Sages & Others

Gadhi

गाधि

King of Kanyakubja

Who was Gadhi?

Gadhi (गाधि): King of Kanyakubja, one of the sages and supporting figures in the Mahabharata. The kshatriya king whose two children turned the order of the world around.

Quick Facts

Key facts about Gadhi
Sanskrit nameगाधि
Title / EpithetKing of Kanyakubja
FactionSages & Others
Key traitsExacting, Royal, Outmanoeuvred, Fateful
Notable relationshipsSon: Vishvamitra, Daughter: Satyavati, Son-in-law: Richika, Grandson: Jamadagni
Featured in3 stories

About Gadhi

The kshatriya king whose two children turned the order of the world around. Unwilling to give his daughter Satyavati to a poor Bhrigu ascetic, he demanded a bride-price of a thousand moon-white horses each with one black ear, and Richika raised them out of the Ganga. The charus that followed were swapped by Gadhi's own queen, so that his line produced the brahmana-become-sage Vishvamitra while Richika's produced the warrior fire of Parashurama.

In Their Words

A thousand horses white as moonlight, each with one ear black. Then she is yours.

Gadhi

Traits

  • Exacting
  • Royal
  • Outmanoeuvred
  • Fateful

Story Appearances

One further tale on this site names Gadhi.

Character Arc

  1. The PriceNames a thousand horses with one black ear apiece
  2. The HorsesVaruna raises the herd at Aswatirtha
  3. The ExchangeHis queen's swapped bowl reverses two dynasties

Key Relationships

Places in Gadhi's Story

Drawn from the stories Gadhi appears in.

Others counted among the Sages & Others.