Mahabharata - Story of King Sagara

King Sagara and his Sons

King Sagara was born in the Ikshaku dynasty (the same dynasty as Lord Rama). Though Sagara was mighty and powerful, he did not have any sons of his own. He destroyed the tribes of Haihayas and Talajanghas, brought under his subjugation the whole of the Kshatriyas, and thus ruled happily over his vast kingdom. He had two wives, one from the line of king Sivi, while the other from Vidarbha. He therefore went to kailash with his two wives and engaged in severe penances through Yoga to get a son. He could ultimately get the vision of siva, the great Lord of Lords with three eyes, who blessed him thus, "Since the moment of the prayer was so ordained, one of your two wives shall bear sixty thousand powerful sons and the other shall bear one valiant son who will perpetuate your race." Then Mahadeva vanished and in due time to the princess of Sivi was born one beautiful and mighty son named Asamanjas, while to princess of Vidarbha was born a big foetus in the shape of a gourd. The king was so disappointed with the gourd like substance that he decided to throw it away when he heard a voice from the sky - "Do not be hasty, Oh King. Take out the seeds from the gourd and preserve them in steaming vessels partly filled with clarified butter. From there will be born sixty thousand sons of yours." The king preserved the seeds of the gourd as directed and appointed a nurse for each receptacle. Then in due time there came into being sixty thousand mighty sons, who had terrible powers. They were ruthless and vengeful and used to torment the gods, gandharvas and people alike. Atlast, fed up by their acts the gods approached Brahma, the grandfather and begged him to protect them from the demonic sons of Sagara. Brahma assured them saying that in due course of time the sons would be destroyed owing to their own stupidity and wrath.  Even the other son, Asamanjas, was very bad in nature. He used to catch hold of the necks of the feeble children of the townsfolks and threw them to the river. Atlast the people, being greatly afflicted, came to the king and begged him to protect them. The king was saddened by this but in the end decided to banish Asamanjas from the kingdom. Asamanjas had a son named Anshuman, who however, unlike his uncles, was very gentle and brave and was greatly loved by the king.

After many days king Sagara decided to perform a great sacrifice called Asvamedha, or the horse sacrifice. A horse was supposed to roam around the world protected by the dim witted sixty thousand sons of Sagara. If any other king dared to stop that horse he was supposed to fight and if he lost he had to provide tribute. Those who did not stop the horse would have to provide tribute. When the horse would be brought back to the kingdom it would be sacrificed to the gods and this act would produce merits. The sons of Sagara set out for the conquest. After travelling over the length of the country, when the horse reached the sea shore, it suddenly vanished. The princes frantically searched for it but could find it nowhere. They returned to their faather disgraced and dismayed. The king was exceedingly angry and ordered them to go and find the horse. The sons again began their frantic search but could find the horse nowhere. They once again came back to the king and with great humility told their father that they could not find the horse anywhere despite the best search effort. The king was mad with anger and ordered them either to find the horse or never to return at all. Thus the sons set out once again and they began to excavate the ground near the sea shore. Thus driven by desperation they dug and dug and made a mess of the kingdom of Varuna. All the creatures of netherland, the serpents and the demons began to die in distress and there was absolute chaos. Atlast they saw that horse roaming the surface of the world. Near the horse was Kapila the great sage, the philosopher of Samkhya, who was known was Kapila Vasudeva, an incarnation of Vishnu. He was meditating and was blazing by the power of his austerities and the all knowing sage knew everything about the sons and the fate that had brought them there. Delighted to see the horse and wrathful by their efforts in recovering it, the pig headed sons treated Kapila as a thief and showed disrespect to the shining one. At this, Kapila looked at them and his fiery look destroyed them completely. All it remained was a heap of ashes.

Then sage Narada brought the news of the destruction of the sons to Sagara who became very sad. He then called for his grandson Anshuman and told him that driven by wrath he himself had brought about the destruction of his sons. However now he needed to complete his sacrifice to escape from hell and therefore Anshuman must go and bring the horse himself. Thus entreated by the king, the brave lad went to the sea and through the excavation entered it and saw the ashrama of sage Kapila and the illustrious sage himself. The virtuous lad reverentially bowed down to the sage and the latter was very pleased with him and asked him for boons. Anshuman then begged the sage for the horse so that his grandfather could complete the sacrifice and also requested him for the purification of the sixty thousand princes who died an unglorious death. Kapila blessed him saying that he would fulfill his wishes, his grandfathers sacrifice would complete and his grandson would bring the ganga to the earth, by which everything would be purified. Also his uncles would all ascend to heaven on account of this virtuous act.

Then anshuman came back to king Sagara and narrated him everything. The king was very pleased with his grandson. He completed the sacrifice and went to heaven. Anshuman then ruled the earth and in due course of time was born to him a virtuous and noble son named Dilip. Dilip was saddened by the fate of his forefathers and wanted to bring Ganga to the earth and did severe penances. But he could not succeed. To him was born a son named Bhagiratha, who was likewise devoted to a noble life and was truthful and to him, Dilip entrusted his kingdom and went to the forest for penances.