Story of Aṅga

A King belonging to the Candra vaṃśa. (Lunar dynasty).

Genealogy.

Descended from Viṣṇu in the following order: Brahmā-Atri-Candra-Budha-Purūravas-Āyus-Nahuṣa-Yayāti-Anudruhyu-Sabhānara-Kālanara-Sṛñjaya-Titikṣa-Kuśadhṛta-Homa-Sutapas-Bali-Aṅga.

Birth.

Aṅga, Kaliṅga, Suhma, Kaṇḍra, Vaṅga, Adrupa and Anaśābhu are the seven sons born to Bali, the son of Sutapas, by his wife Suteṣṇā, and the King Aṅga is one of them. There is a story about the birth of these sons.

Once there lived a hermit named Utatthya. He was the elder brother of Bṛhaspati. One day when Mamatā, Utatthya’s wife, was pregnant, Bṛhaspati approached her with carnal desires. In spite of her efforts to dissuade her brother-in-law from his attempts she could not prevail upon him. He forced her and satisfied his desire. The child in her womb protested and kicked the sperm of Bṛhaspati out into the floor. Bṛhaspati got angry and cursed the child in the womb: "May you fall in perpetual darkness". So the child was born blind and remained blind throughout his life. Hence he got the name 'Dīrghatamas'. Dīrghatamas married Pradveṣi. A son named Gautama was born to them. The duty of supporting Dīrghatamas fell upon the wife and the son, who put him on a raft and pushed him astray into the River Ganges. King Bali, who was bathing in the river saw this. He rescued the hermit and took him to the palace and pleasing him by hospitality, requested him to beget children in his wife Suteṣṇā, who detesting the idea sent a Śūdrā woman Dhātreyī in her stead and eleven children were born to them. By and by Dīrghatamas came to know of the deceit played by Suteṣṇā on him and he became very angry. But the King pacified him and pleased him again and Dīrghatamas begot five sons by Suteṣṇā. They were Aṅga, Vaṅga, Kaliṅga, Pauṇḍra and Suhma. Dīrghatamas blessed them that they would become very famous. Aṅga, Vaṅga, Kaliṅga, Pauṇḍra and Suhma were the five kingdoms ruled by Aṅga, Vaṅga, Kaliṅga, Pauṇḍra and Suhma respectively. These five are the famous Kings of the Bāli family. (Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva, Chapter 104).

How Aṅga got children.

Once Aṅga performed a horse sacrifice. But the gods did not appear to receive oblations. Holy seers said that the Gods refused to accept the oblations offered by the King because he was childless. So he performed the sacrifice called Putrakāmeṣṭi (Sacrifice to get a son) and from the sacrificial fire arose a divine person with a golden flask of pudding, which he offered to the King and his queen. The King and the queen Sunīthā ate the pudding, as a result of which a son was born to them. He was named Vena. This son was wicked. Because of his wickedness the King became so miserable that he left his kingdom and went on a pilgrimage. Since there was no other means the people enthroned Vena, who tortured his subjects beyond limit. (Bhāgavata, 4th Skandha, Chapters Band 14).