Prajaya of Kānyakubja
Prajaya · pra-jaya, “the one of great victory”
Prajaya, also called Jaya and Jayapāla, was a son of King Rāshṭrapāla and a brother of Vijaya. The Pratisarga Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa tells that he left his parents and for twelve years did severe tapas to Śāradā Devī on the bank of the Gaṅgā, and that she gave him the city of Kānyakubja. He followed the Devī on the horse she gave him, with his eyes closed. He ruled ten years, and his son was Veṇuka.
His line
Sūta tells the line in the account of the kshatriya lines after the Śukla line. Rāshṭrapāla, son of Kālabhoja, left his ancestral seat and worshipped Śāradā Devī, giver of all auspiciousness, and gained Vaishṇavī śakti. Pleased with his tapas, Śāradā Devī gave him the most delightful city of Mahāvatī, protected by Maṇideva. He ruled ten years there, and he had two sons, Vijaya and Prajaya.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 3
Śāradā Devī and the founding of Kānyakubja
Prajaya left his mother and father, went to the bank of the Gaṅgā, and for twelve years did severe tapas to Śāradā Devī.
Śāradā Devī appeared before the prince in the form of a maiden, playing the veṇu (flute) and riding a horse. She laughed and said: “Rājaputra, why are you worshipping Śivā? The fruit of your tapas will soon come to you through me.”
Prajaya said: “Devī, salutation to you. Grant me a new city.” Hearing this, the Devī gave him a beautiful horse and went away toward the south, playing the veṇu.
The king mounted that horse and followed behind her with his eyes closed, and came toward the west. Then he went to where the king of birds named Markaṇa was, and he was frightened. He opened both his eyes and saw an auspicious city built by the maiden.
On the north of that city was the Gaṅgā, on the south the Pāṇḍurā, on the west the Īśasaritā, and on the east the place of the bird Markaṇa. The place was somewhat kubja (crooked). Because it was made by a kanyā (maiden) and was somewhat kubja, it became famous as Kānyakubja.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 3
His reign and his son
Rāshṭrapāla‘s son Jayapāla ruled ten years. Because of the veṇu-playing he gained a son named Veṇuka.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 3
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Pratisarga Parva, Khaṇḍa 4, Chapter 3