Sages & Others

Girika

गिरिका

Queen of Uparichara Vasu

Who was Girika?

Girika (गिरिका): Queen of Uparichara Vasu, one of the sages and supporting figures in the Mahabharata. Daughter of the mountain Kolahala and the river Suktimati, given with her brother to King Uparichara Vasu when Indra's gift of a bamboo pole settled the mountain's claim on the stream.

Quick Facts

Key facts about Girika
Sanskrit nameगिरिका
Title / EpithetQueen of Uparichara Vasu
FactionSages & Others
Key traitsBeautiful, Riverborn, Devoted, Fateful
Notable relationshipsHusband: Uparichara Vasu, Father: Kolahala
Featured in1 story

About Girika

Daughter of the mountain Kolahala and the river Suktimati, given with her brother to King Uparichara Vasu when Indra's gift of a bamboo pole settled the mountain's claim on the stream. She was beautiful as Sri herself, and when her season came the king was called away by his Pitris to hunt; thinking only of her in the spring woods, he sent his seed to her by a hawk, and the quarrel of two hawks over it dropped it into the Yamuna and set the whole Kuru line in motion.

In Their Words

My season has come, my lord. Let the deer wait for the Pitris.

Girika

Traits

  • Beautiful
  • Riverborn
  • Devoted
  • Fateful

Story Appearances

Character Arc

  1. The GiftGiven to Vasu when the mountain frees the river
  2. The SeasonTells the king her time has come, and he must hunt
  3. The HawkThe messenger bird never reaches her

Key Relationships

Places in Girika's Story

Drawn from the story Girika appears in.

Others counted among the Sages & Others.