Bahlika Kingdom
Encyclopedia
All the western Indian kingdoms were known by the general name Bahlika (Vahika, Vahlika and Valhika are variations of the name) meaning outsider. Thus these people were considered as outsiders of the Vedic culture. However, the name Bahlika is sometimes used to denote a kingdom within the present Punjab
, different from Madra
, Sindhu
, Kekeya
, Gandhara
or Kamboja. As per the epic Mahabharata
, the Kuru king Santanu
, a forefather of Kauravas and Pandavas, had a brother who ruled the Bahlika kingdom and a Bahlika king took part in the war aiding Duryodhana
. He was killed by the Pandava
Bhima
.
...the Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas, the Yakrillomans; the Mallas, the Suddellas, the Pranradas, the Mahikas, the Sasikas; the Valhikas, the Vatadhanas, the Abhiras, the Kalajoshakas; the Aparantas, the Parantas, the Pahnabhas, the Charmamandalas; the Atavisikharas, the Mahabhutas, the Upavrittas, the Anupavrittas, the Surashatras, Kekayas; the Kutas, the Maheyas, the Kakshas, the Samudranishkutas; the Andhras...
, classified it and spread it through his four disciples into the whole world. Narada
is telling these words to Vyasa: "The stain of the Vedas is the suspension of their recitation. The stain of the Brahmanas is their non-observance of vows. The Valhika race is the stain of the Earth. Curiosity is the stain of women."
and Shalya
were two generals in the Kaurava
army during the Kurukshetra War
. They engaged in a verbal dispute, owing to their dislike of each other. Both of them hailed from a different culture. Shalya was from the west, being the king of Madra Kingdom
in the Bahlika region. Karna was from the east, being the king of Anga Kingdom
. Both these kingdoms existed at the fringes of Vedic culture, practiced in its normal form, mainly in Kuru
- Panchala
kingdoms in the middle.
Karna said, Listen with devoted attention to this, O ruler of the Madras (Shalya), that was heard by me while it was recited in the presence of Dhritarashtra
. In Dhritarashtra’s abode the Brahmana
s used to narrate the accounts of diverse delightful regions and many kings of ancient times. An old Brahmana while reciting old histories, said these words, blaming the Vahikas and Madrakas, "One should always avoid the Vahikas, those impure people that are out of the pale of virtue, and that live away from the Himavat
and the Ganges
and Saraswati
and Yamuna
and Kurukshetra
and the Sindhu and its five tributary rivers. (8,44)
I remember from the days of my youth that a slaughter-ground for kine and a space for storing intoxicating spirits always distinguish the entrances of the abodes of the (Vahika) kings. On some very secret mission I had to live among the Vahikas. In consequence of such residence the conduct of these people is well known to me. There is a town of the name of Sakala
(modern day Sialkote), a river of the name of Apaga
, and a clan of the Vahikas known by the name of the Jarttikas. The practices of these people are very censurable. They drink the liquor called Gauda, and eat fried barley with it. They also eat beef with garlic. They also eat cakes of flour mixed with meat, and boiled rice that is bought from others. Of righteous practices they have none. (8,44)
Kuru king Dhritarashtra
's words to his son Duryodhana
:- Even the eldest son may be passed over and deprived of the kingdom, and younger sons may, in consequence of their respectful behaviour to the aged, obtain the kingdom. So also, conversant with every virtue there was my father’s grandfather, king Pratipa, who was celebrated over the three worlds. Unto him, were born three sons, Of them, Devapi was the eldest, Vahlika the next and Santanu of great intelligence, who was my grandfather, was the youngest. Devapi, endued with great energy, was virtuous, truthful in speech, and ever engaged in waiting upon his father. But that best of kings had a skin-disease. Popular with both the citizens and the subjects of the provinces, respected by the good, and dearly loved by the young and the old, Devapi was liberal firmly adhering to truth, engaged in the good of all creatures, and obedient to the instructions of his father as also of the Brahmanas. He was dearly loved by his brother Vahlika as also the high-souled Santanu. Great, indeed, was the brotherly love that prevailed between him and his high-souled brothers. In course of time, the old and best of kings, Pratipa, caused all preparations to be made according to the scriptures for the installation of Devapi (on the throne). Indeed, the lord Pratipa caused every auspicious preparation. The installation of Devapi, however, was forbidden by the Brahmanas and all aged persons amongst the citizens and the inhabitants of the provinces. Hearing that the installation of his son was forbidden, the voice of the old king became choked with tears and he began to grieve for his son. Thus, though Devapi was liberal, virtuous, devoted to truth, and loved by the subjects, yet in consequence of his skin-disease, he was excluded from his inheritance. The gods do not approve of a king that is defective of a limb. Thinking of this, those bulls among Brahmanas forbade king Pratipa to install his eldest son. Devapi then, who was defective of one limb, beholding the king (his father) prevented (from installing him on the throne) and filled with sorrow on his account, retired into the woods. As regards Vahlika, abandoning his (paternal) kingdom he dwelt with his maternal uncle. Abandoning his father and brother, he obtained the highly wealthy kingdom of his maternal grandfather. With Vahlika’s permission, Santanu of worldwide fame, on the death of his father (Pratipa), became king of Kuru Kingdom
. (5,149)
is as follows:-
A Bahlika king took part in the Kurukshetra War
. He was related to the Kauravas and the Pandavas, and was a king in the Kuru dynasty. This make Bahlika older than Bhishma
, making him the oldest among, the warriors who fought the Kurukshetra War
. But there is references in Mahabharata
that Bhishma
was the oldest warrior in the Kurukshetra War
. So there could be some missing king in this lineage of Bahlikas. It could be that Somadatta's father who took part in the war was the son of the Bahlika mentioned at (Mbh 1,95) as Pratipa's son.
This makes the warrior Bahlika, contemporary to Bhishma and his son Somadatta, contemporary to Dhritarashtra. Somadatta's sons Bhurisravas and Sala also took part in the Kurukshetra War. Thus four Bahlika war-heroes, spanning three generations, fought the Kurukshetra war. King Bahlika was present in the self choice event of Draupadi
the princess of Panchala Kingdom
. (1,188). He also came to the Rajasuya sacrifice of Pandava
king Yudhisthira
, brought there by Nakula
(2-33,34). King Bahlika was present with the Kurus of Hastinapura
, on almost all the important events that happened in Hastinapura:- on the arrival of Kunti with the young Pandavas (1,126), on the occasion of a tournament of war-craft by the Kuru princes (1,136), When the Pandavas left Hastinapura
to the town of Varanavata (1,145), during the play of dice (2-62,72,76,79)(3,13), during the planning of Kurukshetra War
(5-62,63) etc.
Bhurisravas and Somadatta (denoted as Vahlika) were two among the eleven generals of Kaurava army, leading an Akshouhini of troops (5,156)
, gives glimpses of the contemporary kingdoms and tribes in the Bahlika area, ie the areas north west to the Kuru Kingdom
.
Arjuna
defeated the brave Kshatriyas of Kashmira
and also king Lohita along with ten minor chiefs. Then the Trigartas, the Daravas, the Kokonadas, and various other Kshatriyas advanced against him. Arjuna
then took the delightful town of Avisari, and then brought under his sway Rochamana ruling in Uraga (Urug ?). Then Arjuna
, pressed the delightful town of Singhapura that was well-protected with various weapons. Then he fiercely attacked the regions called Suhma and Sumala. After pressing them with great force, brought the Valhikas always difficult of being vanquished, under his sway. Then Arjuna, taking with him a select force, defeated the Daradas
along with the Kambojas. (2,26)
as tribute ten thousand asses, of goodly size and black necks and daily running two hundred miles, And those asses were of many shapes. And they were well-trained and celebrated all over the world. And possessed of symmetrical proportion and excellent colour, their skins were pleasant to the touch. And the Valhikas also presented numerous blankets of woollen texture manufactured in Chin and numerous skins of the Ranku deer, and clothes manufactured from jute, and others woven with the threads spun by insects. And they also gave thousands of other clothes not made of cotton, possessing the colour of the lotus. And these were all of smooth texture. And they also gave soft sheep-skins by thousands. And they also gave many sharp and long swords and scimitars, and hatchets and fine-edged battle-axes manufactured in the western countries and perfumes and jewels and gems of various kinds by thousands. (2,50)
Yudhisthira also got a car (chariot) from Bahlika king:- Yudhisthira
riding upon the car that had been given him by the king of Valhika, and attired also in royal robes, set out with his brothers, (to play dice in Hastinapura
). (2,52), (2,57)
.
to Yudhisthira
, in the form of a prediction, hints at the rise of power of western kingdoms in Ancient India.
The Andhhas, the Sakas
, the Pulindas, the Yavanas
, the Kamvojas, the Valhikas and the Abhiras
, then become possessed of bravery and the sovereignty of the earth. (3,187)
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
, different from Madra
Madra Kingdom
Madra Kingdom was a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. Its capital was Sagala, modern Sialkot . The Kuru king Pandu's second wife was from Madra kingdom and was called Madri. The Pandava twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, were her sons. Madri's brother Shalya was the king...
, Sindhu
Sindhu Kingdom
Sindhu&sandhu was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It stretched along the banks of river Sindhu in the Ancient Greater India, which is now Pakistan. It is believed that Sindhu kingdom was founded by Vrsadarbh, one of sons of Sivi...
, Kekeya
Kekeya Kingdom
Kekeya is a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. The epic Ramayana also mentions Kekeya as a western kingdom. One of the wives of Dasaratha, the king of Kosala and father of Raghava Rama, was from Kekeya kingdom and was known as Kaikeyi...
, Gandhara
Gandhara Kingdom
Gandhara is a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. The epic Ramayana also mentions it as a western kingdom. Gandhara prince Sakuni was the root of all the conspiracies of Duryodhana against the Pandavas, which finally resulted in the Kurukshetra War. Sakuni's sister...
or Kamboja. As per the epic Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, the Kuru king Santanu
Santanu
Shantanu was a Kuru king of Hastinapura, who is mentioned in the great epic of the Mahābhārata. He was a descendant of the Bharata race, of the lunar dynasty and the ancestor of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. The Rigveda mentions Shantanu. He was the youngest son of King Pratipa of Hastinapura...
, a forefather of Kauravas and Pandavas, had a brother who ruled the Bahlika kingdom and a Bahlika king took part in the war aiding Duryodhana
Duryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
. He was killed by the Pandava
Pandava
In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
Bhima
Bhima
In the Mahābhārata, Bhima is one of the central characters of Mahabharata and the second of the Pandava brothers...
.
Bahlika mentioned as a kingdom of Ancient India (Bharata Varsha)
- Mbh (6,9)
...the Angas, the Vangas, the Kalingas, the Yakrillomans; the Mallas, the Suddellas, the Pranradas, the Mahikas, the Sasikas; the Valhikas, the Vatadhanas, the Abhiras, the Kalajoshakas; the Aparantas, the Parantas, the Pahnabhas, the Charmamandalas; the Atavisikharas, the Mahabhutas, the Upavrittas, the Anupavrittas, the Surashatras, Kekayas; the Kutas, the Maheyas, the Kakshas, the Samudranishkutas; the Andhras...
Words of Narada
The Valhika race is the stain of the Earth (12,328). This mention is found in the midst of a passage that describes how Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa studied VedasVedas
The Vedas are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism....
, classified it and spread it through his four disciples into the whole world. Narada
Narada
Narada or Narada Muni is a divine sage from the Vaisnava tradition, who plays a prominent role in a number of the Puranic texts, especially in the Bhagavata Purana, and in the Ramayana...
is telling these words to Vyasa: "The stain of the Vedas is the suspension of their recitation. The stain of the Brahmanas is their non-observance of vows. The Valhika race is the stain of the Earth. Curiosity is the stain of women."
Words of Vidura
The scum of the Vedas is want of study; of Brahmanas, absence of vows; of the Earth, the Vahlikas; of man, untruth; of the chaste woman, curiosity; of women, exile from home. The scum of gold is silver; of silver, tin; of tin, lead; and of lead, useless dross. (5,39)Dispute between Karna and Shalya in the midst of Kurukshetra War
KarnaKarna
Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...
and Shalya
Shalya
In the epic Mahabharata, King Shalya was the brother of Madri , as well as the ruler of Madra-desa or the kingdom of Madra. Thus, he was the maternal uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva and was loved and revered by the Pandavas. When he was young, he entered a competition among princes and nobilities to...
were two generals in the Kaurava
Kaurava
The term Kaurava is a Sanskrit term, that means the descendants of Kuru, a legendary king who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the Mahābhārata.The term is used in the Mahābhārata with two meanings:...
army during the Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
. They engaged in a verbal dispute, owing to their dislike of each other. Both of them hailed from a different culture. Shalya was from the west, being the king of Madra Kingdom
Madra Kingdom
Madra Kingdom was a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. Its capital was Sagala, modern Sialkot . The Kuru king Pandu's second wife was from Madra kingdom and was called Madri. The Pandava twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, were her sons. Madri's brother Shalya was the king...
in the Bahlika region. Karna was from the east, being the king of Anga Kingdom
Anga Kingdom
Anga was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic rulers. Anga king Lomapada was a friend of Kosala king Dasaratha. Kosala Princess Santha, elder to Raghava Rama, lived as the daughter of Lomapada, since he was childless. Duryodhana established Karna as the ruler of Angas. It is believed that there were many...
. Both these kingdoms existed at the fringes of Vedic culture, practiced in its normal form, mainly in Kuru
Kuru Kingdom
Kuru was the name of an ancient kingdom in Vedic India, and later a republican Mahajanapada state. The kingdom was located in the area of modern Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh in India. They formed the first political center of the of the Vedic India, with its capital at Hastinapur. It...
- Panchala
Panchala Kingdom
This article is about the kingdom of Panchala during the epic-ages. For the historical kingdom, see Panchala.Panchala Kingdom extended from Himalayas in the north to river Charmanwati in the south during the period of Mahabharata. It had Kuru, Surasena and Matsya kingdoms to the west and the forest...
kingdoms in the middle.
Actual location of the Bahlika culture
Karna said, Listen with devoted attention to this, O ruler of the Madras (Shalya), that was heard by me while it was recited in the presence of Dhritarashtra
Dhritarashtra
In the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...
. In Dhritarashtra’s abode the Brahmana
Brahmana
The Brāhmaṇas are part of the Hindu śruti literature. They are commentaries on the four Vedas, detailing the proper performance of rituals....
s used to narrate the accounts of diverse delightful regions and many kings of ancient times. An old Brahmana while reciting old histories, said these words, blaming the Vahikas and Madrakas, "One should always avoid the Vahikas, those impure people that are out of the pale of virtue, and that live away from the Himavat
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
and the Ganges
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
and Saraswati
Sarasvati River
The Sarasvati River is one of the chief Rigvedic rivers mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. The Nadistuti hymn in the Rigveda mentions the Sarasvati between the Yamuna in the east and the Sutlej in the west, and later Vedic texts like Tandya and Jaiminiya Brahmanas as well as the Mahabharata...
and Yamuna
Yamuna
The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
and Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra
Kurukshetra is a land of historical and religious importance. Historically the land belonged to Punjab now a district in Haryana state of India. It is a holy place and is also known as Dharmakshetra . According to the Puranas, Kurukshetra is named after King Kuru, the ancestor of Kauravas and...
and the Sindhu and its five tributary rivers. (8,44)
Food habits of Bahlikas in the town of Sakala
I remember from the days of my youth that a slaughter-ground for kine and a space for storing intoxicating spirits always distinguish the entrances of the abodes of the (Vahika) kings. On some very secret mission I had to live among the Vahikas. In consequence of such residence the conduct of these people is well known to me. There is a town of the name of Sakala
Sakala
Sakala may refer to:* Sagala, a city of ancient India* Sakala County, an ancient county in Estonia * Sakala , an Estonian academic corporation* Sakala , an Estonian newspaper...
(modern day Sialkote), a river of the name of Apaga
Apaga (river)
Apaga is a river mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It is mentioned as flowing through the Madra territories. This river could be the same as the river Chandrabhaga alias Ashkini mentioned in Rigveda. If this is true then this river is the modern day Chenab River...
, and a clan of the Vahikas known by the name of the Jarttikas. The practices of these people are very censurable. They drink the liquor called Gauda, and eat fried barley with it. They also eat beef with garlic. They also eat cakes of flour mixed with meat, and boiled rice that is bought from others. Of righteous practices they have none. (8,44)
Bahlika horses
Bahlika region was famous for its horses. They were used by kings in wars.- Vasudeva Krishna also gave unto ArjunaArjunaArjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
hundreds of thousands of draft horses from the country of the Valhikas as his sister, SubhadraSubhadraImage:Jagannath, Baladev and Subadra in Radhadesh.jpg|thumb|right|250px|alt=|Subhadra, flanked by her brothers Balarama and Jagannatha . Deities of the Radhadesh temple in Belgium...
’s excellent dower. (1,223)
- Sikhandin's son Kshatradeva used steeds from Valhika in the Kurukshetra WarKurukshetra warAccording to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
. (7,23)
- Bahlika breed of horses were one among the type of horses employed in Kurukshetra WarKurukshetra warAccording to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
:- Many steeds of the Vanayu, the hilly, the Kamvoja, and the Valhika breeds, with tails and ears and eyes motionless and fixed, possessed of great speed, well-trained, and ridden by accomplished warriors armed with swords and lances, were seen (7,34)
- BhagirathaBhagirathaBhageeratha was a great king in Hindu mythology who brought the River Ganges to Earth.-Early life:Bhageeratha was the king of Kosala, a kingdom in ancient India. He was a descendent of the great king Sagara of the Suryavamsa, or Sun Dynasty...
gave away a hundred thousand horses of the Valhika breed, all white of complexion, adorned with garlands of gold. (13,103) - DhritarashtraDhritarashtraIn the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...
wished to give sixteen cars made of gold, each drawn by four excellent and well-adorned steeds of uniform colour and of the Vahlika breed to Vasudeva Krishna who came to talk to him on behalf of the Pandavas (5,86)
Bahlika the son of Pratipa
Bahlika the son of Pratipa is mentioned in the following passages in Mahabharata:-Kuru king Dhritarashtra
Dhritarashtra
In the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...
's words to his son Duryodhana
Duryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
:- Even the eldest son may be passed over and deprived of the kingdom, and younger sons may, in consequence of their respectful behaviour to the aged, obtain the kingdom. So also, conversant with every virtue there was my father’s grandfather, king Pratipa, who was celebrated over the three worlds. Unto him, were born three sons, Of them, Devapi was the eldest, Vahlika the next and Santanu of great intelligence, who was my grandfather, was the youngest. Devapi, endued with great energy, was virtuous, truthful in speech, and ever engaged in waiting upon his father. But that best of kings had a skin-disease. Popular with both the citizens and the subjects of the provinces, respected by the good, and dearly loved by the young and the old, Devapi was liberal firmly adhering to truth, engaged in the good of all creatures, and obedient to the instructions of his father as also of the Brahmanas. He was dearly loved by his brother Vahlika as also the high-souled Santanu. Great, indeed, was the brotherly love that prevailed between him and his high-souled brothers. In course of time, the old and best of kings, Pratipa, caused all preparations to be made according to the scriptures for the installation of Devapi (on the throne). Indeed, the lord Pratipa caused every auspicious preparation. The installation of Devapi, however, was forbidden by the Brahmanas and all aged persons amongst the citizens and the inhabitants of the provinces. Hearing that the installation of his son was forbidden, the voice of the old king became choked with tears and he began to grieve for his son. Thus, though Devapi was liberal, virtuous, devoted to truth, and loved by the subjects, yet in consequence of his skin-disease, he was excluded from his inheritance. The gods do not approve of a king that is defective of a limb. Thinking of this, those bulls among Brahmanas forbade king Pratipa to install his eldest son. Devapi then, who was defective of one limb, beholding the king (his father) prevented (from installing him on the throne) and filled with sorrow on his account, retired into the woods. As regards Vahlika, abandoning his (paternal) kingdom he dwelt with his maternal uncle. Abandoning his father and brother, he obtained the highly wealthy kingdom of his maternal grandfather. With Vahlika’s permission, Santanu of worldwide fame, on the death of his father (Pratipa), became king of Kuru Kingdom
Kuru Kingdom
Kuru was the name of an ancient kingdom in Vedic India, and later a republican Mahajanapada state. The kingdom was located in the area of modern Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh in India. They formed the first political center of the of the Vedic India, with its capital at Hastinapur. It...
. (5,149)
- Kuru King Pratipa had three sons, viz Devapi, Valhika and Santanu. (1,95)
- BhishmaBhishmaBhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
consulted his uncle Valhika to clear doubts about giving in marriage, the tree maidens that he brought from Kasi Kingdom to his stepbrother VichitraviryaVichitraviryaVichitravirya in the Hindu epic Mahabharata is the younger son of queen Satyavatī and king Śaṅtanu. His elder brother, Chitrāngada, had initially succeeded their father to the throne of Hastinapura, but when he died childless, Vichitravirya succeeded him.Vichitravirya was still a child when he was...
(13,44). - YudhisthiraYudhisthiraIn the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
addressed Bahlika as son of Pratipa, in a message sent to Kauravas.(5,23) - YudhisthiraYudhisthiraIn the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
also addressed the Kurus of the Pratipa dynasty viz the Vahlikas(5,57)
Bahlika the father of Somadatta
The lineage that links Bahlika with the Pandavas and Kauravas, as per MahabharataMahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
is as follows:-
- Pratipa -> Devapi (became a sage)
- Pratipa -> Bahlika -> Somadatta -> Bhurisravas, Sala
- Pratipa -> Santanu -> BhishmaBhishmaBhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
- Pratipa -> Santanu -> Vichitravirya -> DhritarashtraDhritarashtraIn the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...
-> Kauravas - Pratipa -> Santanu -> Vichitravirya -> PanduPanduIn the Mahābhārata epic, King Pandu is the son of Ambalika and Rishi Ved Vyasa. He is more popularly known as the father of the Pandavas and ruled Hastinapur.-Birth:...
-> Pandavas
A Bahlika king took part in the Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
. He was related to the Kauravas and the Pandavas, and was a king in the Kuru dynasty. This make Bahlika older than Bhishma
Bhishma
Bhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
, making him the oldest among, the warriors who fought the Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
. But there is references in Mahabharata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
that Bhishma
Bhishma
Bhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
was the oldest warrior in the Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
. So there could be some missing king in this lineage of Bahlikas. It could be that Somadatta's father who took part in the war was the son of the Bahlika mentioned at (Mbh 1,95) as Pratipa's son.
- Pratipa -> Devapi (became a sage)
- Pratipa -> Bahlika -> Bahlika -> Somadatta -> Bhurisravas, Sala
- Pratipa -> Santanu -> BhishmaBhishmaBhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
- Pratipa -> Santanu -> Vichitravirya -> DhritarashtraDhritarashtraIn the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...
-> Kauravas - Pratipa -> Santanu -> Vichitravirya -> PanduPanduIn the Mahābhārata epic, King Pandu is the son of Ambalika and Rishi Ved Vyasa. He is more popularly known as the father of the Pandavas and ruled Hastinapur.-Birth:...
-> Pandavas
This makes the warrior Bahlika, contemporary to Bhishma and his son Somadatta, contemporary to Dhritarashtra. Somadatta's sons Bhurisravas and Sala also took part in the Kurukshetra War. Thus four Bahlika war-heroes, spanning three generations, fought the Kurukshetra war. King Bahlika was present in the self choice event of Draupadi
Draupadi
In the epic Mahābhārata, Draupadi, also known as ' is the "emerged" daughter of King Drupada of Panchāla and the wife of the five Pandavas. When Yudhisthira becomes the king of Hastinapura at the end of the war, Draupadi becomes the queen of Indraprastha...
the princess of Panchala Kingdom
Panchala Kingdom
This article is about the kingdom of Panchala during the epic-ages. For the historical kingdom, see Panchala.Panchala Kingdom extended from Himalayas in the north to river Charmanwati in the south during the period of Mahabharata. It had Kuru, Surasena and Matsya kingdoms to the west and the forest...
. (1,188). He also came to the Rajasuya sacrifice of Pandava
Pandava
In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
king Yudhisthira
Yudhisthira
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
, brought there by Nakula
Nakula
Nakula, also spelt "Nakul" was one of the five Pandava brothers according to the epic Mahābhārata. Nakula and Sahadeva were fraternal twins born to Madri, who had invoked the Ashvins using a mantra for a son, the mantra shared by Kunti...
(2-33,34). King Bahlika was present with the Kurus of Hastinapura
Hastinapura
Hastinapur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-History:Hastinapur was the capital of the kingdom of the Kauravas, belonging to the Kuru dynasty of kings. The throne of this city was the prize over which the Kurukshetra War of the epic...
, on almost all the important events that happened in Hastinapura:- on the arrival of Kunti with the young Pandavas (1,126), on the occasion of a tournament of war-craft by the Kuru princes (1,136), When the Pandavas left Hastinapura
Hastinapura
Hastinapur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-History:Hastinapur was the capital of the kingdom of the Kauravas, belonging to the Kuru dynasty of kings. The throne of this city was the prize over which the Kurukshetra War of the epic...
to the town of Varanavata (1,145), during the play of dice (2-62,72,76,79)(3,13), during the planning of Kurukshetra War
Kurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
(5-62,63) etc.
- Bahlika king and his sons and grandsons disliked DuryodhanaDuryodhanaIn the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
, but was allied to his father DhritarashtraDhritarashtraIn the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...
and grandfather BhishmaBhishmaBhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
(5-58,65,80,83,89,90,124,128,129,131
- Bhishma's rating of Vahlika as a car-warrior:-Vahlika is in my judgment, an Atiratha.(5,168)
Bhurisravas and Somadatta (denoted as Vahlika) were two among the eleven generals of Kaurava army, leading an Akshouhini of troops (5,156)
- Bhalika fught as a warrior in Kurukshetra War under the generalissimos viz BhishmaBhishmaBhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
(6-17,45,48,59,60,76,82,93,97,103,105,118) and DronaDronaIn the epic Mahābhārata, Drona or Dronacharya was the royal guru to Kauravas and Pandavas. He was a master of advanced military arts, including the Devastras. Arjuna was his favorite student. Dronas love for Arjuna was second only to his love for his son Ashwatthama...
(7-20,30,37,72,83,92,93,118,152
- Bahlika was slain by BhimaBhimaIn the Mahābhārata, Bhima is one of the central characters of Mahabharata and the second of the Pandava brothers...
(7,154). Somadatta (7,159) and Bhurisravas (7,140) were slain by SatyakiSatyakiYuyudhana , better known as Satyaki , was a powerful warrior belonging to the Vrishni clan of the Yadavas, to which Krishna also belonged. According to the Puranas, he was grandson of Shini of the Vrishni clan, and son of Satyaka. Satyaki was devoted to Krishna and his best friend Arjuna, with...
in the Kurukshetra WarKurukshetra warAccording to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
. The death of all these three in the war is mentioned together at (8,1), (9-2,24,32,63), (10,9), (15-29,32) At (8,5), the slain Bahlika is describeds as grandfather of DhritarashtraDhritarashtraIn the Mahābhārata, Dhritarashtra was King of Hastinapur at the time of the Kurukshetra War, the epic's climactic event. He was born the son of Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika, and was fathered by Vyasa. He was blind from birth, and became father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari...
. At (11,22) he is described as Pratipa's son. This is the only two places where both the Bahlikas, the son of Pratipa and the father of Somadatta were described as same. King Bahlika's funeral rites were performed by Dhritarashtra (15-11,14)
- PandavaPandavaIn the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, the Pandava are the five acknowledged sons of Pandu , by his two wives Kunti and Madri. Their names are Yudhisthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Although, Karna is told by Lord Krishna that according to the laws and ethics he is the first son of Kunti making...
general SatyakiSatyakiYuyudhana , better known as Satyaki , was a powerful warrior belonging to the Vrishni clan of the Yadavas, to which Krishna also belonged. According to the Puranas, he was grandson of Shini of the Vrishni clan, and son of Satyaka. Satyaki was devoted to Krishna and his best friend Arjuna, with...
's father Sini, and Somadatta were of the same generation. They were enemies. When Sini lived at Surasena KingdomSurasena KingdomSurasena Kingdom was ruled by Yaduvanshi kings as per the epic Mahabharata. It is said to be named after the King Shoorsen. The capital city of this kingdom, Mathura was founded by Shatrughna, the brother of Sri Rama the ruler of Kosala in Treta Yuga. He conquered this region after defeating the...
, he battled with Somadatta and defeated him due to a dispute on a maiden (Vasudeva Krishna's mother Devaki). Satyaki and Somadatta's son Bhurisravas, were of the same generation and were enemies too. (7,141)
- Under the generalissimo BhishmaBhishmaBhishma or Bheeshma or Devavrata or 'Bhishma Pitamah' was the eighth son of Kuru King Shantanu who was blessed with wish-long life and had sworn to serve the ruling Kuru king. He was one of the most prominent characters of the great Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He was the grand uncle of both the...
stood Warrior Sala who was a countryman of the Valhikas (6,20) .His battles are described at (6-61,86) (7-35,101,153,161). He is slain in battle, by 5th son of Draupadi Shrutashan, as his death is mentioned at (9,2), (18,5)
Other Bahlika kings
- A Bahlika king is mentioned as one among the 24 great kings (1,1)
- A Bahlika king is mentioned along with the kings present in Yama's court (2,8)
- MadraMadra KingdomMadra Kingdom was a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. Its capital was Sagala, modern Sialkot . The Kuru king Pandu's second wife was from Madra kingdom and was called Madri. The Pandava twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, were her sons. Madri's brother Shalya was the king...
king ShalyaShalyaIn the epic Mahabharata, King Shalya was the brother of Madri , as well as the ruler of Madra-desa or the kingdom of Madra. Thus, he was the maternal uncle of Nakula and Sahadeva and was loved and revered by the Pandavas. When he was young, he entered a competition among princes and nobilities to...
is described as a Bahlika king (1-67,113) .Shalya's sister Madri also is described as princess of Valhika (Bahlika) (1,125)
- King of Darada KingdomDarada KingdomDaradas were a people who lived north to the Kashmir valley. This kingdom is identified to be the Gilgit region in Kashmir along the river Sindhu or Indus. They are often spoken along with the Kambojas...
is described as the ruler of Valhika (2,43)
- One among the eight kings who were the sons of a Janamejaya who himself was the son of Kuru, the founder of the dynasty was named Valhika (Bahlika). (Kuru -> Janamejaya -> Dhritarashtra, Pandu, Valhika, Nishadha, Jamvunada, Kundodara, Padati and Vasati the eighth.) (1,94)
Conquests of Karna
The Utpalas, the Mekalas, the Paundras, the Kalingas, the Andhras, the Nishadas, the Trigartas, and the Valhikas were all defeated by Karna in battle (7,4)Conquests of Arjuna
The following passage from MahabharataMahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, gives glimpses of the contemporary kingdoms and tribes in the Bahlika area, ie the areas north west to the Kuru Kingdom
Kuru Kingdom
Kuru was the name of an ancient kingdom in Vedic India, and later a republican Mahajanapada state. The kingdom was located in the area of modern Haryana, Delhi and western Uttar Pradesh in India. They formed the first political center of the of the Vedic India, with its capital at Hastinapur. It...
.
Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
defeated the brave Kshatriyas of Kashmira
Kasmira Kingdom
Kasmira was a kingdom identified as the Kashmir Valley along the Jhelum River of the modern Jammu and Kashmir state. Possibly, the sage Kashyapa or a descendant of this sage lived here, since the name Kas is derived from the name Kashyapa like the name Caspian of the Caspian Sea. During the epic...
and also king Lohita along with ten minor chiefs. Then the Trigartas, the Daravas, the Kokonadas, and various other Kshatriyas advanced against him. Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
then took the delightful town of Avisari, and then brought under his sway Rochamana ruling in Uraga (Urug ?). Then Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
, pressed the delightful town of Singhapura that was well-protected with various weapons. Then he fiercely attacked the regions called Suhma and Sumala. After pressing them with great force, brought the Valhikas always difficult of being vanquished, under his sway. Then Arjuna, taking with him a select force, defeated the Daradas
Darada Kingdom
Daradas were a people who lived north to the Kashmir valley. This kingdom is identified to be the Gilgit region in Kashmir along the river Sindhu or Indus. They are often spoken along with the Kambojas...
along with the Kambojas. (2,26)
Tribute from Bahlika to Pandava king Yudhisthira
The people of Valhika gave unto YudhisthiraYudhisthira
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
as tribute ten thousand asses, of goodly size and black necks and daily running two hundred miles, And those asses were of many shapes. And they were well-trained and celebrated all over the world. And possessed of symmetrical proportion and excellent colour, their skins were pleasant to the touch. And the Valhikas also presented numerous blankets of woollen texture manufactured in Chin and numerous skins of the Ranku deer, and clothes manufactured from jute, and others woven with the threads spun by insects. And they also gave thousands of other clothes not made of cotton, possessing the colour of the lotus. And these were all of smooth texture. And they also gave soft sheep-skins by thousands. And they also gave many sharp and long swords and scimitars, and hatchets and fine-edged battle-axes manufactured in the western countries and perfumes and jewels and gems of various kinds by thousands. (2,50)
Yudhisthira also got a car (chariot) from Bahlika king:- Yudhisthira
Yudhisthira
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
riding upon the car that had been given him by the king of Valhika, and attired also in royal robes, set out with his brothers, (to play dice in Hastinapura
Hastinapura
Hastinapur is a town and a nagar panchayat in Meerut district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.-History:Hastinapur was the capital of the kingdom of the Kauravas, belonging to the Kuru dynasty of kings. The throne of this city was the prize over which the Kurukshetra War of the epic...
). (2,52), (2,57)
Bahlika army in Kurukshetra War
The heroes from Bhalika were, king Bahlika, his son Somadatta and his grandsons Bhurisravas and Sala. Apart from them we find mention of Bahlika army along with the armies of other neighbouring kingdoms taking part in the Kurukshetra WarKurukshetra war
According to the Indian epic poem Mahābhārata, a dynastic succession struggle between two groups of cousins of an Indo-Aryan kingdom called Kuru, the Kauravas and Pandavas, for the throne of Hastinapura resulted in the Kurukshetra War in which a number of ancient kingdoms participated as allies of...
.
- the Kamvojas and with the Valhikas (6,75)
- king Vahlika with Vahlikas (6,82), (6,103)
- the Nishadas, the Sauviras, the Valhikas, the Daradas, the Westerners, the Northerners, the Malavas, the Abhighatas, the Surasenas, the Sivis, the Vasatis, the Salwas, the Sakas, the Trigartas, the Amvashthas, and the Kekayas (6,118)
- Yavanas and Paradas and Sakas and Valhikas, and Mlecchas (7,90)
- Valhikas with KarnaKarnaKarna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...
(7,110) - Sakas and Kamvojas and Valhikas and Yavanas and Paradas, and Kalingas and Tanganas and Amvashtas and Pisachas and Barbaras and mountaineers(7,118)
- the Amvashthas, the Malavas, the brave Trigartas and the Sivis, the Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Valhikas, and the Vasatis, the Yaudheyas, the Malavas, the Madrakas (7,154)
- the Saindhavas and Valhikas(7,177)
- the Vasatis, the Sivis, the Valhikas and the Kurus (7,190)
- the Pulindas, the Khasas, the Bahlikas, the Nishadas, the Andhakas, the Tanganas, the Southerners, and the Bhojas (8,20)
- the Bahlikas, and the Kaikayas, the Matsyas, the Vasatas, the Madras, and Saindhavas (8,56)
- the Kurus and the Bahlikas(8,74)
Rise of Bahlika Power in Ancient India
The words of sage MarkandeyaMarkandeya
Markandeya is an ancient rishi from the Hindu tradition, born in the clan of Bhrigu Rishi. He is celebrated as a devotee of both Shiva and Vishnu and is mentioned in a number of stories from the Puranas...
to Yudhisthira
Yudhisthira
In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira , the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, was king of Indraprastha and later of Hastinapura. He was the leader of the Pandava side in the Kurukshetra War...
, in the form of a prediction, hints at the rise of power of western kingdoms in Ancient India.
The Andhhas, the Sakas
Saka Kingdom
Sakas were a Mlechcha tribe grouped along with the Yavanas, Tusharas and Barbaras. They were later known as Scythians. They were Soma drinkers, Soma being an intoxicating liquor famous in the land of Devas . There were a group of Sakas called Apa Sakas meaning water dwelling Sakas, probably living...
, the Pulindas, the Yavanas
Yavana Kingdom
Yavana or Yona is grouped under western countries along with Sindhu, Madra, Kekeya, Gandhara and Kamboja as per the descriptions in the epic Mahabharata. In later history, this word was used to indicate the Greeks and the Arabs, leading to much confusion....
, the Kamvojas, the Valhikas and the Abhiras
Abhira Kingdom
Sura and Abhira tribe were mentioned as two kingdoms where the river Saraswati existed only as a dried up river bed during the time of Kurukshetra War. They were sometimes referred to as Surabhira also, combining both Sura and Abhira kingdoms...
, then become possessed of bravery and the sovereignty of the earth. (3,187)