Sagara is an Ikshvaku king of Ayodhya whose sixty thousand sons dug the earth in search of his stolen sacrificial horse and were burned to ashes by the sage Kapila. The ocean, sagara, is said to take its name from them.
Who was Sagara?
Vishwamitra tells Sagara's story to the young Rama on the bank of the Ganga. Sagara performs an ashvamedha, Indra steals the horse, and the king's sons tear open the earth to find it.
When they insult the sage Kapila, his anger turns them all to ashes. Only the waters of the Ganga, brought down generations later by Bhagiratha, can free their souls. The story explains both the sea and the sacredness of the Ganga.
In the Valmiki Ramayana
Sagara appears in 6 sargas across 1 Kandas.
First appearsBala Kanda · Sarga 5: The Glory of Ayodhya
1.5The Glory of AyodhyaBala Kanda · Sarga 5 · अयोध्या की महिमा1.38King Sagara's SonsBala Kanda · Sarga 38 · सगर के पुत्र1.39The Stolen HorseBala Kanda · Sarga 39 · यज्ञ अश्व का हरण1.40Burned by Kapila's GazeBala Kanda · Sarga 40 · कपिल के तेज से भस्म1.41Amshuman Recovers the HorseBala Kanda · Sarga 41 · अंशुमान द्वारा अश्व की प्राप्ति1.70The Ikshvaku LineageBala Kanda · Sarga 70 · इक्ष्वाकु वंश का वर्णन
Sagara's family
Often seen with Sagara
More from Ikshvaku ancestors
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