Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.983

c7.983

88) *Indra and Daṇḍakāraṇya*. Daṇḍa the son of Ikṣvāku, a King of the Solar dynasty, ruled over the territory between the Vindhya and the Himālayas. Once when he was out ahunting in the neighbourhood of the mountains, he saw a charming woman. She was "Arā", the daughter of the sage Śukra. The King was fascinated by her beauty and fell desperately in love with her at the very first sight. He seized her by force and committed rape on her. When Śukra knew about this, he was furious and uttered a curse that Indra should shower a rain of fire on Daṇḍa's kingdom. Thus the whole country of Daṇḍa was destroyed by Indra's rain of fire. In course of time that region was turned into a dense forest and came to be called "Daṇḍakāraṇya". (Uttara Rāmāyaṇa).