>LaundryPizza03 at 10:53, 14 December 2020

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'''Kamyaka Forest''' was situated on the western boundary of the [[Kuru Kingdom]] (Kuru Proper + Kurujangala), on the banks of the [[Sarasvati River|Saraswati River]]. It lay to the west of the [[Kurukshetra]] plain. It contained within it a lake called the '''Kamyaka lake''' (2,51). Kamyaka forest is mentioned as being situated at the head of the [[Thar desert]],<ref>Dr Mohan Lal Gupta:Rajasthan Jyankosh, Rajasthani Granthagar, Jodhpur, 2008, {{ISBN|81-86103-05-8}}, p.219</ref> near the lake '''Trinavindu''' (3,256). [[Pandava|The Pandavas]] on their way to exile in the woods, left [[Pramanakoti]] on the banks of the Ganges and went towards [[Kurukshetra]], travelling in a western direction, crossing the rivers [[Yamuna]] and [[Drishadvati]]. They finally reached the banks of the [[Sarasvati River|Saraswati River]]. There they saw the forest of Kamyaka, the favourite haunt of [[asceticism|ascetics]], situated on a level and wild plain on the banks of the Saraswati (3-5,36) abounding in birds and deer (3,5). There the Pandavas lived in an ascetic asylum (3,10). It took 3 days for Pandavas to reach the Kamyaka forest, setting out from [[Hastinapura]], on their chariots (3,11).

==The Pandavas' stay in the Kamyaka Forest==

=== First time visit ===

During their first time stay at Kamyaka, [[Bhima]] slew [[Hidimba]] (1st king of kamyaka) and [[Krimira]], the [[Rakshasa Kingdom|Rakshasas]]. [[Bhima]] was second king of kamyaka. Kamyaka forest was easily accessible for the citizens of [[Kuru Kingdom|Kurujangala]]. So the people of Kurujangala frequently visited their King [[Yudhishthira]] in this forest (3,23). (Their cousins viz. the [[Yaduvanshi|Yadavas]], the [[Chedi Kingdom|Chedis]] and the [[Kekaya Kingdom|Kekayas]] also visited them here). In order to avoid such contacts they moved to the [[Dwaita Forest]] (3,24).

===Second and Third time Stay===
The Pandavas came back from the Dwaita woods to Kamyaka again for a 2nd time. This time they lived without [[Arjuna]] who had been to the northern [[Himalayas]] (3,36). They lived thus for 5 years in Kamyaka (3,50). [[Ghatotkacha]] lived with them during this period (7,181). Sage [[Vyasa]] and Sage [[Lomasa]] visited them then. From there, they set out for a pilgrimage across [[India]], guided by Lomasa (3,93). Completing a tour of the whole of India, they came back to the [[Kurukshetra]] region, but without entering the Kamyaka forest, went to the regions north of the Himalayas. They came back from there with [[Arjuna]] among them and entered the Kamyaka woods for a 3rd time (3,181). It was the rainy season then and the [[Sarasvati River|Saraswati River]] was full of water at that time (3,181). This time the [[Yaduvanshi|Yadavas]] and Sage [[Markandeya]] visited them. Sage Markandeya was an inhabitant of the Markanda river, a tributary of the [[Sarasvati River|Saraswati River]] in the north of [[Kurukshetra]] district in [[Haryana]]

Before entering Kamyaka this time, they had also spent one year in the forests of '''Vishakhayupa''' to the north of Kamyaka, on the banks of the [[Yamuna]], up on the mountains from where the river originated. It was in the midst of mountains abounding with water-falls (3,176). While dwelling there [[Bhima]] was afflicted by a snake.

===Fourth time Stay===
The Pandavas again shifted to the Dwaita forest (3,176) and came back to Kamyaka for the 4th time after 1 year and 8 months, seeing that the deer population near the Dwaita lake was declining due to their presence there (3,256). During this time [[Jayadratha]], the king of the [[Sindhu Kingdom]], on his way to the [[Salwa Kingdom]] passed through the Kamyaka forest (3,262). He tried to abduct [[Draupadi]], but the [[Pandavas]] prevented that attempt. In the 12th year of their exile they left Kamyaka forest forever and went to the Dwaita woods (3,308).

Thus the Pandavas spent their 12 years of forest life by shuttling between the Kamyaka and the [[Dwaita Forest|Dwaita]] forests. There were roads walked by travellers, fields furnished with excellent corn and clear water between Dwaita and Kamyaka (3,256).

==Kings of Kamayaka Forests==
* [[Hidimba]], first king
* [[Bhima]], second king
* [[Ghatotkacha]], bhima's son third king
(After Ghatotkacha's death in war Bhima again became king of kamayaka)

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Ancient Indian forests]]

Kamyaka Forest - Revision history

>LaundryPizza03 at 10:53, 14 December 2020