Pāradas
Pārada
The Pāradas were a people of kshatriyas. They were one of the five gaṇas (groups) who joined the Haihayas when King Bāhu of the solar line lost his kingdom. When Bāhu’s son Sagara set out to destroy them, they took refuge with Vasishṭha Maharshi. At his word Sagara spared their lives, but he set aside their dharma and made them wear their hair loose. Pārada is also named among the countries of Bhārata-varsha.
The Pāradas and King Sagara
Lomaharshaṇa tells the munis why Sagara rejected the dharma of the Śakas and the others. Because King Bāhu was given to vices, the Haihayas, the Tālajaṅghas and the Śakas took his kingdom. Five gaṇas joined the side of the Haihayas: the Śakas, the Yavanas, the Pāradas, the Kāmbojas and the Pahlavas. Bāhu went to the forest and gave up his life there, and his son Sagara was born in the āśrama of Aurva of the Bhṛgu line.
Aurva taught Sagara the Vedas and the śāstras and trained him in the Āgneyāstra. With it Sagara slew the Haihayas and the Tālajaṅghas. Then he set out to wipe out the Śakas, the Yavanas, the Kāmbojas, the Pāradas and the Pahlavas completely. They took refuge with Vasishṭha. He gave them abhaya (freedom from fear) and restrained Sagara.
Heeding his guru’s word, Sagara did not kill them. He rejected their dharma and changed the appearance of each people: the Śakas had half the head shaved, the Yavanas and Kāmbojas the whole head, the Pāradas were made to wear their hair loose, and the Pahlavas were made to keep beards. He made all of them without svādhyāya (study of the Veda) and vashaṭkāra (the yajña call), kept away from performing yajñas and having them performed. They were kshatriyas by name, but their dharma was set aside and they were put outside. All this Sagara did only by Vasishṭha’s command.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 8
The country of the Pāradas
Brahmā, describing Bhārata-varsha to Bhṛgu and the munis, names Pārada among the countries where kshatriya, vaiśya and śūdra jātis live, with Vāhlīka, Gāndhāra, Yavana, Sindhu, Sauvīra, Madraka, Kaliṅga, Kaikeya and others.
Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 27
Sources
- Brahma Purāṇa, Chapters 8, 27