Tribes in Ancient India c31.31

c31.31

Kāśī figures even more prominently in the Mahābhārata. Haryaśva, king of Benares, was killed by the relations of king Vītahavya in a battle fought on the land between the Ganges and the Jumna. His son Sudeva was then installed on the throne of Kāśī. Sudeva ruled righteously, but he also was defeated by the Vītahavyas, and his son Divodāsa became king. Divodāsa built the city of Benares which became populated by people of the four castes. The city lay between the north bank of the Ganges and the south bank of the river Gomatī. Big markets were opened, and the city seemed likely to prosper, but the Vītahavyas again attacked, and a great war ensued, lasting for a thousand days. Divodāsa was defeated, and fled to a forest, taking shelter in the hermitage of the sage Bharadvāja, eldest son of Bṛhaspati. This sage assured the king that he would perform a sacrifice so that Divodāsa might be blessed with a son who would kill thousands of the Vītahavyas. This son was duly born, and was named Pratardana. He studied the Vedas and archery, and was sent in due course to conquer the Vītahavyas. A fierce fight ensued, in which the Vītahavyas were defeated.¹ Another passage of the Mahābhārata tells us that Divodāsa, the son of Bhīmasena, king of Kāśī, had a son named Pratardana by Mādhavī, daughter of Yayāti.² When Pratardana came to the throne of Kāśī, he established his capital in Benares and acquired great fame by offering his own son in charity to a Brahmin.³