Ikshvaku
Encyclopedia
Ikshvaku was the first king of the Ikshvaku dynasty
and founder of the Solar Dynasty of Kshatriya
s in Vedic civilization in ancient India
.
incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the Matsya Purana
. He is born to Manu
after the deluge which sends the King's ship to the top of the Malaya Mountains
in the Dravida country.
into modern Hinduism
and its propagation throughout India.
, who is regarded as the first King on the earth of this Avsarpini cycle . According to Jainism, Rishabha was born to Nabhi Raja and Marudevi at Ayodhya. Rushabdev had 101 sons of whom the eldest was Bharata
and second son was Bahubali
. Rishabha, after completing his tenure as a King, gave up all his possessions to his 101 sons and became a Sadhu
.
Jain history provides two explanations how the word "Ikshvaku" came about. According to one version, after Rushabdev fasted for one year, he took his first aahar (food), which was IkshRas(Sugarcane Juice). This Sugarcane Juice was given to Rushabdev by King Shreyansha. Thus from this event, Rushabdev was given the name of Ikshvaku and his lineage was called as Ikshvaku Vansh (Family of Ikshvaku). According to another version, the first thing that Rushabdev taught men was the use of Ikshurasa (cane-juice), which earned for him the title of 'Ikshvaku' . Thus according to Jainism, Ikshvaku was another name for Rushabdev.
and Dasaratha
were among the kings in the line before Lord Rama
.
Ikshvaku dynasty
The Ikshvaku dynasty, in Puranic literature, was a mythical dynasty founded by Ikshvaku, grandson of Vivasvan or Surya and son of Vaivasvata Manu. This dynasty is also known as . The important personalities belonging to this royal house are Harishchandra, Dilīpa, Sagara, Raghu, Rama and Prasenajit...
and founder of the Solar Dynasty of Kshatriya
Kshatriya
*For the Bollywood film of the same name see Kshatriya Kshatriya or Kashtriya, meaning warrior, is one of the four varnas in Hinduism...
s in Vedic civilization in ancient India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
In Hinduism
He is remembered in Hindu scriptures as a righteous and glorious king. In some versions, he is the son of Vaivasvata Manu (formerly the Emperor Satyavrata of Dravida), one of the two central characters along with the Lord MatsyaMatsya
Matsya was the first Avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism. The great flood finds mention in Hindu mythology texts like the Satapatha Brahmana, where in the Matsya Avatar takes place to save the pious and the first man, Manu and advices him to build a giant boat.-The Legend:According to the Matsya...
incarnation of Lord Vishnu in the Matsya Purana
Matsya Purana
Matsya Purana is the sixteenth purana of the Hindu scriptures. During the period of mahapralaya, Lord Vishnu had taken Matsya Avatar to save the seeds of all lives and Manu...
. He is born to Manu
Manu (Hinduism)
In various Hindu traditions, Manu is a title accorded to the progenitor of mankind, and also the very first brahman king to rule this earth, who saved mankind from the universal flood. He was absolutely honest which was why he was initially known as "Satyavrata"...
after the deluge which sends the King's ship to the top of the Malaya Mountains
Malaya Mountains
The Malaya Mountains were a range of mountains that were mentioned in the Matsya Purana, the Kurma Purana, and the epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata...
in the Dravida country.
In Vedic History
Ikshvaku was one of the earliest monarchs of India, and played a pivotal role in the transformation of the ancient Vedic religionHistorical Vedic religion
The religion of the Vedic period is a historical predecessor of Hinduism. Its liturgy is reflected in the mantra portion of the four Vedas, which are compiled in Sanskrit. The religious practices centered on a clergy administering rites...
into modern Hinduism
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and its propagation throughout India.
In Jainism History
The Ikshvaku clan said to began from the first Tirthankara, RishabhaRishabha (Jain tirthankar)
In Jainism, R̥ṣabha or Ādinātha , also known as the "Lord of Kesariya") was the first of the 24 Tīrthaṅkaras. According to Jain beliefs, R̥ṣabha founded the Ikshvaku dynasty and was the first Tīrthaṅkara of the present age...
, who is regarded as the first King on the earth of this Avsarpini cycle . According to Jainism, Rishabha was born to Nabhi Raja and Marudevi at Ayodhya. Rushabdev had 101 sons of whom the eldest was Bharata
Jadabharata
The story of Jadabharata is a story about Bharata, son of Rishabha, it appears in the second section of the Vishnu Purana and the fifth canto of the Bhagavata Purana, and also in Jain texts, like Adipurana, a 10th century Kannada text by Jain poet Adikavi Pampa The story of Jadabharata is a story...
and second son was Bahubali
Bahubali
According to Jainism, Bahubali, called Gomateshwara , was the second of the hundred sons of the first Tirthankara, Rishabha, and king of Podanpur. The Adipurana, a 10th century Kannada text by Jain poet Adikavi Pampa According to Jainism, Bahubali, called Gomateshwara , was the second of the...
. Rishabha, after completing his tenure as a King, gave up all his possessions to his 101 sons and became a Sadhu
Sadhu
In Hinduism, sādhu denotes an ascetic, wandering monk. Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. The sādhu is solely dedicated to achieving mokṣa , the fourth and final aśrama , through meditation and contemplation of brahman...
.
Jain history provides two explanations how the word "Ikshvaku" came about. According to one version, after Rushabdev fasted for one year, he took his first aahar (food), which was IkshRas(Sugarcane Juice). This Sugarcane Juice was given to Rushabdev by King Shreyansha. Thus from this event, Rushabdev was given the name of Ikshvaku and his lineage was called as Ikshvaku Vansh (Family of Ikshvaku). According to another version, the first thing that Rushabdev taught men was the use of Ikshurasa (cane-juice), which earned for him the title of 'Ikshvaku' . Thus according to Jainism, Ikshvaku was another name for Rushabdev.
House of Ikshvaku
Across the length and breadth of Greater India, numerous royal families have claimed to have belonged to the House of Ikshvaku, which was synonymous with the Solar Dynasty. Great kings like BhagirathaBhagiratha
Bhageeratha 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...
and Dasaratha
Dasaratha
Dasharatha was a king of Ayodhya of the Ikshvaku dynasty whose life story is narrated principally in the Hindu epic Ramayana...
were among the kings in the line before Lord Rama
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
.