ANGA. A King belonging to the Candra varhsa. (Lunar dynasty).
1) Genealogy. Descended from Visnu in the following order: Brahma – Atri – Caiidra-Budha-Pururavas-AyusNahusa – Yayati – Anudruhyu – Sabhanara – KalanaraSrnj aya-Ti tiksa-Kus adhrta-Homa-Sutapas-Bali-Anga.
2)- Birth. Anga, Kaliriga, Suhma, Kandra, Vanga, Adrupa and Anagabhu are the seven sons born to Bali, the son of Sutapas; by his wife Sutesna, and the King Afiga is one of them. There is a story about the birth of these sons.
Once there lived a hermit named Utatthya. He was the elder brother of Brhaspati. One day when Mamata, Utatthya’s wife, was pregnant, Brhaspati approached her with carnal desires. In spite of her efforts to dissuade her brother-in-law from his attempts she could not prevail upon him. He forced her and satisfied his desire. The child in her womb protested and kicked the sperm of Brhaspati out into the floor. Brhaspati got angry and cursed the child in the womb: “May you fall in perpetual darkness”. So the child was born “blind and remained blind throughout his life. Hence he got the name °Dirghatamas’. Dirghatamas married Pradvesi. A son named Gautama was born to them. The duty of supporting Dirghatamas fell upon the wife and the son, who put him on a raft and pushed him astray into the River Ganges. King Bali, who was bathing in the river saw this. He rescued the hermit and took him to the palace and pleasing him by hospitality, requested him to beget children in his-wife Sutesna, who detesting the idea sent a Sudra woman Dhatrey-1 in her stead and eleven children were born to them. By and by Dirghatamas came to know of the deceit played by Sutesna on him and he became very angry. But the King pacified him and pleased him again and Dirghatamas begot five sons by Sutesna. They were Anga, Vafiga, Kaliriga, Paundra and Suhma. Dirghatamas blessed them that they would become very famous. Afiga, Vanga, Kalinga, Paundra and Suhma were the five kingdoms ruled by Anga, Vafiga, Kalifiga, Paundra and Suhma respectively. These five are the famous Kings of the Bali family. (Mahabharata, Adi Parva Chapter 1.04)
oblations. Holy seers said that the Gods refused to accept the oblations offered by the King because he was childless. So he performed the sacrifice called Putrakamesti (Sacrifice to get a son) and from the sacrificial fire arose a divine person with a golden flask of pudding, which he offered to the King and his queen. The King and the queen Sunitha ate. the pudding, as a result of which a son was born to them. He was named Vena. This son was wicked. Because of his wickedness the King became so miserable drat he left leis kingdom and went on a pilgrimage. Since there was no other means the people enthroned Vena, who tortured his subjects beyond limit.
(Bhagavata, 4th Skandha, Chapters Band 14 ) .
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