Dasharatha

THE LIVING ARCHIVE

About Dasharatha

Asmaka is this Dasharatha’s grandfather. His father Mulaka survives danger to the warrior houses because women shelter him, earning the name Narikavacha. The succession then passes through this Dasharatha to Ilavila and Vishvasaha.

AT A GLANCE

Identity & Context

Identity: King
Form: Ikshvaku Dynasty
Tradition: Puranic Royal Genealogy

Family & Relationships

ParentMulaka
Mulaka is named as the parent of Dasharatha in this succession.
ChildIlavila
Dasharatha is named as the parent of Ilavila in this succession.

IN THE TRADITION

Recorded Context

Two Kings Named Dasharatha

The same royal history names an early Dasharatha after Mulaka and a later Dasharatha after Aja. Between them come Ilavila, Vishvasaha, Khatvanga, Dirghabahu, Raghu and Aja. This makes the two Dasharathas separate generations within one account.

The earlier king’s own reign receives a short notice. The later king has the four sons Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna. Those sons and the events of Rama’s life belong to the later household, while Mulaka and Ilavila identify this earlier Dasharatha.

ROLE & ESSENCE

Attributes & Significance

This Dasharatha is part of the succession between Mulaka’s survival and the better-known line of Raghu. Remembering the repeated name preserves the number and order of the intervening generations.

Role

Dasharatha is an earlier king of Surya Vansh, the son of Mulaka and father of Ilavila. He appears several generations before the later Dasharatha who becomes Rama’s father.

TRADITION & MEANING

Traditions & Interpretations

Royal families can repeat a personal name across many generations. Here the surrounding relationships provide the clearest way to understand which Dasharatha a passage describes.