Anaranya (2) () is a king of the

Suryavamsha The Solar dynasty or (; ), also called the Ikshvaku dynasty, is a legendary Indian dynasty said to have been founded by Ikshvaku. In Hindu literature, it ruled the Kosala Kingdom, with its capital at Ayodhya, and later at Shravasti. They w ...

(Solar dynasty) featured in

Hindu literature Hindu texts or Hindu scriptures are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. Some of the major Hindu texts include the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Itihasa. Scholars ...

. His legend is described in the Hindu epic

Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...

. he was killed by

ravana According to the Mahakavya, Hindu epic, ''Ramayana'', Ravana was a kingJustin W. Henry, ''Ravana's Kingdom: The Ramayana and Sri Lankan History from Below'', Oxford University Press, p.3 of the island of Lanka, in which he is the chief antag ...

. His son Prishadashva became the new king.

Legend

Anaranya is a descendant of

Ikshvaku Ikshvaku (Sanskrit ; Pāli: ) is a legendary king in Indian religions, particularly Hindu and Jain scriptures Jain literature () refers to the literature of the Jain religion. It is a vast and ancient literary tradition, which was initi ...

, and a king of

Ayodhya Ayodhya () is a city situated on the banks of the Sarayu river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ayodhya district as well as the Ayodhya division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya became th ...

. According to the

, after the

rakshasa Rākshasa (, , ; ; "preservers") are a race of usually malevolent beings prominently featured in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Folk Islam. They reside on Earth but possess supernatural powers, which they usually use for evil acts such as ...

king

Ravana According to the Mahakavya, Hindu epic, ''Ramayana'', Ravana was a kingJustin W. Henry, ''Ravana's Kingdom: The Ramayana and Sri Lankan History from Below'', Oxford University Press, p.3 of the island of Lanka, in which he is the chief antag ...

gained the

Pashupatastra The ''Pashupatastra'' (IAST: Pāśupatāstra, Sanskrit: पाशुपतास्त्र; the Pashupati, an epithet of Lord Shiva, Shiva) an Astra (weapon), astra, a celestial missile, affiliated to the Hinduism, Hindu deity Shiva, as well ...

from

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

, he declared war against humans, and decided to battle Anaranya. A fierce battle ensued between their forces. Due to the sorcery employed by the rakshasas, Anaranya, along with his army, were defeated. He was thrown away from his chariot after being struck down by Ravana's mace. Even as the rakshasa derided the king and his dynasty, Anaranya issued a curse that Ravana would meet his end by one of his descendants from the same dynasty. This curse comes true when

Rama Rama (; , , ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the seventh and one of the most popular avatars of Vishnu. In Rama-centric Hindu traditions, he is considered the Supreme Being. Also considered as the ideal man (''maryāda' ...

defeats Ravana.

References

{{reflist Solar dynasty Characters in the Ramayana Mythological kings of Kosala