Indradyumna

Indradyumna
Watercolour painting on paper of Indradyumna seated in a carriage
Information
Title	Maha Raja
Religion	Hindu

Indradyumna (Sanskrit: इन्द्रद्युम्न, IAST: Indradyumn), son of Bharat and Sunanda, was a Malava king, according to the Mahabharata and the Puranas. Noted Indologist John Dowson has opined that there have been several kings of this name and the most prominent one being the Indradyumna who ruled over Avanti region and set up the icon of Lord Jagannath in Puri.

The name is derived from the Sanskrit noun root Indra with verb morpheme “dyumn” (Root ‘dyu’ - Meaning ‘resplendent’), with the meaning of “One with the splendour like that of Indra."

Sage Markandeya narrated the greatness of Indradyumna to Yudhishthira and his brothers during their difficult days of Aranyavas. In ancient times there used to be a king by name Indradyumna, the son of Bharat, The Great. It was well known that there was no one to match his “Dharma-Swabhaav”. As a consequence of his good deeds and daya-daakshinya guna, he ascended to Svarga upon leaving the physical body. There he enjoyed the riches and opulences for a very long time. Once Indra called him to his sabha and told him, “O King, you have done immense number of punyaas in your life and as a result you were here for a very long time. However unless one totally surrenders to Parameshwara and comes out of the cycle of Punya & Paapa, one needs to be bound to his own Karma. The time on earth past so much that now no one remembers any of your good deeds and hence it is time for you to leave swarga lookam”.

Indradyumna was surprised to hear that his huge “punya raashi” has melted away. Indra however promised to him, “If you show me even a single being who remembers your good deeds or is still enjoying the benefits of the good done by you, you will be allowed to continue enjoying the Swargalok. After all, no man may be cast away from here as long as traces of his good deeds remain”.