Parīkṣit of the Ikṣvāku Line

Parīkṣit of the Ikṣvāku line was a king of Ayodhyā. The Maṇḍūkopākhyāna, in the Vana Parva of the Mahābhārata (Chapter 192), tells his story. While hunting in a forest, he met Suśobhanā, a young woman who was the daughter of Āyus, king of the frogs. He married her by the gāndharva rite on one condition: he must never show her water. He broke it, and she vanished into a well. This Parīkṣit is a different person from Parīkṣit, the grandson of Arjuna.

Who he was

Parīkṣit was a king of the Ikṣvāku dynasty, the solar line. Its capital was the ancient and sacred city of Ayodhyā. He was a strong king who followed dharma, and he liked to hunt. His story belongs to the Mārkaṇḍeya Samāsyā Parva. (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 192)

Meeting Suśobhanā

On one hunting trip in the forest, Parīkṣit came upon a very beautiful young woman. She was Suśobhanā, the daughter of Āyus, ruler of the Maṇḍūkas (frogs). She had been given leave to take a human form. Her beauty and goodness drew Parīkṣit, and he wished to marry her.

Suśobhanā agreed on one condition. Parīkṣit must never show her water in any form. The king wanted the marriage and accepted. They were married in the gāndharva way, by their own consent in the forest, without long ceremony. (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 192)

The broken condition

They lived happily until one day Parīkṣit showed Suśobhanā water. At once, because the condition was broken, she vanished. She went into a well and returned to her true nature as one of the water-dwelling frog line. (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 192)

The killing of the frogs

Parīkṣit was filled with grief at the loss of his wife. His grief turned to anger at the frogs. He gave a royal order that all frogs in his kingdom be killed. His army carried out the order, and the frogs suffered greatly. (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 192)

Āyus and the peace

Āyus, king of the frogs and father of Suśobhanā, came to Parīkṣit’s court in the form of a tapasvin (one who practises austerity). He hid who he was so that he could approach the grieving and angry king. By patient and dignified talk, he helped Parīkṣit see things more clearly. The king’s anger passed, and the king and the Maṇḍūka people were reconciled.

This opened the way for Suśobhanā to return to Parīkṣit. From their union three sons were born: Śala, Dala and Bala. (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 192)

The sons and Vāmadeva’s horses

The account goes on to the next generation, with Śala and Dala. The ṛṣi Vāmadeva had horses of very fine quality, called vāmya horses. Śala, one of Parīkṣit’s sons, took these horses by force. While travelling with them, he and his followers were killed by rākṣasas in the forest.

Dala, another son, kept up an offence against Vāmadeva’s line or horses. His son Śyenajit was killed by an arrow. Dala’s wife at last stepped in, and the horses were returned to their rightful place. The account shows how wrong done to brāhmaṇas and their holy possessions brings ruin even on strong royal houses. (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 192)

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 192 (Maṇḍūkopākhyāna, within the Mārkaṇḍeya Samāsyā Parva)