Story of Uśīnara

A famous king of the Candravaṃśa (Lunar dynasty).

Genealogy.

Descended from Viṣṇu in the following order:—Brahmā-Atri-Candra-Budha-Purūravas-Āyus-Nahuṣa-Yayāti-Anudruhyu-Sabhānara-Kālanara-Sṛñjaya-Uśīnara. Uśīnara was the father of Śibi and Vena.

The reason for the curse of the eight Vasus.

Once the Aṣṭavasus (Vasus eight in number) came to the hermitage of Vasiṣṭha, with their wives. The wife of Dyau, one of the Aṣṭavasus, saw the cow 'Nandinī' in the hermitage. She and the daughter of Uśīnara were intimate friends. She wanted to get Nandinī, so that she might give it as a present to the daughter of Uṣīnara. According to her wish the Aṣṭavasus caught hold of the cow and took her home. At that time Vasiṣṭha had been away. When he returned, he knew about the theft of the cow and cursed the Aṣṭavasus to take birth in the wombs of women on earth. It was according to this curse that the Aṣṭavasus took birth in Gaṅgādevī the wife of Śantanu. See under Bhīṣma. (Devī Bhāgavata, Skandha 2).

Indra testing Uśīnara.

Uśīnara was a just and liberalminded King. Indra decided to test the King regarding his liberality. He got Agnideva (fire-god) for his help. Indra took the form of a Kite and Agni that of a dove. Both flew down to Uśīnara as if the Kite was chasing the dove. Uśīnara agreed to protect the dove. The Kite argued with the King that it was not meet and right on his part to rob him of his lawful food. The King agreed to give any other kind of flesh to the Kite. But the Kite would have none of them. Finally the Kite agreed to accept the flesh of the King instead, equal to the weight of the dove. The King cut more and more flesh from his body, but it could not weigh equal to the dove. At last the King himself got into the balance. Then the gods had pity on the King and the Kite and the dove appeared in their real form and blessed the King and then they returned to heaven. (Mahābhārata Araṇya Parva, Chapter 131). In Mahābhārata a story like this occurs about King Śibi also.

Other information.

(i) Uśīnara gave Gālava two hundred horses as dowry and married Yayāti’s damsel Mādhavī. (See under Gālava).

(ii) The King Śunaka gave Uśīnara a sword. (Mahābhārata Śānti Parva, Chapter 166, Stanza 79).

(iii) Uśīnara performed a sacrifice on the bank of the river Vitastā and became equal to Indra. (Mahābhārata Vana Parva, Chapter 130, Verses 20-21).

(iv) Uśīnara attained heaven by giving cows as gifts. (Mahābhārata Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 76, Stanza 25).