetasas, all masters of the science of archery. They lay in the ocean and performed tapas for ten thousand years. While they were away, forests covered the earth. The wind could not blow, the sky was hidden, and the people died.

When the Pracetasas rose and saw the state of the world, they let fire and wind out of their mouths and burned the forests. Candra, the lord of all herbs, came to them and calmed their anger. He introduced Mārishā, a woman raised in moonlight, and asked them to take her as their wife. Through her, from the combined tejas (radiance) of the Pracetasas and of Candra himself, Daksha Prajāpati was born. Daksha is thus of the Pracetasa line, and he is also described as born from Brahmā’s thumb. The text says that great beings like Daksha are born again in every yuga, and so they appear in many families. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 2)

Daksha’s children

At first Daksha made children by the power of his mind alone. They were ṛshis, devas, gandharvas, asuras, yakshas, bhūtas, piśācas, animals, birds and serpents. Mind-made creation did not fill the world. So Daksha married Asiknī, the daughter of Prajāpati Vīraṇa, and had five thousand sons called the Haryaśvas. Nārada turned them towards vairāgya (detachment), and they went off in all directions and never came back. Daksha then had another thousand sons, the Śabalāśvas. At Nārada’s urging they also followed their brothers and never returned. In anger, Daksha laid a śāpa (curse) on Nārada, that he would be born again in a womb. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 3)

Daksha’s sixty daughters

Daksha then made sixty daughters by Vāiriṇī. He gave them as follows.

10 to Dharma: Arundhatī, Vasur-yāmī, Lambā, Bhānu, Marutvatī, Saṃkalpa, Muhūrta, Sādhyā, Viśvā and Yāmī-putrikā
13 to Kaśyapa: Aditi, Diti, Danu, Arishṭā, Surasa, Khaśā, Surabhi, Vinatā, Tāmrā, Krodhavaśā, Irā, Kadrū and Muni
27 to Candra, as the Nakshatras
4 to Arishṭanemi
2 to Bhṛgu’s son
2 to Aṅgiras
2 to Kṛśāśva

(Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapters 2 and 3)

Dharma’s ten wives gave birth to the Viśvedevas (from Viśvā), the Sādhya-gaṇa (from Sādhyā), the Marutvants (from Marutvatī), the Bhānu-gaṇa (from Bhānu), the Muhūrta-gaṇa, Ghosha (from Lambā) and Nāgavīdhi (from Yāmī-putrikā).

Kaśyapa’s wives and their children

The thirteen wives of Kaśyapa gave rise to the whole living world. Their children are described in detail.

The Ādityas, from Aditi

In the earlier Cākshusha Manvantara there were twelve chief devas called the Tushitas. As the Vaivasvata Manvantara drew near, they decided together: “For the welfare of all beings, let us all enter Aditi’s womb and be born.” So they were born as Kaśyapa’s sons by Aditi. Their names are Indra, Vishṇu, Aryamā, Dhātā, Tvashṭā, Pūshā, Vivasvat, Savitā, Mitra, Varuṇa, Aṃśa and Bhaga. They are the twelve Ādityas. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 3)

The daityas, from Diti

Kaśyapa had two sons by Diti, Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyāksha, and a daughter, Siṃhikā. Siṃhikā became the wife of Vipracitti, and their sons, the Saindhikeyas, numbered ten thousand. Hiraṇyakaśipu had four sons: Anuhlāda, Hlāda, Prahlāda and Saṃhlāda. Prahlāda’s only son was Virocana. Virocana’s son was Bali Cakravartī. Bali’s sons included Bāṇa, the eldest and most powerful, who was dear to Bhagavān Śiva, and ninety-nine others. Hiraṇyāksha had five mighty sons: Jhara, Śakuni, Bhūtasampāna, Mahānābha and Kālanābha. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 3)

In the Vaivasvata Manvantara the devas and asuras fought, and the asuras were destroyed. Diti grieved for her sons. She asked her husband Kaśyapa for a vara (a boon), a son who could kill Indra. Kaśyapa agreed, on one condition. She had to stay completely pure for one hundred years while she carried the child.

Indra watched for any moment of impurity. When Diti was just short of the hundred years, she went to sleep without washing her feet. Indra entered her womb and split the child into seven pieces with his vajra. The child cried. Indra kept saying “mā ruda” (do not cry), but the child went on weeping. So Indra cut each piece into seven more, making forty-nine pieces. These forty-nine became the Maruts, who then served beside Indra. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 3)

The dānavas, from Danu

Danu had one hundred sons, all fierce warriors. The foremost among them were Dvimūrdha, Śakuni, Śaṅkuśiras, Śaṅkukarṇa, Virādha, Gaveshṭi, Dundubhi, Ayomukha, Śambara, Kapila, Vāmana, Marīci, Maghana, Śambara, Vṛka, Śatahrada, Ekacakra, Tāraka, Vaiśvānara, Puloman, Svarbhānu, Vṛshaparvan and Vipracitti, who was the greatest and most powerful of them. There were many others. Their sons and grandsons are beyond counting. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 3)

Vipracitti had thirteen sons by Siṃhikā: Vaṃśa, Śalya, Nabha, Vātāpi, Namuci, Ilvala, Bāsvama, Añjika, Naraka, Kālanābha, Śuka, Potaraṇa and Vajranābha. Rāhu was the eldest of them all. It is Rāhu who causes the eclipses of the sun and the moon.

Pūlomā and Kālikā, daughters of Vaiśvānara, became wives of Kaśyapa. They bore sixty thousand asuras who lived in Hiraṇyapura. These asuras were so strong that even the devas could not kill them. In the end Arjuna killed them.

The serpents

Surasa bore one thousand serpents, who were always under Garuḍa’s rule. Among the foremost were Śesha, Vāsuki, Takshaka, Airāvata, Mahāpadma, Kambala, Aśvatara, Ailapūtra, Śaṅkha, Karkoṭaka, Dhanañjaya, Mahānīla, Mahākarṇa, Dhṛtarāshṭra, Balāhaka, Kumāra, Pushpadaṃshṭra, Durumukha, Sumukha, Śaṅkhapāla, Kapila, Vāmana, Nahusha, Śaṅkharomā and Maṇi, and many more. Garuḍa killed many of their sons and grandsons. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 3)

Aruṇa and Garuḍa, from Vinatā

Vinatā had two sons, Aruṇa and Garuḍa. Garuḍa became the lord and king of all birds.

Other children of Kaśyapa’s wives

Tāmrā had six daughters: Kāki, Śyeni, Bhāsi, Sugrīvī, Śuci and Gṛdhrikā. They became, respectively, the mothers of crows, owls, vultures, water birds, camels and donkeys, and other creatures. Surabhi bore the cattle: bulls, buffaloes and cows. Irā bore all plant life: trees, creepers and grasses. Khaśā bore the yakshas, rākshasas, munis and apsarases. Arishṭā bore the powerful gandharvas. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 3)

The Rudras, from Surabhi

Surabhi bore eleven Rudras through Kaśyapa. They are Hara, Bahurūpa, Tryambaka, Aparājita, Vṛshākapi, Śambhu, Kapardin, Raivata, Mṛgavyādha, Sarva and Kapāli. All eleven have great tejas. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 3)

The eight Vasus

Eight Vasus of great tejas are also described: Āpa, Dhruva, Soma, Dhara, Anala, Anila, Pratyūsha and Prabhāta.

The sons of Āpa were Vaitaṇḍya, Śrama, Śānta and Muni.
The son of Dhruva was Kāla, who destroys the world.
The son of Candra was Carca.
The sons of Dhara were Draviṇa and Hutahavyavaha.
The sons of Anila by Śivā were Manojava and Avijñātagati.
The son of Pratyūsha was Devala. Devala’s two sons were known as Tapasvin and Kshamāvān.

Prabhāsa had a wife who was the sister of Bṛhaspati. She was a brahmacāriṇī (a woman who keeps a life of self-control) and wandered the earth in renunciation. From them was born Viśvakarmā, the divine builder. He makes the vimānas (flying palaces) of the devas, and his craft is the standard for human craftsmen too. Skanda and Sanatkumāra were born from the fourth aṃśa (part) of Agni-deva. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 3)

Rulers appointed by Brahmā

After he crowned Pṛthu as the first king, Brahmā appointed rulers over all kinds of beings.

Candra over brāhmaṇas, plants, nakshatras, grahas, yajñas and tapas
Bṛhaspati over the whole world of learning
Śukrācārya over the line of Bhṛgu
Vishṇu over the Ādityas
Agni (Pāvaka) over the Vasus
Daksha over the Prajāpatis
Indra over the Maruts
Prahlāda over the asuras
Yama over the pitṛ-devatās
Śiva over the Rudras
Vipracitti over the rākshasas, bhūtas and piśācas
Himavān over the mountains
The ocean over the rivers
Vāyu over sounds and space
Citraratha over the gandharvas
Vāsuki and Takshaka over the serpents
Airāvata over the elephants, and Uccaiḥśravas over the horses
Garuḍa over the birds
The tiger over the beasts, and the bull over the cattle
The aśvattha (pīpal) tree over the plants that bear fruit without visible flowers
Parjanya over the oceans, rivers, clouds and Ādityas
Śesha over the creatures with fangs
Manmatha over the gandharvas and apsarases
The year (saṃvatsara) over all measures of time

For the four directions, Brahmā appointed the dik-pālakas (guardians of the directions). Sudhanvan, son of Vairāja, guards the east. Śaṅkhapāda, son of Prajāpati Kardhama, guards the south. Ketumān, son of Rājasa, guards the west. Hiraṇyaromā guards the north. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 4)

The fourteen Manvantaras

Vaiśampāyana describes the line of Manus, the Saptarshis of each Manvantara, and their groups of devas (deva-gaṇas). The fourteen Manus are as follows.

Svāyambhuva. Saptarshis: Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya and Vasishṭha. Deva-gaṇa: the Yāmulas.
Svārocisha. Saptarshis: Aurva, a son of Vasishṭha, Kāśyapa, Prāṇa, Bṛhaspati, Datta, Atri and Cyavana. Deva-gaṇa: the Tushitas.
Auttama. Saptarshis: the Vāsishṭhas, who are the seven sons of Vasishṭha. Deva-gaṇa: the Bhānu-gaṇa.
Tāmasa. Saptarshis: Kāvya, Pṛthu, Agni, Jihnā-dhātā, Kapivān and Akāpivān. Deva-gaṇa: the Satyas.
Raivata. Saptarshis: Vedabāhu, Yadughna, Munivedaśiras, Hiraṇyaromā, Parjanya, Somapūtra, Ūrdhvabāhu and others. Deva-gaṇas: the Pāriplava and Raibhya groups, who are of the quality of rajas.
Cākshusha. Saptarshis: Bhṛgu, Nabha, Vivasvān, Sudhāmā, Virāja, Atināma and Sahishṇu. Deva-gaṇas: Ādya, Prabhūta, Ṛshi-Ṛbhu and Lekha.
Vaivasvata (the present one). Saptarshis: Atri, Vasishṭha, Kaśyapa, Gautama, Bharadvāja, Viśvāmitra and Jamadagni, the son of Ṛcīka. Deva-gaṇas: the Sādhyas, Viśvedevas, Rudras, Vasus, Maruts, Ādityas and the two Aśvinī-kumāras. Manu’s ten sons include Ikshvāku.

The Manus still to come are Sāvarṇi (the first, a son of Sūrya), then four more Sāvarṇis, who are sons of Brahmā and did tapas on Mount Meru and are called the Merusāvarṇis. After them come Raucya, the son of Prajāpati Ruci, and Bhautya, the son of Prajāpati Bhūti.

Each Manvantara has seventy-one catur-yugas. At the end of a Manvantara, the four groups of seven ṛshis finish their work and go to Brahmaloka. New ṛshis of great tapas then fill the empty places. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 7)

Cosmic time

The text gives exact measures of time.

15 nimeshas (blinks) = 1 kāshṭhā
30 kāshṭhās = 1 kalā
30 kalās = 1 muhūrta
30 muhūrtas = 1 day and night (ahorātra)
15 days = 1 paksha; 2 pakshas = 1 month; 2 months = 1 ṛtu; 3 ṛtus = 1 ayana; 2 ayanas = 1 year

For the pitṛ-devatās, two pakshas of human time make one day. The kṛshṇa-paksha is their day and the śukla-paksha is their night. This is why śrāddha is done in the kṛshṇa-paksha.

For the devas, one human year is one divine day. The uttarāyaṇa is the day and the dakshiṇāyana is the night. For Manu, ten divine years make one of Manu’s days.

The yugas are measured in Manu’s years: Satya is 4000, Tretā is 3000, Dvāpara is 2000 and Kali is 1000. Each also has a twilight period, of 400, 300, 200 and 100 years. A catur-yuga is 12,000 Manu-years in all.

Seventy-one catur-yugas make one Manvantara. One thousand yugas make one day of Brahmā, which is one kalpa. During Brahmā’s night, also one thousand yugas, the mountains and forests sink into the ocean. Ten thousand Manvantaras make one year of Brahmā.

At the end of each kalpa, all beings enter the body of Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa. Brahmā sleeps within Bhagavān Vishṇu for a thousand of Brahmā’s years. At daybreak he rises again to begin the next creation. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 8)

Sūrya and the birth of Vaivasvata Manu

Kaśyapa’s son by Dākshāyaṇī (Aditi) was Sūrya. Sūrya married Saṃjñā, the daughter of Viśvakarmā. In the three worlds she was also known as Sureṇu. She could not bear Sūrya’s fierce heat. So she made a woman of shadow, Chāyā, who looked exactly like her. She left her three children in Chāyā’s care. Then she went to her father’s house in the form of a mare, and in time she reached Uttara-kuru.

Before she left, Saṃjñā and Sūrya had three children: a daughter, Yamunā, and twin sons, Śrāddhadeva and Yama. Śrāddhadeva became Vaivasvata Manu. Yama and Yamī were twins. Through Chāyā, Sūrya had another son, Sāvarṇi, who looked like the older Manu, and also Śanaiścara.

Chāyā favoured her own son over Saṃjñā’s children. Once Yama, in youthful anger, raised his foot against Chāyā. She laid a śāpa on him: “Your foot will fall off.” Sūrya stepped in and softened the śāpa. He said that worms (kṛmis) would carry flesh from Yama’s foot to the earth, so that the words of the śāpa came true.

Sūrya learned the truth through yoga and went to Viśvakarmā. Viśvakarmā turned Sūrya on his cosmic lathe and reduced his blazing form. From the trimmings of that shining radiance, Viśvakarmā made the Sudarśana Cakra of Bhagavān Vishṇu. From the tejas that remained in Sūrya’s face, the twelve Ādityas came forth.

Sūrya then took the form of a horse and went to Uttara-kuru. Saṃjñā did not know him as her husband and refused his advances. She pushed out his vīrya through her nostrils. From it the two Aśvinī-kumāras, the divine physicians, were born, named Dyu and Nāsatya. In this way Sūrya and Saṃjñā were reconciled. Yama, upheld by dharma, became the king of the pitṛ-devatās and the lord of the dead. Yamī became the sacred river Yamunā. Śanaiścara took a respected place among the grahas. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 9)

The family of Vaivasvata Manu

Vaivasvata Manu had nine sons equal to himself: Ikshvāku, Nābhāga, Dhṛshṇu, Śaryāti, Narishyanta, Prāṃśu, Nābhāgārishṭa, Karūsha and Pṛshadhra.

Before any sons were born, Manu performed a Putreshṭi yajña for Mitra and Varuṇa. From that yajña a divine maiden named Ilā was born. She wore divine clothes and carried divine weapons. Manu named her Ilā, but she said she was born of a part of Mitra and Varuṇa, and she went to them. They told her she would also be a son to Manu, and they gave her the name Sudyumna.

On her way back from the world of Mitra and Varuṇa, Ilā met Budha, the son of Candra. Budha had a son by her, Purūravas. After this birth Ilā gave up her female form and became known as Sudyumna, a king and a man. Sudyumna had three sons who followed dharma: Utkala, Gaya and Vinataśva. Gaya’s capital was the city of Gayā. Ikshvāku received the central region, Madhyadeśa. Because of his partly female nature, Sudyumna did not receive Madhyadeśa. He ruled Pratishṭhānapura under Vasishṭha’s guidance, and later gave that kingdom to Purūravas.

Śaryāti had a son Ānarha, and Ānarha’s son was Reva. Reva received the Āvarta country, which is Dvārakā. Reva’s son Kakudmi went to Brahmaloka with his daughter to hear music. To them it seemed only one muhūrta, but on earth several yugas passed. When they came back, Kakudmi gave his daughter Revatī in marriage to Balarāma.

Ikshvāku was born when Manu sneezed, and the name ikshvāku means “sneeze”. One hundred sons descended from him. His elder son Vikukshi received Ayodhyā. From Vikukshi’s line came Kakutstha, then Pṛthu. The line then runs through Yuvanāśva, Māndhātā, Purukutsa, Trasdasyū, Sambhūta, Sudhanvā, Trayyāruṇa, Satyavrata (Triśaṅku), Hariścandra, Rohita, Hārīta, Vijaya, Ruruka, Vṛka and Bāhu, to Sagara. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapters 10 to 14)

Triśaṅku and Gālava

Satyavrata did wrong. He broke up a bridal procession, abducted another man’s wife, and ate his guru’s cow without making it pure. In this way he took on three pāpas (sins). Vasishṭha gave him the name Triśaṅku, meaning one who carries three impurities.

A twelve-year drought followed his misdeeds. During it Viśvāmitra had left his family to practise tapas. Viśvāmitra’s wife was selling her son to keep the family alive. Satyavrata rescued the child, fed him and cared for him. A cord tied round the child’s neck by his mother gave him the name Gālava.

Later Triśaṅku received a vara from Viśvāmitra and was sent in his own body to svarga. His son was Hariścandra, a famous royal ṛshi. Hariścandra was the first to perform the Rājasūya yajña and become Samrāṭ. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapters 12 and 13)

Sagara: his birth and his deeds

Bāhu, of the line of Ikshvāku, lost his kingdom. The chiefs of the Śakas, Yavanas, Kāmbojas, Pāradas, Pahlavas, Haihayas and Tālajaṅghas joined forces, conquered him and drove him out. Bāhu died in the forest. His wife went with him and was ready to climb onto the funeral fire, but the ṛshi Aurva of the Bhṛgu line stopped her. A co-wife had already poisoned her. In Aurva’s āśrama she gave birth to a son who was born with poison (gara). This was Sagara. Aurva performed his birth rites, taught him the Vedas and the arts of war, and gave him the Āgneya-astra.

With that weapon Sagara destroyed the Haihaya kings and defeated the Śakas and the others. When he wanted to kill them all, they took refuge with Vasishṭha. Vasishṭha asked Sagara to spare their lives. Sagara honoured his guru and spared them, but he took away their standing in society. He shaved half the heads of the Śakas, shaved the Yavanas and Kāmbojas completely, removed the hair of the Pāradas, and gave the Pahlavas moustaches. In this way they were cut off from Vedic rights.

Sagara then performed an Aśvamedha yajña. Indra stole the yajña horse and hid it underground near Kapila, who was in meditation. Sagara sent his sixty thousand sons, born of his second wife in a gourd, to find it. They dug up the earth and disturbed Kapila’s yoga. Fire blazed from his eyes and burned all sixty thousand of them to ash. Only four sons of the first wife, Keśinī, lived.

Bhagavān Vishṇu appeared and comforted Sagara. He promised that Sagara’s line would not end and that the ocean would be his son. From then on the ocean is called Sāgara. Sagara got his yajña horse back from the ocean and finished the yajña. (Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapter 14)

Sources

Hari Vamśa Purāṇa, Hari Vamśa Parva, Chapters 1 to 14