Kuśanábha

Role: king · First appears: Book I, Canto 34 · Brahmadatta

In Book I, Canto 34, Kuśanábha, son of Kuśa, founded Mahodaya. His wife, Ghritáchí, bore him a hundred daughters. When the Wind-God proposed to them, they said they would accept the husband their father chose; in anger, he bent their forms.

Kuśanábha gave his daughters in marriage to Brahmadatta. When each maiden’s hand was placed in his, her deformity and cares disappeared. In Book I, Cantos 35 and 51, Brahmá promised Kuśanábha a son like himself, and Gádhi was born as his heir.

Relationship record

Life events

• Kuśanábha founded the town of Mahodaya.(Book I, Canto 34 · Brahmadatta · 📍 Mahodaya)
  • “And Kuśanábha, just and wise, Bade high Mahodaya’s towers arise.”
• Ghritáchí bore Kuśanábha a hundred daughters.(Book I, Canto 34 · Brahmadatta)
  • With: Ghritáchí
  • “The queen Ghritáchí, nymph most fair, Married to Kuśanábha, bare A hundred daughters, lovely-faced,”
• Kuśanábha’s daughters refused the Wind-God’s proposal and deferred their marriages to their father’s choice.(Book I, Canto 34 · Brahmadatta)
  • “Our honoured sire our lord we deem, He is to us a God supreme, And they to whom his high decree May give us shall our husbands be.”
• The Wind-God bent Kuśanábha’s daughters’ forms in anger.(Book I, Canto 34 · Brahmadatta)
  • “On each fair maid a blast he sent: Each stately form he bowed and bent.”
• Kuśanábha gave his hundred daughters in marriage to Brahmadatta.(Book I, Canto 34 · Brahmadatta)
  • With: Brahmadatta
  • “To him, obedient to his call, The happy monarch gave them all. Like Indra then he took the hand Of every maiden of the band.”
• Kuśanábha’s daughters’ deformity and cares disappeared after their hands were placed in Brahmadatta’s.(Book I, Canto 34 · Brahmadatta)
  • “Soon as the hand of each young maid In Brahmadatta’s palm was laid, Deformity and cares away, She shone in beauty bright and gay.”
• Brahmá promised Kuśanábha that he would obtain a son like himself.(Book I, Canto 35 · Visvámitra’s Lineage)
  • With: Brahmá
  • “Thou shalt, my child, obtain a son Like thine own self, O holy one.”
• Gádhi was born, as the saint had foretold.(Book I, Canto 35 · Visvámitra’s Lineage)
  • With: Gádhi
  • “Time fled, and, as the saint foretold, Gádhi was born, the holy-souled.”
• Kuśanábha was Kuśa’s son.(Book I, Canto 51 · Visvámitra)
  • With: Kuśa
  • “His son was Kuśanábha, strong, Friend of the right, the foe of wrong.”
• Gádhi was born as Kuśanábha’s heir.(Book I, Canto 51 · Visvámitra)
  • With: Gádhi
  • “Gádhi, whose fame no time shall dim, Heir of his throne was born to him,”

Book I, Canto 34 · Brahmadatta

• parent: Kuśa “Like their own father, children four, All valiant boys, the lady bore. In glorious deeds each nerve they strained, And well their Warrior part sustained. To them most just, and true, and brave, Their father thus his counsel gave: ‘Beloved children, ne’er forget Protection is a prince’s debt: The noble work at once begin, High virtue and her fruits to win.’ The youths, to all the people dear, Received his speech with willing ear; And each went forth his several way, Foundations of a town to lay. Kuśámba, prince of high renown, Was builder of Kauśámbí’s town, And Kuśanábha, just and wise, Bade high Mahodaya’s towers arise. Amúrtarajas chose to dwell In Dharmáraṇya’s citadel, And Vasu bade his city fair The name of Girivraja bear.”
• married with Ghritáchí “The queen Ghritáchí, nymph most fair, Married to Kuśanábha, bare A hundred daughters, lovely-faced, With every charm and beauty graced.”
• younger kin: Brahmadatta “King Kuśanábha planned that he His hundred daughters’ lord should be. To him, obedient to his call, The happy monarch gave them all. Like Indra then he took the hand Of every maiden of the band.”

Book I, Canto 35 · Visvámitra’s Lineage

• child: Gádhi “Time fled, and, as the saint foretold, Gádhi was born, the holy-souled.”

Book I, Canto 51 · Visvámitra

• child: Gádhi “Gádhi, whose fame no time shall dim, Heir of his throne was born to him,”
• parent: Kuśa “His son was Kuśanábha, strong, Friend of the right, the foe of wrong.”

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Extracted from the original text of The Rámáyan of Válmíki. Made with Rho MD.