Historical Geography of Ancient India c8.67

c8.67

Karṇa was placed on the throne of Aṅga at the instance of his ally, Duryodhana and other Kaurava chieftains.⁴ The Pāṇḍavas, especially Bhīmasena, banned him as lowborn (sūtaputra), whom Bhīmasena declared as no match for his brother Arjuna with the result that Karṇa became an inveterate enemy of the Pāṇḍavas.⁵ At the Svayaṃvara ceremony of Draupadī, daughter of king Drupada of the Pañcāla-country, Karṇa was present with other Kṣatriya princes, such as Śalya of Madra and Duryodhana of Hastināpura. It was here that Arjuna won the hand of Draupadī by a wonderful feat of archery. Bhīma and Arjuna were then disguised as Brāhmaṇas. A quarrel ensued over the acquisition of Draupadī and a duel took place between Arjuna and Karṇa with the result that the latter was defeated.⁶ Arjuna on his way to Maṇipura (in Assam) visited Aṅga as a pilgrim and distributed riches there.⁷ Bhīmasena fought with Karṇa, king of Aṅga, and convinced him of his prowess prior to the Rājasūya sacrifice of Yudhiṣṭhira. He killed the king of Modāgiri (Monghyr).⁸ Karṇa is said to have attended the Rājasūya sacrifice of Yudhiṣṭhira at Indraprastha.⁹ On the eve of the Pauṇḍarika sacrifice of Duryodhana, the Aṅga country is referred to in connection with the digvijaya or military campaign of Karṇa.¹⁰ Bhīṣma, while lying on a bed of arrows in the battlefield of Kurukṣetra, asked Karṇa to refrain from this fratricidal war, as he was not the son of a charioteer. His mother was Kuntī. But Karṇa said that he had already promised to fight for Duryodhana against the Pāṇḍavas.¹¹ He was made the commander-in-chief of the Kaurava army by Duryodhana.¹² Arjuna went to the Aṅga country in quest of the sacrificial horse. The kings of Aṅga, Kāśī and Kośala and Kirātas and Taṅganas were compelled to pay him homage.¹³ King Jarāsandha is said to have extended his supremacy over the Aṅgas, Vaṅgas, Kaliṅgas and Puṇḍras.¹⁴ The Aṅgas were also defeated in a battle by Vāsudeva as we learn from the Droṇaparva of the Mahābhārata. In the Śāntiparva of the Mahābhārata,¹⁵ we find Vasūpama, king of Aṅga, visiting a golden mountain called Yuñjavat on the ridge of the Himalayas.