Brihadbala (Template:Langx, Template:IAST3) is a king mentioned in Hinduism, including the Hindu epic Mahabharata.[1] He is also known by the name Srutayu according to the Linga Purana.[2] He is described to be the last king of the Kosala Kingdom. In the Kurukshetra War, Brihadbala fought for the Kauravas and was killed by Abhimanyu.[3] his son was Barhināman who ruled ayodhya after him.
Legend
According to the Vishnu Purana and the Bhagavata Purana, Brihadbala is a descendant of Rama on Kusha's side, and belongs to the Suryavamsha (Solar dynasty). Makhan Jha, in his Anthropology of Ancient Hindu Kingdoms: A Study in Civilizational Perspective claims that Brihadbala is the fifteenth king after Rama.[4] Brihadbala is considered to be the last king of the line of Ikshvaku; the dynasty spanned 31-32 generations between Rama and him.[5]
The Mahabharata describes Brihadbala as the ruler of Kingdom of Kosala. He was subjugated by Bhima during the Rajasuya sacrifice. However, a subsequent conquest by Karna during his Digvijaya Yatra resulted in Brihadbala's ultimate allegiance to the Kauravas during the Kurukshetra War.[6] On the thirteenth day of the war, when Abhimanyu, Arjuna's son, penetrates into the Padmavyuha, Brihadbala fights him, along with a host of Kaurava warriors including Drona, Kripa, Karna, Ashwatthama, and Kritavarma. In the fierce duel that ensued between Brihadbala and Abhimanyu, Brihadbala was mortally wounded by Abhimanyu's arrows.[7]
According to the Shiva Purana, Brihadbala is succeeded by his son, Barhināman.[8]
References
- ↑ Dimensions of Indian Civilization, page 176, Makhan Jha
- ↑ The Linga Purana{{#if:Shastri|, Shastri}. Motilal Banarsidass(1951). ISBN 9788120803404
- ↑ The Valmiki Ramayana: Vol. 3{{#if:Debroy|, Debroy}. Penguin Random House India Private Limited(2017-10-25). ISBN 978-93-87326-28-6
- ↑ Anthropology of Ancient Hindu Kingdoms: A Study in Civilizational Perspective{{#if:Jha|, Jha}. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd.(1997). ISBN 978-81-7533-034-4
- ↑ The Vedic Core of Human History: And Truth will be the Savior{{#if:Agarwal|, Agarwal}. iUniverse(2013). ISBN 978-1-4917-1595-6
- ↑ Vedic Civilization{{#if:Pruthi|, Pruthi}. Discovery Publishing House(2004). ISBN 978-81-7141-875-6
- ↑ The Mahabharata: A Modern Rendering{{#if:Menon|, Menon}. iUniverse(2006). ISBN 978-0-595-40188-8
- ↑ Kings of the solar race (sūryavaṃśa) [Chapter 39], www.wisdomlib.org. www.wisdomlib.org(2018-11-03). Retrieved 2022-12-31.