Vyasa

Aranyaka Parva›Sagara's Line and the Descent of the Ganga

Sagara Banishes His Son Asamanja

Why "Supporting"?

Causal ReachTop 97%
Character WeightTop 83%
State ChangeTop 95%
Narrative RecallTop 50%

~1 min read

Narada brings Sagara the news that his sixty thousand sons have been burned to ashes by Kapila's energy. Sagara steadies himself, recalling the words of Sthanu, and summons his grandson Anshuman — but before telling him about the dead, he reveals something else: he had already banished Anshuman's father, his own son Asamanja, for the welfare of the citizens. Yudhishthira asks why, and Lomasha recounts how Asamanja used to seize the infants of the city and throw them into the river.

Narada came to Sagara with the news. He had seen the sixty thousand sons of Sagara — burned to ashes, every one of them, by the energy of Kapila's glance. Sagara heard these terrible words from the mouth of the sage. For a moment, he was distracted, unmoored. Then he steadied himself. He thought of the words of Sthanu — words spoken long ago, perhaps a prophecy, perhaps a warning, that had prepared him for this. He thought about the horse. He reassured himself. Then he summoned his grandson Anshuman, the son of Asamanja. "My sixty thousand sons are boundlessly energetic," Sagara told him. "But on my account, they have been killed through Kapila's energy. And your father — your father has also been abandoned by me, for the sake of protecting dharma and for the welfare of the citizens." Yudhishthira, listening to Lomasha tell this story, interrupted. "Why did Sagara abandon his own valorous son? A son who is difficult to abandon? Tell me." Lomasha replied. Sagara had a son named Asamanja, born through his queen Shaibya. Asamanja had a habit. He used to grasp the weak and crying infants of the citizens — by their limbs, by their feet — and throw them into the river. The citizens lived in fear and grief. They assembled together, joined their hands in salutation, and went to Sagara. "O great king! You are our protector from fears like the wheels of the enemy. You should therefore protect us from the terrible fear due to Asamanja." Sagara heard these words. He was distracted for an instant. Then he told his advisers: "Let my son Asamanja be expelled immediately from the city. If you wish to do that which brings me pleasure, perform this act swiftly." The advisers did as the king asked. "That," Lomasha said, "is the entire account of how the great-souled Sagara banished his son for the welfare of the citizens."

Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 403