Follow on

Snippets of Information - Epics


Mahabaratham - Characters - M


* Mahabisha

He was a great emperor who had performed a thousand Ashvamedha Yagnas and a hundred Rajasuya Yagnas.  One day while in the presence of Brahma he cast lustful looks at Ganga when her clothes were blown by the wind.  Ganga too seemed pleased by his reaction.  Lord Brahma angrily cursed him to be reborn on earth before entering heaven again. He was thus reborn as Shantanu.


* Matsya

He was the twin brother of Satyavati.  Adrika, an apsaras who had been born as a fish due to a curse, swallowed the seed of king Uparichara Vasu of Chedi by accident and gave birth to the twins Satyavati and her brother Matsya. He was brought up by his father king Vasu.  Matsya founded the Matsya kingdom. King Viraata was his descendant, in whose kingdom the Pandavas spent their final year of exile in concealment.