Vikramāditya

Vikramaditya (Sanskrit: विक्रमादित्य,Tamil:விக்ரமாதித்யா) (102 BCE to 15 CE) was a legendary emperor of Ujjain, India, famed for his wisdom, valour and magnanimity. The title "Vikramaditya" was later assumed by many other kings in Indian history, notably the Gupta King Chandragupta II and Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya (popularly known as 'Hemu'). The name King Vikramaditya is a Sanskrit tatpurusha, from विक्रम (vikrama) meaning "valour" and आदित्य Āditya, son of Aditi. One of the most famous sons of Aditi, or Adityas, was Surya the sun god; hence, Vikramaditya means Surya, translating to "(One) Of valour equal to the Sun". He is also called Vikrama or Vikramarka (Sanskrit arka meaning the Sun).

Vikramaditya lived in the first century BCE. According to the Katha-sarita-sagara account, he was the son of Ujjain's King Mahendraditya of the Paramara dynasty. However this was written almost 12 centuries later. Furthermore, according to other sources Vikramaditya is also recorded to be an ancestor of the Tuar dynasty of Delhi and maternal uncle and caretaker to the infant Parmar king.[1][2][3][4]

Contents

In Bhavishya Purana

Main article: Bhavishya Purana

Vikramadithya is the first great Hindu King among the ten great kings. Vikramadithya was a son of Gandharva Sena. Gods showered flowers at his birth. At the age of five, he went to do austere penance (Thapasya) for 12 years. Bethala or Vethala became his assistant as he sacrificed a treacherous mantrika to Kalika Devi. He received a throne from Indra as he settled a dispute between Rambha and Urvasi. In his Judgement Urvasi's dance was superior to Rambha's because Rambha lost confidence and her garland flowers became pale as she worried about victory while dancing. He received a boon that he and his descendants would rule the kingdom for 1000 years. His grandson was King Shalivahana of Paithan(Pratisthan). Vikramadithya performed a Yagna attended by all the gods except the Moon god. Hence he went to the Moon world (Chandra Loka) and asked for the reason. The Moon God replied that he did not come as it was Kaliyug

Greatness

See also: Navaratnas in the court of Vikramaditya

The Vikramarka Shaka era (or Vikrama era) is attributed to him. Many Indian kings took him as ideal and kept his name as their title. The Bethala Pachisi and Dwathrimshathi are popular stories about him. Vikramaditya, Shalivahana and Boja Kings are detailed in Bhavishya Purana. The first two kings had independent sakas or eras, while Shalivahana era continues to be followed in the Indian Calendar. Among these kings, Vikramaditya stands first.

Birth of Vikramaditya

"Vikramaditya" was one of the sons of Gandharva Sena, son of Lord Indra. Lord Indra cursed Gandharva Sena to become a donkey as he had obstructed the way of "Mohini apsara" while she was on her way to meet Lord Shiva on Mount Kailash. Lord Indra offered to restore Gandharva Sena to his human state if he married a Princess. Gandharva Sena, in the form of a donkey sent a proposal to the King of Dhara through a potter. The King hesitated, but he agreed on condition that Gandharva Sen had to construct a Bronze wall around his Kingdom with a silver Gate within a single night. Gandharva Sena suceeded in completing the task with the assistance of Lord "Viswa Karma". The Princess agreed to marry Gandharva Sen on the condition that he would return to Indra Loka only after her death, as he was immortal. Gandharva Sena, through his marriage with a princess, had three sons. They were Vikramaditya, Barthruhari and Parbatha.

Vikramaditya's Family

King Vikramaditya had one son namely Aditya Vardana and a daughter. His Grand son name is Shalivahana whose name also mentioned in Bavishya Puran.

Historical Proofs and achievements

Other Historians opinion

The title "Vikramaditya" has been assumed by many kings in Indian history, notably Vikramaditya who beat the Saka's in 1st century AD, the Gupta King Chandragupta II and Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya (popularly known as 'Hemu') amongst others. The name King Vikramaditya is a Sanskrit tatpurusha, from विक्रम (vikrama) meaning "valour" and आदित्य Āditya, son of Aditi. One of the most famous sons of Aditi, or Adityas, was Surya the sun god; hence, Vikramaditya means Surya, translating to "(One) Of valour equal to the Sun". He is also called Vikrama or Vikramarka (Sanskrit arka meaning the Sun).

Vikramaditya (Sanskrit: विक्रमादित्य) (102 BCE to 15 CE) was a legendary emperor of Ujjain, India, famed for his wisdom, valour and magnanimity. Vikramaditya lived in the 1st century BCE. According to the Katha-sarita-sagara account, he was the son of Ujjain's King Mahendraditya of the Paramara dynasty. However this was written almost twelve centuries later and Agnikund yagnya from where the Agnikula (including Parmar's) originated happened around 4th century A.D. The Parmara - Vikramaditya probably was king of Ujjain in the 4th century A.D. and not in 1st century AD.

According to other sources Vikramaditya is recorded to be an ancestor of the Tuar dynasty of Delhi.[5][6][7][8]

Some stories also say that Samrat Vikramaditya was caretaker king for Mahendraditya's son and bravely defended the territories against Saka rulers. Later in life he relinquished his powers over Malwa once his young nephew and grandson of Mahendraditya came of age. He continued to rule over part of the kingdom from Ujjain. The increasingly common naming of Hindu children by the name Vikram can be attributed in part to the popularity of Vikramaditya and the two sets of popular folk stories about his life.

The Jain monk account

In a recorded form, the possibility of such a king is seen in "Kalakacharya Kathanaka", a work by a Jain sage called Mahesara Suri (probably circa the 12th century - the story is vastly postdated and chronologically incorrect). The Kathanaka (meaning, "an account") tells the story of a famed Jain monk Kalakacharya. It mentions that Gardabhilla, the then powerful king of Ujjain, abducted a nun called Sarasvati who was the sister of the monk. The enraged monk sought help of the Saka ruler, a Shahi, in Sakasthana. Despite heavy odds (but aided by miracles) the Saka king defeated Gardabhilla and made him a captive. Sarasvati was repatriated. Gardabhilla himself was forgiven though. The defeated king retired to the forest where he was killed by a tiger. His son, Vikramaditya, being brought up in the forest, had to rule from Pratishthana (in modern Maharashtra). Later on, Vikramaditya invaded Ujjain and drove away the Sakas and to commemorate this event he started a new era called the Vikrama SamvAvinash the great king of maharastra engines.

The legend of Vikramaditya

The legendary Vikramaditya is a popular figure in both Sanskrit and regional languages in India. The two most famous tales, featuring him, in Sanskrit are Vetala Panchvimshati ("The 25 (tales) of the Vampire") and Simhasana-Dwatrimshika ("The 32 (tales) of the throne"). These two are found in varying versions in Sanskrit and also in the regional languages.

The tales of the vampire (Vetala) tell twenty-five stories in which the king tries to capture and hold on to a vampire that tells a puzzling tale and ends it with a question for the king. In fact, earlier the king was approached by a Sadhu to bring the vampire to him but without uttering a word, otherwise the vampire would fly back to its place. The king can be quiet only if he does not know the answer, else his head would burst open. Unfortunately, the king discovers that he knows the answer to every question; therefore the cycle of catching the vampire and letting it escape continues for twenty-four times till the last question puzzles Vikramaditya. A version of these tales can be found embedded in the Katha-Saritsagara.

The tales of the throne are linked to the throne of Vikramaditya that is lost and recovered by king Bhoja, the Paramara king of Dhar, after many centuries. The latter king is himself famous and this set of tales are about his attempts to sit on the throne. This throne is adorned by 32 female statues who, being able to speak, challenge him to ascend the throne only if he is as magnanimous as Vikramaditya is depicted in the tale she is about to narrate. This leads to 32 attempts (and 32 tales) of Vikramaditya and in each case Bhoja acknowledges his inferiority. Finally, the statues let him ascend the throne when they are pleased with his humility.

Vikrama and Shani

Main article: Sade Sati

Vikramaditya’s story in relation to Shani is often presented in Yakshagana in Karnataka state. The story is also narrated in the Shri Shani Mahatmiya. According to the story, Vikrama was grandly celebrating Navarathri and having debates on the Grahas (planetary gods), one for every day. The final day it was about Shani.

The Brahmin explained Shani’s greatness including his powers, his role in maintaining Dharma on earth. The Brahmin at the ceremony also added that according to Vikrama’s horoscope, he has Shani’s entrance at the 12th stage, which is the worst one to have (also known as Sade Sati - seven and a half years). However, Vikrama was not bothered; he saw Shani as mere trouble maker who troubled his own father, the (Sun) god, guru (Brahaspathi). Hence Vikrama said he is not ready to accept Shani’s worthiness or offer his prayers. Vikrama was very proud of his powers, especially of the complete blessings of Sri Devi. When he rejected Shani in front of the gathering at the Navarathri celebration, Shani got angry. He challenged Vikrama that he will make Vikrama to worship him. As Shani disappeared in sky, Vikrama said it is a fluke and he has all the blessings to withstand any challenge. Vikrama concludes, it was probably true what the Brahmin has told about his horoscope; nevertheless, he denies to accept Shani’s greatness. “Whatever is to happen will happen and whatever not to happen will not happen” Vikrama declares and accepts Shani’s challenge.
One day a horse trader came to his palace and said there is no one in Vikrama’s kingdom who would be able to buy his horse. The horse was said to possess mystical powers – it flies at one stroke and descends to earth on the second one. Like this, one can both fly and ride on earth. Vikrama would not believe it and hence said he wants to try before paying for the horse. The seller agrees and Vikrama sits on the horse and beats the horse. As promised by the seller, the horse took off with him to the sky. When Vikrama hit the horse a second time, it should have landed back to earth, but it did not. Instead, it carried Vikrama to a far distant land and threw him into a jungle.
Vikrama was injured and he tried to find his way back. He thought, all this is his fate and could not be anything else; he fails to recognize Shani in the form of horse trader. While he was trying to find a way in the jungle, he was attacked by a group of dacoits (bandits). They robbed him of all his jewels and beat him up badly. Vikrama still not worried too much about the situation sees that the robbers managed to take only his crown and jewels but not his head. As he walks down and reaches for water in the nearby river he slipped on the mud and the water current dragged him along for a long distance.
Vikrama manages to reach the shore and approaches a town where he took shelter under a tree, starving. A shopkeeper of the town, highly conscious of his money, had his shop opposite to the tree where Vikrama was sitting. Since the day Vikrama sat under the tree, the sales in the shop went up significantly. The shopkeeper’s greed made him to think, having this person sitting outside makes him so much money, and he decides to invite Vikrama to his home and offer him food. In the hope of a long-term sales increase, he tells his daughter to marry Vikrama. After the meal, Vikrama was given a room where he went and fell asleep.Shortly after, the shopkeepers daughter enters. She waits beside the bed for Vikrama to wake up. But slowly, she felt sleepy too. She took off her jewels and hung them on a wooden wall coat rack carved and painted like a duck head. She went to sleep next to Vikrama. When Vikrama wakes up, he notices the duck shaped coat rack was swallowing up the girl's jewels. As he was recollecting what he saw as if in a dream, the shopkeeper’s daughter also wakes up and notices missing jewels. She alarms her father and says that Vikrama is a thief.
Vikrama is taken to the local king of the realm. The kings verdict was to cut off Vikrama’s legs and arms, and leave him in the desert to die. While struggling to move and bleeding in the desert, a lady traveling to her new husbands home after returning from Ujjain, where her paternal home was, noticed the dying Vikrama and she recognized him. She told him that people where much worried in Ujjain about his disappearance after riding on that flying horse. She requested her in-laws to allow her to take Vikrama to her new home and tend to his injuries. As her family were from the labourers class, Vikrama asked for some work to repay their kindness. He said he could sit in the field and shout, that way, making the bulls go round, separating the grains from the husks. He was not prepared to live as a freeloader forever.
One evening while Vikrama was at his new work, the candle went out due to a sudden breeze. He sang Raag Deepaka to light up the candle again. But in fact, this action lit up all the candles in the town! The town’s princess had taken a vow to marry anyone who lights candles with Deepaka Raaga singing. She was astonished to see this disabled man as the source of the music but despite his appearance she decides to marry him. The king, when he saw it's Vikrama, got very angry remembering him from the theft charges previously and now being about to marry his own daughter. He drew his sword to cut off Vikrama’s head. At that time, Vikrama realizes, that all this is happening to him because of Shani’s power. When he was about to die, he offered prayers to Shani. He accepts his mistakes and agrees that he was too proud of his status. Shani appears and gives him his jewels, legs, arms, and everything back. Vikrama requests Shani not to give to ordinary people like what he has gone through. He said, a strong person like him was able to endure it but no ordinary person will be able to. Shani agrees and promises that he will not. Recognizing both Shani and Vikrama, the local King surrenders to his Lord and agrees to marry off his daughter to him. At the same time, the shopkeeper visits the palace, saying the wooden duck rack had released the jewels from its mouth. He too offers his daughter to Vikrama. Vikrama returns to Ujjain and lived with Shani’s blessings as a great emperor.

Source: (Shri Shani Mahatmyam ॥श्रीशनिमहात्म्यं॥ "The greatness of Saturn")

The Vikrama Samvat (Vikrama Era)

Main article: Vikrama Samvat

In the Hindu tradition in India and Nepal, the widely used ancient calendar is Vikrama Samvat or Vikrama's era. This is said to have been started by the legendary king following his victory over the Sakas in 56 BCE.

See also

References

Note

  1. ^ Essays on Indian Antiquities by James Prinsep, Edward Thomas, Henry Thoby Prinsep, J.Murray 1858, p250
  2. ^ Pre-Mussalman India by M. S. Nateson, Asian Educational Services 2000, p131
  3. ^ The cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia by Edward Balfour, B. Quaritch 1885, p502
  4. ^ Essays on Indian Antiquities, Historic, Numismatic, and Palæographic, of the Late James Prinsep by James Prinsep, Edward Thomas, Henry Thoby Prinsep, Publ. J.Murray, 1858, p157
  5. ^ Essays on Indian Antiquities by James Prinsep, Edward Thomas, Henry Thoby Prinsep, J.Murray 1858, p250
  6. ^ Pre-Mussalman India by M. S. Nateson, Asian Educational Services 2000, p131
  7. ^ The cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia by Edward Balfour, B. Quaritch 1885, p502
  8. ^ Essays on Indian Antiquities, Historic, Numismatic, and Palæographic, of the Late James Prinsep by James Prinsep, Edward Thomas, Henry Thoby Prinsep, Publ. J.Murray, 1858, p157