Kakudmi
Encyclopedia
Kakudmi was the King of Kusasthali, a kingdom beneath the ocean. He was the father of Revati
, who married Balarama
. Within Hinduism
, his account is given within a number of Puranic texts such as the Mahābhārata, the Devi Bhagavatam and the Bhagavata Purana
.
), a dynasty originating from Surya
, the Hindu
deity of the Sun
.
Surya's son was the deity Vaivasvata Manu
.
Vaivasvata Manu had one powerful son named Ikshvaku
. Ikshvaku founded and spread the Sun (or Solar) dynasty. He became King and ruled from Ayodhya. He was celebrated for his accomplishments in battle, and for his competence and benevolence.
Ikshvaku had one hundred sons, of whom Vikuksi was the eldest. Vikuksi had many sons, of whom S'aryâti was one. King S'aryâti had three sons, Uttânabarhi, Ânarta and Bhûrishena. Ânarta's eldest son was Revata.
King Revata constructed the city of Kusasthali beneath the ocean and ruled from there. Kusasthali grew to became a prosperous and advanced kingdom. From Kusasthali, he also ruled over large tracts of land, including Anarta
kingdom, which was named after his father.
Revata had one hundred sons of whom Kakudmi (also called Raivata, son of Revata) was the eldest.
, endowed with all auspicious qualities. Although considered human, Kakudmi seemed to have been endowed with mystic powers, not found in ordinary humans today. Kakudmi was able to take his daughter Revati
with him and travel to Brahma-loka
(the plane of existence where Brahma
, the Creator, resides) and to speak with Brahma at will.
was so beautiful and so accomplished that when she reached a marriageable age, Kakudmi, thinking no one upon earth was worthy of her, went to the Creator himself, Lord Brahma
, to seek his advice about a suitable husband for his daughter.
When they arrived, Brahma was listening to a musical performance by the Gandharvas, so they waited patiently until the performance was finished. Then, Kakudmi bowed humbly, made his request and presented his shortlist of candidates. Brahma laughed loudly, and explained that time runs differently on different planes of existence, and that during the short time they had waited in Brahma-loka to see him, 27 catur-yugas (a cycle of four yugas, totalling 108 yugas, or Ages of Man
) had passed on earth (see time dilation
theory). Brahma said to Kakudmi, "O King, all those whom you may have decided within the core of your heart to accept as your son-in-law have died in the course of time. Twenty-seven catur-yugas have already passed. Those upon whom you may have already decided are now gone, and so are their sons, grandsons and other descendants. You cannot even hear about their names. You must therefore bestow this virgin gem (i.e. Revati) upon some other husband, for you are now alone, and your friends, your ministers, servants, wives, kinsmen, armies, and treasures, have long since been swept away by the hand of time."
King Kakudmi was overcome with astonishment and alarm at hearing this news. However, Brahma comforted him, and added that Vishnu
, the Preserver, was currently incarnate on earth in the forms of Krishna
and Balarama
, and he recommended Balarama as a worthy husband for Revati.
Kakudmi and Revati
then returned to earth, which they regarded as having left only just a short while ago. They were shocked by the changes that had taken place. Not only had the landscape and environment changed, but over the intervening 27 catur-yugas, in the cycles of human spiritual and cultural evolution, mankind was at a lower level of development than in their own time (see Ages of Man
). The Bhagavata Purana describes that they found the race of men had become "dwindled in stature, reduced in vigour, and enfeebled in intellect."
Daughter and father found Balarama and proposed the marriage, which was accepted. The marriage was then duly celebrated.
, to Badrinath (the place where Nara-Narayana
is still worshipped today) to engage in meditation and ascetic practices.
The Devi Bhagavatam describes that "according to Brahmâ's injunction, he became engaged in severe austerities in Badrinath and, when the time of death arrived, left off his mortal coil on the banks of the river and went to the world of Gods."
In English
myths, there is the tale of the ancient Briton King Herla
, from De Nugis Curialium
. King Herla spends three days in the dwarf kingdom, and returns only to discover that many centuries had elapsed.
In Ireland
, the most famous story is the legend where the bard Oisín
is taken to Tír na nÓg
.
The Voyage of Bran is also similar to this story.
The Japan
ese have the story of Urashima Tarō
, a fisherman who visits the Dragon King and his daughter in Ryūgū-jō
(or the Dragon Palace), located beneath the ocean.
Intriguingly, the Dragon King and his daughter are inhabitants of a kingdom beneath the ocean. Note the similarity to King Kakudmi and his daughter Revati
, who are inhabitants of Kusasthali, also located in the ocean depths.
A Japanese sci-fi author, Aritsune Toyoda, explained that such phenomena is caused by the Twin paradox
derived from Albert Einstein
's Theory of Relativity
.
Revati
Revati, within Hinduism, is the daughter of King Kakudmi and the wife of Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna. Her account is given within a number of Puranic texts such as the Mahābhārata and Bhagavata Purana.-Meeting with Brahma:...
, who married Balarama
Balarama
Balarama , also known as Baladeva, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine being, Krishna in Hinduism. Within Vaishnavism Hindu traditions Balarama is worshipped as an Avatar of Vishnu, and he is also listed as such in the Bhagavata Purana...
. Within 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...
, his account is given within a number of Puranic texts such as the Mahābhārata, the Devi Bhagavatam and the Bhagavata Purana
Bhagavata purana
The Bhāgavata Purāṇa is one of the "Maha" Puranic texts of Hindu literature, with its primary focus on bhakti to the incarnations of Vishnu, particularly Krishna...
.
Lineage
Kakudmi was a descendant of the Sun Dynasty (SuryavanshaSuryavansha
The Sooryavamsham or Suryavansh or Suryavamsa or Sun Dynasty or Solar Dynasty was one of the most prominent dynasties in the mythical history of India, along with the "Chandra-vaṃśa" or Lunar Dynasty.-Introduction:...
), a dynasty originating from Surya
Surya
Surya Suraya or Phra Athit is the chief solar deity in Hinduism, one of the Adityas, son of Kasyapa and one of his wives, Aditi; of Indra; or of Dyaus Pitar . The term Surya also refers to the Sun, in general. Surya has hair and arms of gold...
, the Hindu
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...
deity of the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
.
Surya's son was the deity Vaivasvata 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"...
.
Vaivasvata Manu had one powerful son named Ikshvaku
Ikshvaku
Ikshvaku pāli: Okkāka) was the first king of the Ikshvaku dynasty and founder of the Solar Dynasty of Kshatriyas in Vedic civilization in ancient India.-In Hinduism:He is remembered in Hindu scriptures as a righteous and glorious king...
. Ikshvaku founded and spread the Sun (or Solar) dynasty. He became King and ruled from Ayodhya. He was celebrated for his accomplishments in battle, and for his competence and benevolence.
Ikshvaku had one hundred sons, of whom Vikuksi was the eldest. Vikuksi had many sons, of whom S'aryâti was one. King S'aryâti had three sons, Uttânabarhi, Ânarta and Bhûrishena. Ânarta's eldest son was Revata.
King Revata constructed the city of Kusasthali beneath the ocean and ruled from there. Kusasthali grew to became a prosperous and advanced kingdom. From Kusasthali, he also ruled over large tracts of land, including Anarta
Anarta
Anarta was an ancient Indian region which corresponded to the present-day North Kathiawar region of Gujarat state-Anarta in the Puranic literature:...
kingdom, which was named after his father.
Revata had one hundred sons of whom Kakudmi (also called Raivata, son of Revata) was the eldest.
Character of Kakudmi
Kakudmi was of pure character, and a benevolent ruler. He had one very beautiful daughter named RevatiRevati
Revati, within Hinduism, is the daughter of King Kakudmi and the wife of Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna. Her account is given within a number of Puranic texts such as the Mahābhārata and Bhagavata Purana.-Meeting with Brahma:...
, endowed with all auspicious qualities. Although considered human, Kakudmi seemed to have been endowed with mystic powers, not found in ordinary humans today. Kakudmi was able to take his daughter Revati
Revati
Revati, within Hinduism, is the daughter of King Kakudmi and the wife of Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna. Her account is given within a number of Puranic texts such as the Mahābhārata and Bhagavata Purana.-Meeting with Brahma:...
with him and travel to Brahma-loka
Loka
Loka is a Sanskrit word for "world". In Hindu mythology it takes a specific meaning related to cosmology.-Hindu tradition:In the Puranas, and already in the Atharvaveda, there are fourteen worlds, seven higher ones and seven lower ones , viz...
(the plane of existence where Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
, the Creator, resides) and to speak with Brahma at will.
Meeting with Brahma
Kakudmi's daughter RevatiRevati
Revati, within Hinduism, is the daughter of King Kakudmi and the wife of Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna. Her account is given within a number of Puranic texts such as the Mahābhārata and Bhagavata Purana.-Meeting with Brahma:...
was so beautiful and so accomplished that when she reached a marriageable age, Kakudmi, thinking no one upon earth was worthy of her, went to the Creator himself, Lord Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
, to seek his advice about a suitable husband for his daughter.
When they arrived, Brahma was listening to a musical performance by the Gandharvas, so they waited patiently until the performance was finished. Then, Kakudmi bowed humbly, made his request and presented his shortlist of candidates. Brahma laughed loudly, and explained that time runs differently on different planes of existence, and that during the short time they had waited in Brahma-loka to see him, 27 catur-yugas (a cycle of four yugas, totalling 108 yugas, or Ages of Man
Ages of Man
The Ages of Man are the stages of human existence on the Earth according to Greek mythology. Two classical authors in particular offer accounts of the successive ages of mankind, which tend to progress from an original, long-gone age in which humans enjoyed a nearly divine existence to the current...
) had passed on earth (see time dilation
Time dilation
In the theory of relativity, time dilation is an observed difference of elapsed time between two events as measured by observers either moving relative to each other or differently situated from gravitational masses. An accurate clock at rest with respect to one observer may be measured to tick at...
theory). Brahma said to Kakudmi, "O King, all those whom you may have decided within the core of your heart to accept as your son-in-law have died in the course of time. Twenty-seven catur-yugas have already passed. Those upon whom you may have already decided are now gone, and so are their sons, grandsons and other descendants. You cannot even hear about their names. You must therefore bestow this virgin gem (i.e. Revati) upon some other husband, for you are now alone, and your friends, your ministers, servants, wives, kinsmen, armies, and treasures, have long since been swept away by the hand of time."
King Kakudmi was overcome with astonishment and alarm at hearing this news. However, Brahma comforted him, and added that 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....
, the Preserver, was currently incarnate on earth in the forms of Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
and Balarama
Balarama
Balarama , also known as Baladeva, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine being, Krishna in Hinduism. Within Vaishnavism Hindu traditions Balarama is worshipped as an Avatar of Vishnu, and he is also listed as such in the Bhagavata Purana...
, and he recommended Balarama as a worthy husband for Revati.
Kakudmi and Revati
Revati
Revati, within Hinduism, is the daughter of King Kakudmi and the wife of Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna. Her account is given within a number of Puranic texts such as the Mahābhārata and Bhagavata Purana.-Meeting with Brahma:...
then returned to earth, which they regarded as having left only just a short while ago. They were shocked by the changes that had taken place. Not only had the landscape and environment changed, but over the intervening 27 catur-yugas, in the cycles of human spiritual and cultural evolution, mankind was at a lower level of development than in their own time (see Ages of Man
Ages of Man
The Ages of Man are the stages of human existence on the Earth according to Greek mythology. Two classical authors in particular offer accounts of the successive ages of mankind, which tend to progress from an original, long-gone age in which humans enjoyed a nearly divine existence to the current...
). The Bhagavata Purana describes that they found the race of men had become "dwindled in stature, reduced in vigour, and enfeebled in intellect."
Daughter and father found Balarama and proposed the marriage, which was accepted. The marriage was then duly celebrated.
After the marriage
After the marriage had been celebrated, Kakudmi considered his fatherly duties to have been completed. Following the advice Brahma gave him during their meeting, he went north to the HimalayasHimalayas
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...
, to Badrinath (the place where Nara-Narayana
Nara-Narayana
Nara-Narayana is a Hindu deity pair. Nara-Narayana is the twin-brother incarnation of the preserver-god Vishnu on earth, working for the preservation of dharma or righteousness...
is still worshipped today) to engage in meditation and ascetic practices.
The Devi Bhagavatam describes that "according to Brahmâ's injunction, he became engaged in severe austerities in Badrinath and, when the time of death arrived, left off his mortal coil on the banks of the river and went to the world of Gods."
Time Dilation in other cultures
Similar stories also exist in the Middle East, appearing in the Arabian Nights.In English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
myths, there is the tale of the ancient Briton King Herla
Herla
Herla or Herla King is a legendary leader of the German mythic Wild Hunt and the name from which the French term, Herlequin may have been derived...
, from De Nugis Curialium
De Nugis Curialium
De nugis curialium is the major surviving work of the 12th century Latin author Walter Map. He was an English courtier of Welsh descent, probably born in Herefordshire, whose studies and employment took him to Canterbury, Paris, Rome and to several royal and noble courts of western Europe...
. King Herla spends three days in the dwarf kingdom, and returns only to discover that many centuries had elapsed.
In Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the most famous story is the legend where the bard Oisín
Oisín
Oisín , also spelt in English Ossian or Osheen, was regarded in legend as the greatest poet of Ireland, and is a warrior of the fianna in the Ossianic or Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology...
is taken to Tír na nÓg
Tír na nÓg
Tír na nÓg is the most popular of the Otherworlds in Irish mythology. It is perhaps best known from the story of Oisín, one of the few mortals who lived there, who was said to have been brought there by Niamh of the Golden Hair. It was where the Tuatha Dé Danann settled when they left Ireland's...
.
The Voyage of Bran is also similar to this story.
The Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese have the story of Urashima Tarō
Urashima Taro
is a Japanese legend about a fisherman who rescues a turtle and is rewarded for this with a visit to Ryūgū-jō, the palace of Ryūjin, the Dragon God, under the sea...
, a fisherman who visits the Dragon King and his daughter in Ryūgū-jō
Ryugu-jo
In Japanese mythology, Ryūgū-jō is the undersea palace of Ryūjin, the dragon god of the sea. Depending on the version of the legend, it is built from red and white coral, or from solid crystal. The inhabitants of the palace were Ryūjin's servants, which were various denizens of the sea...
(or the Dragon Palace), located beneath the ocean.
Intriguingly, the Dragon King and his daughter are inhabitants of a kingdom beneath the ocean. Note the similarity to King Kakudmi and his daughter Revati
Revati
Revati, within Hinduism, is the daughter of King Kakudmi and the wife of Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna. Her account is given within a number of Puranic texts such as the Mahābhārata and Bhagavata Purana.-Meeting with Brahma:...
, who are inhabitants of Kusasthali, also located in the ocean depths.
A Japanese sci-fi author, Aritsune Toyoda, explained that such phenomena is caused by the Twin paradox
Twin paradox
In physics, the twin paradox is a thought experiment in special relativity, in which a twin makes a journey into space in a high-speed rocket and returns home to find he has aged less than his identical twin who stayed on Earth...
derived from Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
's Theory of Relativity
Theory of relativity
The theory of relativity, or simply relativity, encompasses two theories of Albert Einstein: special relativity and general relativity. However, the word relativity is sometimes used in reference to Galilean invariance....
.