Arvabalī of Arbuda

Arvabalī · arva-balī, “the one of Arbuda’s strength”

Arvabalī of Arbuda is the account of the last kingdom of the Āryas in the Kali age, as the Pratisarga Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa tells it. Sūta tells Śaunaka that when neither Veda-study nor the order of varṇas remained, the remaining brāhmaṇas worshipped the devas on the peak of Arbuda, and from that peak the kshatriya Arvabalī appeared. He conquered the mlecchas and built Arvapurī, and his line kept the Āryas for ten thousand years, until the mlecchas won the whole land.

The ārādhanā on Arbuda

The Pratisarga Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa tells that in that time of Kaliyuga there was neither Veda-study, nor the order of varṇas, nor even the devas, and no maryādā (bound of right conduct) at all. The remaining brāhmaṇas came to live on the peak of Arbuda and for twelve years worshipped the devas with effort.

Arvabalī and Arvapurī

As a result a kshatriya bearing sword and shield appeared from the Arbuda peak. His name was Arvabalī. He conquered the terrible mlecchas and built Arvapurī over five yojanas of land. Slowly the Āryas came and settled there, and the Ārya kula grew. Arvabalī ruled for fifty years, and in his line a hundred and fifty kings arose.

The end of the Āryas

After ten thousand years, the varṇasaṅkaras who were friends of the mlecchas married mleccha kanyās, and those following the Ārya path remained in name only. At that time a hundred thousand mlecchas of Malaya-deśa fought a terrible battle with the Āryas of Arbuda. The very strong mlecchas won. The whole land became full of mlecchas, and Alakshmī dwelt everywhere.

Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapters 22–23

Sources

• Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapters 22–23