Though Dandaka was mentioned in the epic
Ramayana, with great detail, a few mentions of this kingdom are found in the epic
Mahabharata.
Sahadeva's conquests Sahadeva, the
Pandava general, and younger brother of
Pandava king
Yudhishthira, came to southern regions to collect tribute for the
Rajasuya sacrifice of the king. Having acquired jewels and wealth from king Rukmin (ruling at the second capital of
Vidarbha, named Bhojakata), he marched further south to
Surparaka, Talakata, and the Dandakas. The
Kuru warrior then vanquished and subjugated numberless kings of the
Mleccha tribe living on the sea coast (2-30).
Dandaka forest The forest of Dandaka was the biggest forest in
ancient India,
Dandakaranya. It stretched from
Vindhya ranges in central Indian to the banks of river
Krishnavenna (now known as river Krishna) and
Tungabhadra in the south. Mention of this forest is found in
Mahabharata at (3-85). The sacred forest of Dandaka is mentioned here along with its possible boundaries and the rivers flowing within it.
Surparaka (North
Konkan) probably formed its western boundary, with
Mahendra Mountains in
Orissa formed its eastern boundary, and the rivers
Godavari, and
Krishnavenna run through this forest. The river (or lake)
Payoshni is mentioned at the northern entrance of this forest. According to the epic
Ramayana, no kingdom except the Dandaka kingdom and
Kishkindha kingdom is mentioned as lying within this forest. During the epic
Mahabharata many regions that was formerly Dandaka forest were found to be habitable kingdoms. Dandaka kingdom was a kingdom of
Rakshasas in the midst of the Dandaka forests.
Raghava Rama lived for some time in the forest of Dandaka, from desire of slaying the
Rakshasas. At Janasthana, he cut off the head of a wicked-souled Rakshasa (as per epic
Ramayana, his name was Khara) with a razor-headed shaft of great sharpness (9-39).
Raghava Rama, that foremost of bowmen, taking his bow and in company with his queen (
Sita) and brother (
Lakshmana), with the view of compassing his father’s welfare, began to reside in the Dandaka forest. From Janasthana (the capital of Dandaka kingdom ), that mighty
Rakshasa monarch, the wicked
Ravana, carried away Rama’s queen. (3,146). A southern path through the Dandaka woods existed during the time of
Raghava Rama. He travelled through this path in search of his wife, abducted by Ravana. Many uninhabited asylums of ascetics, scattered over with seats of Kusa grass and umbrellas of leaves and broken water-pots, and abounding with hundreds of jackals were seen along that path.(3,277). == See also ==