Trishanku is an Ikshvaku king who wanted to enter heaven in his own body. Refused by Vasishtha and cursed by his sons, he turned to Vishwamitra, who created a new heaven for him in the sky.
RoleKing of the Ikshvaku line
ChildrenHarishchandra
Appears inRamayana
GroupIkshvaku ancestors
KingdomAyodhya
First appearsBala Kanda, Sarga 57
Who was Trishanku?
Shatananda tells Trishanku's story to Rama in Mithila as part of Vishwamitra's history. Vasishtha's sons curse Trishanku to become an outcaste, but Vishwamitra, eager to prove his power, holds a sacrifice and sends him upward.
Indra pushes Trishanku back, and Vishwamitra halts him upside down in the sky and begins to create new stars. The gods agree that Trishanku may stay there, shining among new constellations. His name has come to mean anyone caught between two worlds.
In the Valmiki Ramayana
Trishanku appears in 4 sargas across 1 Kandas.
First appearsBala Kanda · Sarga 57: Trishanku's Wish
Trishanku's family
Often seen with Trishanku
More from Ikshvaku ancestors
Continue exploring
Open the explorer