Dasarna Kingdom was one of the many kingdoms ruled by

Yadava The Yadava (literally, descended from Yadu) were an ancient Indian people who believed to be descended from Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage. The community was formed of various clans, being the Abhira, Andhaka, Vrishni, and ...

kings in ancient central and western India. It lay to the south of the Chedi and Panchala kingdoms, in northern

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (, ; meaning 'central province') is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal, and the largest city is Indore, with Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior, Sagar, and Rewa being the other major cities. Madhya Pradesh is the second ...

. The Panchala prince

Sikhandi Shikhandi ( sa, शिखण्डी, translit=Śikhaṇḍī) is a character in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Born as the daughter of Drupada, the King of Panchala, Shikhandi becomes a biological male after agreeing to a sex exchange with a ...

married a princess from Dasarna. Sikhandin was alleged to be 'one of the neuter-gender'. This led to a dispute between the Dasarna king and the Panchala king Drupada. There was another Dasarna Kingdom in the western regions along with the Sivis, Trigartas, Western-Malavas and Amvasthas. (2,31), in the

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi Language, Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also Romanization, romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the I ...

province of Pakisthan.

References in Mahabharata

Dasarna, a kingdom in Bharata Varsha

''Dasarna is listed in the list of kingdoms of Bharata Varsha (ancient India).'' The Kuru-Panchalas, the Salwas, the Madreyas, the Jangalas, the Surasena, the Kalingas, the Vodhas, the Malas, the Matsyas, the Sauvalyas, the Kuntalas, the Kasi-kosalas, the Chedis, the Karushas, the Bhojas, the Sindhus, the Pulindakas, the Uttamas, the Dasarnas, the Mekalas, the Utkalas; the Panchalas, the Kausijas ... (6,9) ''Chedi was one among the kingdoms chosen for spending the 13th year of exile by the

Pandavas The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledge ...

.'' Surrounding the kingdom of the Kurus, are, many countries beautiful and abounding in corn, such as Panchala, Chedi, Matsya, Surasena, Pattachchara, Dasarna, Navarashtra, Malla, Salva, Yugandhara, Saurashtra, Avanti, and the spacious Kuntirashtra. (4,1)

Pandava's travel from Dwaita forest to Matsya Kingdom

Leaving Dwaita woods Pandavas moved (eastwards) towards river

Yamuna The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...

, passing through many hills and forests. Terminating their forest life they proceeded (southwards) to the southern bank of Yamuna. By killing the deer of the forest, they passed through Yakrilloma and Surasena, (they turned westwards), leaving behind them, on their right the country of the Panchalas and to their left the Dasarnas. Finally they entered the Matsya territory, leaving the forest. The city of Virata was still far away. ''The passage below, describes the locations of various ancient kingdoms. This gives a vague idea that Dasarna lied west to Panchala Kingdom''

Dasarna King Sudaman

Dasarna king Sudaman had two daughters. One was married to Chedi king Viravahu (Suvahu). The other one was married to Vidarbha king Bhima. The famous princess Damayanti was the daughter of this Vidarbha king Bhima. (3,69)

Dasarna King Sudharman defeated by Pandava Bhima

Pandava The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledge ...

Bhima In Hindu epic Mahabharata, Bhima ( sa, भीम, ) is the second among the five Pandavas. The '' Mahabharata'' relates many events that portray the might of Bhima. Bhima was born when Vayu, the wind god, granted a son to Kunti and Pandu. ...

, during his military campaigns for collecting tribute for

king

Yudhishthira ''Yudhishthira'' ( Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, IAST: ''Yudhiṣṭhira'') is the eldest among the five Pandava brothers. He is mentioned in the ancient epic Mahabharata. He was sired by King Pandu of the Kuru Dynasty and his fir ...

Rajasuya Rajasuya () is a Śrauta ritual of the Vedic religion. It is ceremony that marks a consecration of a king. According to the Puranas, it refers to a great sacrifice performed by a Chakravarti - universal monarch, in which the tributary princes ma ...

sacrifice, reached Dasarna Kingdom''

then subjugated the Dasarnas. There in the country of the Dasarnas, the king called Sudharman with his bare arms fought a fierce battle with Bhimasena. And Bhimasena, beholding that feat of the illustrious king, appointed the mighty Sudharman as the first in command of his forces. (2,28)

Western Dasarnas defeated by Pandava Nakula

Nakula In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, ''Nakula'' (Sanskrit: नकुल) was fourth of the five Pandava brothers. Nakula and Sahadeva were twins blessed to Madri, by Ashwini Kumaras, the divine physicians. Their parents Pandu and Madri - died e ...

, during his military campaigns for collecting tribute for

king

sacrifice, reached the western Dasarna Kingdom'' In the western region,

subjugated the Dasarnas, the Sivis, the Trigartas, the Amvashtas, the Malavas, the five tribes of the Karnatas, and those twice born classes that were called the Madhyamakeyas and Vattadhanas. (2,31)

Dasarna king Hiranyavarman

King Hiranyavarman possessed a large army. He had a beautiful daughter. Panchala king Drupada chose this Dasarna princess as the wife of their son

, who was born as a female, but brought up as a man. When the secret was out regarding the true sex of Sikhandi, a war broke between Dasarnas and Panchalas. Hiranyavarman ordered his army to sack Kampilya (Kampil in

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 195 ...

), the capital city of Panchalas.(5-192,193). King Drupada’s city was naturally well-protected. Yet at the advent of danger, O monarch, they began to protect it all the more carefully and fortify it with defensive works. (5,194) Sikhandi, wished to die, and went to the forest of a

Yaksha The yakshas ( sa, यक्ष ; pi, yakkha, i=yes) are a broad class of nature-spirits, usually benevolent, but sometimes mischievous or capricious, connected with water, fertility, trees, the forest, treasure and wilderness. They appear in ...

named Sthunakarna, who will kill any intruder into that forest. Within the forest stood his mansion with high walls and a gateway, plastered over with powdered earth, and rich with smoke bearing the fragrance of fried paddy. Entering that mansion, Sikhandi fasted for many days, to die. The Yaksha, out of kindness, converted Sikhandi into a male. He returned to his kingdom and ended the dispute between the Dasarnas and Pachalas. (5-194,195) *King Hiranyavarman was mentioned as the brother of Drupada :- Drupada's words:- My powerful brother, king Hiranyavarman, having mustered a large force, is coming towards me in anger.(5,193)

Dasarnas in Kurukshetra War

On Pandava side

*Dasarna king took part in the

Kurukshetra War The Kurukshetra War ( sa, कुरुक्षेत्र युद्ध ), also called the Mahabharata War, is a war described in the ''Mahabharata ( sa, महाभारत )''. The conflict arose from a dynastic succession struggle be ...

on the side of Pandavas. (the ruler of the Dasarnas, the Prayagas, with the Daserakas, and the Anupakas, and the Kiratas) (6,50) *The rulers of the Chedis, and Vasudana, and the king of the Dasarnas followed Bhima.(6,96) *The ruler of the Dasarnas rushed against the king of the

Pragjyotisha Kamarupa (; also called Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotisha-Kamarupa), an early state during the Classical period on the Indian subcontinent, was (along with Davaka) the first historical kingdom of Assam. Though Kamarupa prevailed from 350 to 1 ...

(7,24)

On Kaurava side

*Dasarna army is mentioned as following the Kaurava general Drona along with other armies (viz the Kuntalas, the Magadhas, the Vidarbhas, the Melakas, the Karnas, and the Pravaranas) (6,51)

Dasarna King Chitrangada defeated by Pandava Arjuna

''Arjuna reached Dasarna during his military campaign after the

.'' After conquering the Kasis, the Angas, the Kosalas, the Kiratas, and the Tanganas,

Arjuna Arjuna (Sanskrit: अर्जुन, ), also known as Partha and Dhananjaya, is a character in several ancient Hindu texts, and specifically one of the major characters of the Indian epic Mahabharata. In the epic, he is the third among Panda ...

reached the country of the Dasarnas. The ruler of that people was Chitrangada. Between him and

occurred a battle exceedingly terrible. Bringing him under his sway Arjuna proceeded to the dominions of the

Nishada Nishada (') is a tribe mentioned in ancient Indian literature (such as the epic ''Mahabharata''). The ancient texts mention several kingdoms ruled by this tribe. In the Mahabharata, the Nishadas are described as hunters, fishermen, mountaineers o ...

king, viz., the son of

Ekalavya Ekalavya (Sanskrit: एकलव्य, ''ékalavya'') is a character from the Indian epic Mahābhārata. He was a young prince of the Nishadas, a confederation of forest and hill tribes in ancient India. Ekalavya is called as one of the fore ...

. (14,83)

Krishna

*Words of

Vasudeva Krishna According to Hindu scriptures, Vasudeva ( Sanskrit: वसुदेव, IAST: ''Vasudeva''), also called Anakadundubhi, (''anakas'' and ''dundubhis'' both refer to ''drums'', after the musicians who played these instruments at the time of his ...

Karna Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya, is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic '' Mahābhārata''. He is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother of the ...

:- Dasarhas and the Dasarnas, will be numbered with thy relatives (if he joined the

.) (5,140)

References

*Mahabharata of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, translated to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dasarna Kingdom * Empires and kingdoms of India Yadava kingdoms