Ambarisha is an Ikshvaku king whose sacrificial horse was stolen by Indra. To complete his sacrifice he bought the young Shunahshepa as an offering, but Vishwamitra saved the boy.
RoleKing of the Ikshvaku line
Appears inRamayana
GroupIkshvaku ancestors
KingdomAyodhya
First appearsBala Kanda, Sarga 61
Sargas2 in the Valmiki Ramayana
Who was Ambarisha?
In the Bala Kanda, Ambarisha's priest tells him that a lost sacrificial horse must be replaced by a human offering. The king buys Shunahshepa, middle son of the sage Richika, from his parents.
On the way to the sacrifice Shunahshepa meets Vishwamitra at Pushkara and begs for help. The sage teaches him hymns to Indra and Vishnu, and when he chants them at the altar he is released, while Ambarisha's sacrifice is still completed.
In the Valmiki Ramayana
Ambarisha appears in 2 sargas across 1 Kandas.
First appearsBala Kanda · Sarga 61: Ambarisha's Lost Horse
Ambarisha's family
Often seen with Ambarisha
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