Ṛksha (son of Ajamīḍha)

Ṛksha

Ṛksha has other meanings too: see all meanings of Ṛksha.

Ṛksha is the first of the two kings named Ṛksha in the lunar line: the smoke-coloured son of Ajamīḍha, born to Queen Dhūminī after her long tapas, and the father of Saṃvaraṇa, from whom came Kuru.

Born of Dhūminī’s tapas

Lomaharshaṇa says to the munis: “Best of munis! Ajamīḍha‘s queen Dhūminī was a pativratā, devoted to keeping vratas.” For progeny she performed hard tapas for ten thousand years, keeping the agnihotra, eating sparingly and sleeping on darbha grass beside the agnihotra fire. Then Ajamīḍha united with her and begot a son, Ṛksha, smoke-coloured and handsome.

From Ṛksha came Saṃvaraṇa, and from Saṃvaraṇa came Kuru, who went from Prayāga and made Kurukshetra, pure and lovely; his descendants are the Kauravas.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 13

Two Ṛkshas

Later in the Kuru line the Sūta names a second Ṛksha, the mahāratha son of Vidūratha, of whom he says that he was famed under the same name through Bharadvāja. “In the Soma line,” he says, “there were two Ṛkshas, two Parīkshits, three Bhīmasenas and two Janamejayas.”

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 13

Sources

• Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 13