King Mandhata – the Ikshwaku warrior who fought Ravan

Destiny has a big role in to play in everybody’s life, and so did it in Ravan’s life too. The demon who had conquered all the three worlds never had a chance to win over the Ikshwaku dynasty in his entire life. Not only Shri Ram, but Ravan could not stand to the valour of his ancestor who was the great king Mandhata of the Ikshwaku dynasty Mandhata was the son of King Yavanashv and the seventeenth King in the lineage of the Ikshwaku dynasty.

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Mandhata was born from the right side of his father’s abdomen after Yavanashv accidentally drank the sacred sacrificial water which his queens were supposed to partake for giving birth to a child. Mandhata got the name when Indr offered his finger for sucking when he was crying for milk. Mandhata mastered the entire knowledge of the Vedas and Military sciences. He acquired impenetrable armour, inexhaustible arrows and a bow which belonged to Bhagwan Shiv. He came to be known as generous nature. He loved his subjects dearly and for their welfare, performed hundred Aswamedha Yagnas and hundred Rajasuya Yagnas which made him a great King in the three worlds.

At the same time, Ravan has acquired powerful boons from Brahma Ji, and began to harass the three worlds with his arrogance and ego. In his conquests, he comes to Ayodhya and challenges Mandhata for war. The war was a very ferocious one and Mandhata successfully defeated all the mighty warriors of Ravan like Shuk, Akampan, Mahodar, Virupaksh and many more. Seeing that, Ravan himself came to battle.

Both the warriors fought with each other with a determination to defeat each other. They attacked each other with different mighty weapons and arrows. Ravan starts fearing Mandhata, who is dominating him in the battle field and to win over him, takes the aid of Brahmastr. But King Mandhata counters it with the Pashupatastr. With the most powerful arrows aimed at each other, the three worlds start trembling and fear annihilation. To save the three worlds from the terror of the two arrows, Rishi Pulasty and Rishi Galav interfere the battle and ask Mandhata and Ravan to stop waging the war.

The rishis explain to Mandhata that Ravan is destined to be killed by his descendant Shri Ram and ask him to put an end to the war. Mandhata obeys the command of the rishis and stops the war with Ravan and Ravan leaves from there. For his valour, he was given the title Trasyadasu, the one who was feared by the demons.

Since then, Ravan developed a fear against the Ikshwaku dynasty and it continued till Shri Ram. The reason why he abducts Mata Sita through deceit also is he knew he could never conquer the Ikshvaku kings face to face. The fear of Ravan grew into deceit and destiny makes him stand once again before a prince of the Ikswaku dynasty wherein he faces his end.