Divine Realm of the Mahabharata
Amaravati
अमरावती
Indra's capital
Amaravati: Indra's capital, located at coordinates 15.50°N, 80.00°E.
Key Facts
| Type | Divine Realm |
|---|---|
| Sanskrit name | अमरावती |
| Coordinates | 15.50°N, 80.00°E |
| Significance | Indra's capital |
About Amaravati
The celestial city of Indra. Arjuna visited here and received training from Indra.
Why it matters: Indra's capital
Rulers and Custodians
- Indra
Details
- Training
- Arjuna learned divine arts
- Urvashi
- Urvashi's curse turned Arjuna into Brihannala
- Gifts
- Received many divine weapons
On the Map
Amaravati
Amaravati sits at 15.50°N, 80.00°E.
View on the full mapEvents at Amaravati
- Garuda Steals the AmritaYear -990Garuda steals the Amrita from heaven to free his mother Vinata. He defeats the gods, makes a pact with Vishnu and Indra, and frees his mother.
- Arjuna at Indra's HeavenYear -25After obtaining weapons from Shiva and other gods, Arjuna is taken to Indra's heaven (Amaravati) by Matali in a divine chariot. He trains there for five years.
- The Slaying of VritraYear 1The demon Vritra swallows the waters of the world, and no weapon of heaven can wound him. The worlds can be saved only by a thunderbolt forged from the bones of the sage Dadhichi, who lays down his life willingly. Indra slays the demon at twilight with sea-foam - but the killing stains him with the sin of brahminicide, and even the king of the gods must flee, atone, and be purified before he is whole again.
- The Procession of IndrasYear 27Puffed up after his victory, Indra demands an ever-grander palace until his architect despairs. Vishnu comes as a boy and speaks of Indras beyond counting who have risen and fallen through the endless ages - and points to a marching column of ants, each of whom was once a king of the gods. Shown the true vastness of time, Indra's pride collapses, and he learns the middle way.
- The Moon and the Stolen BrideYear 34Chandra, the proud Moon-god, abducts Tara, the wife of the gods' own preceptor, and refuses to return her - kindling a war between gods and demons that shakes the cosmos. Brahma forces her return, but she bears the Moon's son, Budha, from whom springs the Lunar Dynasty of the Pandavas themselves. A companion tale explains the Moon's waxing and waning as the curse of Daksha.
- The Three-Headed PriestYear 55Indra, fearing the holy three-headed ascetic Trishira, slays him out of suspicion; the grieving father Tvashta creates the demon Vritra to avenge him, who nearly destroys the gods and parches the world, and Indra's killing by treachery leaves a guilt that pursues even the king of heaven.
- The King Who Was ForgottenYear 57Cast out of heaven when his fame fades from earth, King Indradyumna seeks someone who still remembers him - from the deathless Markandeya to an ancient owl, an older crane, and the oldest tortoise of all, who recalls the lake the king's charity made. His enduring deed, not his fame, restores him.
Stories Set at Amaravati
Samudra Manthan
The Churning of the Ocean
Garuda and the Amrita
The Great Bird's Quest
The Divine Arsenal
Arjuna's Ascent to Indraloka
Adventures in the Forest
Twelve Years of Pandava Exile
Ancient Beginnings
The Earth's Plea, the Descent of the Gods, and the Sages Who Began the Telling
The Slaying of Vritra
Dadhichi's Bones and Indra's Sin
The King and the Apsara
Pururavas and Urvashi
The Procession of Indras
Indra's Pride and the Vastness of Time
The Moon and the Stolen Bride
Chandra, Tara, and the Lunar Dynasty
The Birth of the Wind-Gods
Diti, Indra, and the Maruts
The Three-Headed Priest
Indra's suspicion, the birth of Vritra, and the sin that followed
The King Who Was Forgotten
A search among the oldest beings for one who remembers
Tapati and Samvarana
The Daughter of the Sun