Divine Beings
Kshupa
क्षुप
First Holder of the Rod
Who was Kshupa?
Kshupa (क्षुप): First Holder of the Rod, one of the divine beings in the Mahabharata. A lord of creatures born when Brahma, wanting a priest equal to himself for his own sacrifice, carried a foetus in his head for a thousand years and then sneezed it out.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | क्षुप |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | First Holder of the Rod |
| Faction | Divine Beings |
| Key traits | priestly, potent, ancient, upright |
| Notable relationships | Sprang from: Brahma, Source of the rod: Vishnu, Took the sword from him: Ikshvaku |
| Featured in | 1 story |
About Kshupa
A lord of creatures born when Brahma, wanting a priest equal to himself for his own sacrifice, carried a foetus in his head for a thousand years and then sneezed it out. He officiated at that sacrifice - and the moment the Grandsire took visible form for it, Chastisement disappeared from the world and creatures at once lost every distinction between what should and should not be done. When the rod was shaped again and handed down from Mahadeva through Vishnu, Angiras, the Rishis and the Regents, it came back to Kshupa, who gave it to Manu and so into the hands of kings.
In Their Words
The rod was laid in my hands before it was ever laid in a king's.
Kshupa
Traits
- priestly
- potent
- ancient
- upright
Story Appearances
Character Arc
- The SneezeFalls from the Creator's head after a thousand years
- The VanishingServes at the sacrifice from which Chastisement disappears
- The Rod ReturnedReceives Danda from the Regents and passes it to Manu
Key Relationships
Places in Kshupa's Story
Drawn from the story Kshupa appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Divine Beings.