Anga Kingdom

Anga is described in the Mahabharata as a kingdom in the eastern parts of India.
In the Mahabharata, the Anga king Romapada was a friend of Kosala king Dasharatha. Kosala Princess Shāntā, elder to Raghava Rama, lived as the daughter of Romapada, since he was childless. Duryodhana established Karna as the ruler of Angas. It is believed that there were many Anga kings who ruled different parts of Anga kingdom, contemporary to Karna. Champapuri was the capital of Anga ruled by Karna.Magadha (south-west Bihar) king Jarasandha gifted another city calledMalinipuri, to the Anga king Karna.

Kings of Anga
1. Anga
2. Khalapana
3. Diviratha
4. Dharmaratha
5. Chitraratha or Romapada was the adopted son of king Dharmaratha.
In Dwaparayuga King Karna of Anga was mentioned in Mahabharatha and charioteer adhiratha who was the adopted father of Karna also was a descendant of Romapada.

 

ANGA (M) . The kingdom ruled by King Anga. Other details

 

1) The Dynasty. The first King of the Anga dynasty was Afiga the son of Bali. Anagabhu, Draviratha, Dharmaratha, Romapada (Lomapada), Caturanga, Prthulaksa, Brhadratha, Brhanmanas, Jayadratha, Vijaya, Drdhavrata, Satyakarma, Atiratha, Karna, Vrsasena and others were kings of this dynasty. Karna was the adopted son of Atiratha. During the period of the Mahabharata, Kings of the Atiratha family were under the sway of the Candra variasa (Lunar dynasty) kings such as Dhrtarastra and Pandu. (For further informations see the word Atiratha) .

 

2) How Karna became the king of Ariga. A contest in archery and the wielding of other weapons was going on in Hastinapura, the competitors being the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The status of Karna, who appeared on the side of the Kauravas, was questioned by the Pandavas on the occasion and Duryodhana, who always stood on his dignity, anointed Karna as the King of Anga, on the spot. (M.B., Adi Parva, Chapter 136) .

 

3) Drought in the kingdom of Ariga. Lomapada (Romapada) the king of Anga once deceived a hermit Brahmin. So all the Brahmins quitted the country and thereafter there was no rainfall in the country for several years. The sages of the county began to think on the means of bringing about rain. One day they approached the King and told him that the only way to get rain was to bring the great hermit Rsyasrziga to the country.

 

Once Kasyapa happened to see Urvasi and he had seminal flow. The sperm fell in a river. A deer swallowed it along with the water it drank. It gave birth to a human child with horns on the head. This child was called Rsya’srnga. It was brought up by a hermit called Vibhandaka in his hut. Rsyasrnga had never seen women and by virtue of this, there occurred rainfall wherever he went. The King Lomapada sent some courtesans to the forest to attract Rsyagrnga, who following them arrived at the court of Lomapada the King of Afiga and the King gave Rsyasrnga, as a gift, his daughter Santa. Thus the country got rain. This Lomapada was a friend of Dagaratha. (Mahabharata, Aran ya Parva, Chapters 110 to 113).

 

4) How the.Ak’ingdom got the name Ariga. One opinion is that the Kingdom got its name from the King Afiga who ruled over it. Another opinion is that the king got his name from the country he ruled. However there is a story revealing how the country came to be called Anga.

 

In the realm of God, preliminary steps were being taken for making Sri Paramesvara wed Parvad. According to the instructions of Devendra, Kamadeva (the Lord of Love-Cupid) was trying to break the meditation of Siva and when Siva opened his third eye, fire emitted from it and Ananga (Kamadeva) was burned to ashes. It was in the country of Afiga that the ashes of the `anga’ (Body) of Kamadeva fell and from that day onwards the country came to be called Afiga and Kamadeva, `Ananga’ (without body). (Valmiki Ramayana, Balakanda, Sarga 26) .

 

5) Other informations.

 

(1) It is mentioned in the Hindi Dictionary, `Sabda Sagara’ that the kingdom of Afiga embracing Bhagatpur

 

and Mudiger in Bihar had its capital at Campapuri an that the country had often stretched from Vaidy~ n-5athanama to Bhuvanesvar.

 

(2) Arjuna bad visited the Kingdom of Anga also durin his pilgrimage. (M.B., A,di Parva, Chapter 2 1 9, Stanz, 9).

 

(3) The King of Afiga was present at the sacrifice o Rajasuyx (Royal consecration) celebrated by Dharma putra, when the Pandavas were living at Indraprastha (M.B., Sabha Parva, Chapter 52, Stanza 16) .

 

(4) On one occasion Sri Krsna defeated the Angas in a battle. (M.B., Drona Parva, Chapter 11, Stanza 15).

 

(5) Parasurama had defeated the Angas once. (M.B., Drona Parva, Chapter 7, Stanza 12).

 

(6) In the battle of Kurukgetra between the Pandavas and the Kauravas, on the sixteenth day of the battle, the heroes of Anga made an onslaught on Arjuna. (M.B., Karna Parva, Chapter 17, Stanza 12) .

 

(7) The Angas attacked the armies of Dhrstadyumna and the King of Pancala. (M.B., Karna Parva, Chapter 22, Stanza 2) .

 

(8) A low caste man from Anga attacked Bhima, who killed the man and his elephant. (Mahabharata, Drona Parva, Chapter 26, Stanzas 14 to 17). General Information. (,1) This was a country in ancient Bharata. (Bhisma Parva, Chapter 9, Stanza 50).

 

(2) Visvamitra had taken to the forest from Ayodhya Rama and Laksmana to protect the hermits and their yagas. On the way they entered the Tataka forest. Visvamitra told the boys in answer to their questions thus : “In olden days this place was a countryside known as Angamalaja or Malada or .Karusa. There is a reason for calling the country by that name. Indra killed Vrtra and thereby incurred the sin of Brahmahatya and so he came away to this country and lived here for a while. The Gods found him out here. They poured water on the head of the unclean Indra and the dirt, hunger, excreta and Karusa having been separated from his body fell on the soil of this place and was mingled with it. Indra’s body became pure. As excreta, Karusa etc. were mingled with the soil of this country, it came to be called Angamalaja, Malada or Karusa from that day onwards. One part of the country was called Malada and the other part Karusa. Indra, having been purified by washing in water returned to heaven with the gods. After that this country became uninhabited for a long time. The horrible Tataka lives in this forest now”. (Va1miki Ramayana, Balakanda, Sarga 24).

 

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