Sages & Others
Vaka Dalbhya
बकदाल्भ्य
The Rishi Who Burned a Kingdom
Who was Vaka Dalbhya?
Vaka Dalbhya (बकदाल्भ्य): The Rishi Who Burned a Kingdom, one of the sages and supporting figures in the Mahabharata. An ascetic of the Naimisha forest who gave away his own cattle to the Rishis after the Viswajit sacrifice and went to beg more from king Dhritarashtra.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | बकदाल्भ्य |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | The Rishi Who Burned a Kingdom |
| Faction | Sages & Others |
| Key traits | generous, wrathful, austere, forgiving |
| Notable relationships | Offender: King Dhritarashtra, Pilgrim to His Asylum: Balarama, Fellow Offerer at the Tirtha: Brihaspati |
| Featured in | 3 stories |
About Vaka Dalbhya
An ascetic of the Naimisha forest who gave away his own cattle to the Rishis after the Viswajit sacrifice and went to beg more from king Dhritarashtra. Insulted with the carcasses of cows that had died of themselves, he cut the flesh from them and poured a king's whole realm as a libation on the fire beside the Sarasvati, and the kingdom began to waste away like a forest under the axe. When the king came and fell at his feet, he poured libations again to give it back.
In Their Words
Cruel words in an open court. Very well: I shall pour thy kingdom, piece by piece, upon the fire.
Vaka Dalbhya
Traits
- generous
- wrathful
- austere
- forgiving
Story Appearances
Stories Featuring Vaka Dalbhya
3 further tales on this site name Vaka Dalbhya, in canonical reading order.
Character Arc
- The Dead KineA king offers him carcasses before his whole assembly
- The Libation of FleshHe pours a kingdom into the fire on the bank of the Sarasvati
- The GraceHe forgives the weeping king and gives the realm back
Key Relationships
- OffenderKing Dhritarashtra
- Pilgrim to His AsylumBalarama
- Fellow Offerer at the TirthaBrihaspati
Places in Vaka Dalbhya's Story
Drawn from the stories Vaka Dalbhya appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Sages & Others.