Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c9.4893

c9.4893

VRṢADARBHA I.
(1) General information. An ancient saintly King in Bhārata. This King Vṛṣadarbha and another King named Seduka were righteous as well as experts in wielding main and subordinate weapons. After completing the education of Vedas, a brahmin once approached King Seduka and begged as alms some horses for giving gift to his teacher. The brahmin said "It is my wish that you will give me these horses as alms." Seduka said that he had not enough wealth or horses to give the teacher's gift. Seduka sent the Brahmin to Vṛṣadarbha. The Brahmin went to Vṛṣadarbha and begged as alms a thousand horses. The King whipped the Brahmin. He asked the King why he was punished as he had done no wrong. The King asked the Brahmin who was beginning to curse. Ho. Brahmin! Whom are you about to curse? Him who has not given you alms or another Brahmin? The Brahmin said. "O, King I am sent here by Seduka. I begged as he had instructed." The King said, "This evening I shall give you all the tax-collection of this day. You who have been whipped ought not to be sent emptyhanded." Accordingly the whole of the taxcollection of that day was given to the Brahmin. (M.B. Vana Parva, Chapter 196).
(2) Other details.
(i) It is mentioned in Mahābhārata, Sabhā Parva, Chapter 8, Stanza 29, that Vṛṣadarbha stays in the palace of Yama glorifying him.
(ii) When he was reigning, he made a law that all his subjects should give gold and silver as alms to Brahmins (M.B. Vana Parva, Chapter 196, Stanza 3).