Shibi
Encyclopedia
King Shibi Chakravarti is a famous king in Hindu
mythology
and Buddhist Jataka
Tales. Sibi was the son of Usinara a famous king of Chandravamsa (Lunar dynasty). He was renowned for his liberality and unselfishness and is said to have saved Agni (transformed into a dove) from Indra(transformed into a hawk) by offering his own flesh.
His lineage is traced from Vishnu
in the following order;
Brahmā-Atri-Candra-Buda-Purūravas-Āyus-Nahusa-Yayāti-Anudruhyu-Sabhānara-Kālanara-Srñjya-Usinara-Sibi
The story of the King and the pigeon and the hawk
is used to illustrate the compassion and generosity of the king. This story of Shibi appears in both the Mahabharata
and the Ramayana
. The story of Shibi in brief is as follows:
The Gods, wanting to test the compassionate nature of King Shibi, took the form of a hawk and a pigeon. The pigeon chased by the hawk fell on King Shibi's lap seeking his protection. The hawk argued that the pigeon is its food. Shibi offered to compensate with his own flesh. Finally he offered himself to be eaten and the Gods showed him their true form and blessed him.
The king is found among other legendary kings in the lineage claimed by the later Chola kings. The Cholas claimed to have descended from the Sun. The Tamil name for Shibi Chakravarthi is Sembiyan and the Chola kings took this as one of their titles.
There are also a number of temples in Tamil Nadu
with legends claiming King Shibi to have worshipped in them. Shibi is considered the King of a country called Ushinara.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
and Buddhist Jataka
Jataka
The Jātakas refer to a voluminous body of literature native to India concerning the previous births of the Buddha....
Tales. Sibi was the son of Usinara a famous king of Chandravamsa (Lunar dynasty). He was renowned for his liberality and unselfishness and is said to have saved Agni (transformed into a dove) from Indra(transformed into a hawk) by offering his own flesh.
His lineage is traced from Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
in the following order;
Brahmā-Atri-Candra-Buda-Purūravas-Āyus-Nahusa-Yayāti-Anudruhyu-Sabhānara-Kālanara-Srñjya-Usinara-Sibi
The story of the King and the pigeon and the hawk
Sibi Jataka
Sibi Jataka is one of the Jataka tales detailing episodes of the various incarnations of Buddha. Each Jataka tale illustrates the Buddhist ideals of Dharma and sacrifice in various forms...
is used to illustrate the compassion and generosity of the king. This story of Shibi appears in both the 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....
and the Ramayana
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
. The story of Shibi in brief is as follows:
The Gods, wanting to test the compassionate nature of King Shibi, took the form of a hawk and a pigeon. The pigeon chased by the hawk fell on King Shibi's lap seeking his protection. The hawk argued that the pigeon is its food. Shibi offered to compensate with his own flesh. Finally he offered himself to be eaten and the Gods showed him their true form and blessed him.
The king is found among other legendary kings in the lineage claimed by the later Chola kings. The Cholas claimed to have descended from the Sun. The Tamil name for Shibi Chakravarthi is Sembiyan and the Chola kings took this as one of their titles.
There are also a number of temples in Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
with legends claiming King Shibi to have worshipped in them. Shibi is considered the King of a country called Ushinara.
External links
- http://moralstories.wordpress.com/2006/07/11/the-story-of-the-great-shibi-chakravarti/