Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya: Encyclopedia II - Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - Kosala vs Kamboja rivalry and the sword

Epic Kamboja Iranian Kambujiya - Kosala vs Kamboja rivalry and the sword

Mahabharata attests that after several generations of changing hands from one line of ancient kings to another, the prized sword fell into the hands of righteous king Ailavila from whom it went to king Dhundumara, a celebrated king of Kosala (real name Kuvalashava):

Ikshvaku king Kuvalashava was nicknamed Dhundumara since he is said to have killed in battle one powerful Asura/Daitya called Dhundhu. Interestingly, the Mahabharata points towards the desert region in the west (from Kosala) as the geographical place where Asura Dhundhu lived (MBH III.203, Markendeya Samasyaparva, Kisari Mohan Ganguli's Trans). Obviously this alludes to the north-west region. Dhundhu appears to be some fierce Iranian warrior, antagonistic to the Vedic Aryans, who has been demonised in the literature using usual Brahmanical allegories. Another Kamboja king who has similarly been demonised as Asura/Daitya is the illustrious Chandravarma Kamboja referenced in the Adiparava of the Mahabharata (I.67.31-32). He has been referred to as an incarnation of Daitya/Asura Chandra, the foremost of the sons of Diti [2]. See also [3].

It is notable that the appellation Asura/Daitya/Danava in Brahmanical literature routinely applies to the Iranian followers of Ahura Mazda (the supreme god in Zoroastrianism).

It is highly probable that under the command of Kambujiya (Kamboja of Shantiparava), the Iranians had later retaliated on this Vedic king Kuvalashava, defeating him in the battle and wresting the prized sword from his lineage.

It is also likely that the Asura warrior Dhundhu and the Kamboja/Kambujiya warrior of the epic sword-legend both may have belonged to same Iranian clan.

From the clan of this epic Kamboja/Kambujiya, the legendary sword is said to have passed on to the Yavanas i.e Yavana king Muchukunda (Kambojo Muchukundastato.alabhat).

From the Muchukunda of Yavana line, the sword was wrested by Marutta.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Kosala vs Kamboja rivalry and the sword", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki