Virocana
Virocana was an asura king, the son of Prahlāda and the father of Bali. He stands in the middle of the famous daitya line: Hiraṇyakaśipu, Prahlāda, Virocana, Bali and Bāṇa. Two texts tell of him. The Kūrma Purāṇa says he ruled the three worlds with dharma and learned ātmajñāna (knowledge of the ātmā) from Sanatkumāra. The Mahābhārata, in the Udyoga Parva, tells how he competed with the brāhmaṇa Sudhanya for the maiden Kēśinī.
Lineage
Virocana was born as the son of Prahlāda. Prahlāda was the greatest devotee (bhakta) of Vishṇu, and he was known across all the worlds. Virocana’s son was Bali, the great asura king whose story is told with the Vāmana avatāra.
Royal rule in the Kūrma Purāṇa
After Andhakāsura was brought down, Virocana became king. He defeated Indra and all the devas. He ruled the three worlds, the whole carācara cosmos (all that moves and does not move), for many ages along the path of dharma (Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 17).
The Kūrma Purāṇa says his rule was a model of righteousness. Among all the rākshasas such care for dharma was very rare. This drew the attention of Sanatkumāra himself, who came to Virocana’s city to meet him.
The visit of Sanatkumāra
During Virocana’s reign the great muni Sanatkumāra came to his capital. Sanatkumāra is the eternal kumāra (youth) and the mind-born son of Brahmā. Bhagavān Vishṇu himself sent him. Virocana was seated on his throne. He rose at once and went out to meet the muni with folded hands and a bowed head. He spoke to him with deep bhakti (devotion):
“You are yourself a brahma-vettā (knower of Brahman). One may say you are Brahmā himself, for you are the son of Brahmā’s mind. I am honoured by your coming. What service may I do for you?”
Sanatkumāra answered with warm praise: “You are truly fortunate. I came simply to see you. The excellence of conduct you keep is very rare even among rākshasas. No one in the three worlds walks in dharma as you do.” Virocana then asked the great muni to teach him the highest of all dharmas (Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 17).
The teaching of ātmajñāna
Sanatkumāra, the great yogī and mahātmā (great soul), taught Virocana the knowledge of the ātman. The Purāṇa calls it the most secret of all secrets, the dharma that is itself knowledge of the ātman, with nothing to compare. The chapter does not set out the teaching in detail. It says that Virocana gained great jñāna (knowledge).
After the teaching, Virocana gave the proper guru-dakshiṇā (gift to the teacher) to Sanatkumāra. He then put the burden of the kingdom on his son Bali. He himself turned, wholly absorbed, to yoga-sādhana (the practice of yoga) (Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 17).
The Kēśinī contest in the Udyoga Parva
The Mahābhārata tells of Virocana in the Udyoga Parva, Chapter 35, in the Prajāgara-parvan. This account is part of Vidura’s counsel (the Vidura Nīti).
The svayaṃvara
Virocana came to the svayaṃvara (the ceremony where a maiden chooses her husband) of Kēśinī, a maiden of unmatched beauty. He meant to win her. He based his claim on his birth. He said that the daityas descend from Prajāpati through the asura line, and so are the greatest beings in the cosmos. “The three worlds belong to us. What are devas? What are brāhmaṇas?”
Kēśinī asked him directly: “Are the brahma-jñānīs (knowers of Brahman) greater, or are the daityas?” Virocana answered at once that the daityas were. Kēśinī was not convinced. She agreed to watch both Virocana and the brāhmaṇa Sudhanya, son of Aṅgiras, the next morning and then decide.
The next day Sudhanya arrived. Kēśinī rose to receive him. She gave him the seat of honour, water for his feet and proper pūjā. Virocana found himself in the lower place, and he was furious.
Virocana then invited Sudhanya to share his seat, as a way of claiming equality. Sudhanya refused. Only people of the same varṇa could sit together, and a brāhmaṇa and a daitya were not the same. The quarrel grew into a wager of their lives.
Prahlāda’s verdict
His own father Prahlāda gave the verdict. Aṅgiras was greater than Prahlāda. Sudhanya was greater than Virocana. Sudhanya’s mother was greater than Virocana’s mother. Virocana’s claim was thus fully rejected, and his life was in Sudhanya’s hands. The one who ruled against him was his own father.
His life returned
Sudhanya returned Virocana’s life at once. He asked for one thing only: that Kēśinī’s feet be washed before him. This was a sign that Kēśinī was being given to Virocana as his wife, made firm in the presence of the great brāhmaṇa who had won her. So Virocana received both his life and his bride through Sudhanya’s generosity.
Sources
- Kūrma Mahā Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, Chapter 17
- Mahābhārata, Udyoga Parva, Chapter 35 (Prajāgara-parvan)