Asamañja

Asamañja was the son of King Sagara and his queen Vaidarbhī. He was the single heir meant to carry on the Ikshvāku dynasty. He became known for cruel acts, and Sagara sent him out of the kingdom. The line went on through Asamañja’s own son Aṃśumān.

The one son

The Mahābhārata (Vana Parva, Chapter 106) says Vaidarbhī chose to have one son rather than sixty thousand, when the ṛshi Aurva offered a vara (a boon). That one son was Asamañja. He was meant to be the pillar that held up the dynasty.

His cruelty and exile

Asamañja grew into a deeply troubled prince. The account says he threw the children of the city into the river Sarayū. This brought grief and anger to the people. They came to Sagara and asked for relief.

Sagara loved his son, but he was also a king whose dharma (duty) was to protect his subjects. He chose his duty and had Asamañja exiled from the kingdom. It was a painful decision. The son chosen to carry on the dynasty was removed from the succession.

The line continues through Aṃśumān

The line did not end. Asamañja had a son, Aṃśumān, who was virtuous, gentle, wise and devoted. When Sagara’s sixty thousand other sons had been destroyed, Aṃśumān went to Pātāla to look for the Aśvamedha horse. He spoke to Kapila with perfect humility and learned what had happened. He was given the task of freeing his sixty thousand uncles by bringing Gaṅgā down to earth. That task took two more generations after him to finish.

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 106