Rukmangada () is a king of the

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

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 ...

. He is the husband of Sandhyavali and later the

apsara Apsaras (, , Khmer language, Khmer: អប្សរា are a class of celestial beings in Hinduism, Hindu and Culture of Buddhism, Buddhist culture. They were originally a type of female spirit of the clouds and waters, but, later play ...

Mohini, and the father of Dharmangada. He appears in a legend where he expresses a willingness to kill his own son rather than break his observance of

fasting Fasting is the act of refraining from eating, and sometimes drinking. However, from a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (before "breakfast"), or to the metabolic sta ...

on the day of

ekadashi Ekadashi () is the eleventh lunar day (''tithi'') of the waxing (''Shukla Paksha, Shukla Pakṣa)'' and waning (''Kṛṣṇa Pakṣa)'' lunar cycles in a Hindu calendar, Vedic calendar month. Ekadashi is popularly observed within Vaishnavism one ...

Legend

In the

Narada Purana The ''Naradiya Purana'' (, ) or ''Narada Purana'' (), are two Vaishnavism texts written in Sanskrit language. One of the texts is termed as a Major Purana, also called a Mahapurana, while the other is termed as a Minor Purana (''Upapurana'' ...

, Rukmangada is stated to be the king of Vidisha. Described to be a pious king and a great devotee of

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

, he imposed strict laws that prohibited his able citizens from breaking their fast on the day of ekadashi, the eleventh day of a lunar fortnight that is sacred to the deity. He encouraged them to bathe in the river

Ganga The Ganges ( ; in India: Ganga, ; in Bangladesh: Padma, ). "The Ganges Basin, known in India as the Ganga and in Bangladesh as the Padma, is an international which goes through India, Bangladesh, Nepal and China." is a trans-boundary riv ...

and offer gifts to

Brahmins Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

on this occasion. The deity

Yama Yama (), also known as Kāla and Dharmarāja, is the Hindu god of death and justice, responsible for the dispensation of law and punishment of sinners in his abode, Naraka. He is often identified with Dharmadeva, the personification of ''Dharm ...

sought an audience with

Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...

, lamenting that Rukmangada's actions resulted in the reduction of the number of people to his

abode In law, a dwelling (also known as a residence, abode or domicile) is a self-contained unit of accommodation – such as a house, apartment, mobile home, houseboat, recreational vehicle, or other "substantial" structure – used as a home by on ...

. He refused to perform his duties until the king's resolve was tested. Brahma created an

named Mohini and instructed her to beguile and marry Rukmangada. He ordered her to engage in efforts to break the king's observance of the ekadashi. Upon first meeting the apsara while travelling to

Mount Mandara Mandara (; ) is the name of the mountain that appears in the Samudra Manthana episode in the Hindu Puranas, where it was used as a churning rod to churn the Ocean of milk. Shiva's serpent, Vasuki, offered to serve as the rope pulled on one side ...

, the king was utterly bewitched by her beauty. A courtship ensued and Mohini extracted a promise from the king to the effect that she would only become his wife if he agreed to grant her every wish. Rukmangada agreed, following which they were married and journeyed to Vidisha. For eight years, Rukmangada enjoyed his dalliance with Mohini, still observing his vow of the ekadashi. Before the occasion of the

Prabodhini Ekadashi Prabodhini Ekadashi (), also known as Deva Uttana Ekadashi (), is the 11th lunar day (''ekadashi'') in the bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of the Hindu month of Kartika. It marks the end of the four-month period of Chaturmasya, when the god V ...

, Mohini asked her husband to not undertake his fast if he still wished to continue his relationship with her. In response, Rukmangada offered her all of his wealth, his domains, and his life itself, but insisted that he undertake the fast. Mohini reminded him of his promise to her before their wedding and recalled a conversation she had had with the sage

Gautama Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...

, who had told her that it was not necessary for kings to observe the fast. She also told him that the

Vedas FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of relig ...

did not mention the fast. She sought the assistance of the Brahmins to defend her views. Dharmangada asked his father to grant his step-mother whatever she desired. When the king remained resolute, Mohini grew irate with him. She approached Sandhyavali, asking her to offer her the head of her son instead for the sake of her husband's

dharma Dharma (; , ) is a key concept in various Indian religions. The term ''dharma'' does not have a single, clear Untranslatability, translation and conveys a multifaceted idea. Etymologically, it comes from the Sanskrit ''dhr-'', meaning ''to hold ...

. Sandhyavali persuaded the king to acquiesce to Mohini's demands rather than abandon his vow. Dharmangada consented to be slain for the sake of his father's honour. When Dharmangada was about to be beheaded by his father's sword, Vishnu intervened, taking Rukmangada, Sandhyavali, and Dharmangada away to his heavenly abode,

Vaikuntha Vaikuntha (), also called Vishnuloka (), and Tirunatu (Tirunāṭu) in Tamil language, Tamil, is the abode of Vishnu, the Parabrahman , supreme deity in the Vaishnavism, Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism,Gavin Flood, An Introduction to Hinduism' ( ...

References

{{HinduMythology Kings in Indian mythology Solar dynasty