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Gomanta was a kingdom mentioned in the epic Mahabharata. It was an extension of the kingdom of Yadavas at Dwaraka. It is identified to be the Goa state of India, situated in the western coast. It was the southernmost extent of the region, occupied by the Yadava clans, finding explicit mention in Mahabharata.
Gomanta was mentioned as a kingdom of Ancient India (Bharata Varsha) along with the Mandakas, the Shandas, the Vidharbas etc. (6,9).
The Yadavas of Mathura, the capital of Surasena Kingdom, fled from there due to the continuous attack of Magadha king Jarasandha. They have reached as far south as Gomanta, the modern Indian state called Goa.
The unrighteous king of Surasena Kingdom, viz Kansa was slain by Vasudeva Krishna. Kansa's wives Asti and Prapti, where the daughters of Jarasandha, the king of Magadha. He attacked the kinsmen of Krishna. The Surasena Yadavas, consisting of the eighteen younger branches of the Yadavas with their 18000 brothers and cousins, arrived at the conclusion that even if they fight continually they still could be unable to do anything unto Jarasandha even in 300 years. They fled from Mathura, towards west. They rebuilt the old town of Kusasthali(see:Cortalim), and renamed it Dwaraka. It was a Yadava stronghold. Yet, due to the oppressions of Jarasandha, Yadavas where obliged to migrate further south, to the mountains of Gomanta, measuring three Yojanas (a unit of length) in length. Within each yojana were established, 21 posts of armed men. And at intervals of each yojana were 100 gates with arches which were defended by valiant heroes engaged in guarding them. Innumerable Kshatriyas invincible in war, belonging to the eighteen younger branches of the Yadavas, were employed in defending these works. (2,14)
Bhoja Dynasty that ruled Goa from the at least 3rd century AD to the 6th century AD are sometime identified as descendants of the Yadavas, and are also mentioned in Bhavishya Purana. [1] [2]
In the Krauncha island, there is a mountain called Maha-krauncha that is a mine of all kinds of gems. There is another mountain called Gomanta that is huge and consists of all kinds of metals. (9,12)
Today the highest civilian honour of the state of Goa is called Gomant Vibhushan. It is given annually by Government of Goa since 2010. [3] [4]
In Hinduism, Devaki (देवकी) is one of the daughters of Devak. She married Vasudeva and mothered Krishna as specified in the ancient Mahabharata
Itihasa refers to the collection of written descriptions of important events in Hinduism. It includes the Mahabharata, the Puranas and the Ramayana. The Mahabharata includes the story of the Kurukshetra War and preserves the traditions of the Lunar dynasty in the form of embedded tales. The Puranas narrate universal history as perceived by Hindus – the books discuss in depth the topics of cosmogony, myth, legend and history. The Ramayana contains the story of Rama and is incidentally related to the legends of the Solar dynasty. A story is considered to be itihasa only when the writer of the story has himself witnessed the story. Vyasa, who wrote the Mahabharata, is himself a character in the story. Similarly, Valmiki, who wrote the Ramayana, was also a character in the story. Many classical Indian poets derive the plots of their poetry and drama from the Itihasa.
The Mahājanapadas were sixteen kingdoms or oligarchic republics that existed in Northern ancient India from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE during the second urbanisation period.
In Hindu tradition, Kamsa was the tyrant ruler of the Vrishni kingdom with its capital at Mathura. He was the cousin of Devaki, the mother of the god Krishna — who slew Kamsa. Kamsa is described as human in early sources and a rakshasa (demon) in the Puranas. His royal house was called Bhoja and another of his names was Bhojapati.
Kingdom of Surasena was an ancient Indian region corresponding to the present-day Braj region in Uttar Pradesh, with Mathura as its capital city. According to the Buddhist text Anguttara Nikaya, Surasena was one of the solasa (sixteen) Mahajanapadas in the 6th century BCE. Also, it is mentioned in the Hindu epic poem, the Ramayana. The ancient Greek writers refer to the Sourasenoi and its cities, Methora and Cleisobra.
Kekayas or Kaikeyas were an ancient people attested to have been living in north-western Punjab—between Gandhara and the Beas river since remote antiquity. They were the descendants of the Kshatriyas of the Kekaya Janapada hence called Kekayas or Kaikeyas. The Kekayas were often associated with the Madras, the Usinaras, and the Sibis, and their territory had formed a part of the Vahika country, according to the evidence furnished by Pāṇini. The Kingdom of Kekaya was founded by Kekaya who was the son of Shibi in Treta Yuga whose descendant was Kaikeyi.
Kosala Proper or simply Kosala is the kingdom of the celebrated personality of Treta Yuga, Raghava Rama. Ayodhya was its capital, presently in Ayodhya district, Uttar Pradesh. Rama's sons Lava and Kusha inherited parts of this kingdom. Lava ruled from the city called Ayodhya and Kusa from the city called Kushavati. A colony of Kosala kings existed in Madhya Pradesh. It was called Dakshina Kosala. Rama's mother Kausalya was from this kingdom. King Rama extended his influence up to the island-kingdom of Lanka situated in the southern ocean. He had friendly relations with the southern kingdom of forest dwellers (Vanaras) called Kishkindha.
The Kunti Kingdom was the kingdom of Kunti-Bhoja, one of the prominent kings among the Bhoja Yadavas.
The Karusha Kingdom is one of the Yadava kingdoms of the Mahabharata epic. It is placed to the south of Chedi. Karusha king Dantavakra supported Chedi king Shishupala and was killed by Vasudeva Krishna. Karusha Kingdom is identified as modern Datia district of Madhya Pradesh.
Chedi (Sanskrit:चेदी) was an ancient Indian mahajanapada, a kingdom which fell roughly in the Bundelkhand division of Madhya Pradesh regions to the south of river Yamuna along the river Ken. Its capital city was called Suktimati in Sanskrit and Sotthivati-nagara in Pali. In Pali-language Buddhist texts, it is listed as one of the sixteen mahajanapadas.
Dasarna Kingdom was one of the many kingdoms ruled by Yadava kings in ancient central and western India. It lay to the south of the Chedi and Panchala kingdoms, in northern Madhya Pradesh. The Panchala prince Sikhandi married a princess from Dasarna. Sikhandin was alleged to be 'one of the neuter-gender'. This led to a dispute between the Dasarna king and the Panchala king Drupada.
The historical Avanti Kingdom of ancient India is described in the Mahabharata epic. Avanti was divided into north and south by river Vetravati. Initially, Mahissati was the capital of Southern Avanti, and Ujjaini was of northern Avanti, but at the times of Mahavira and Buddha, Ujjaini was the capital of integrated Avanti. The country of Avanti roughly corresponded to modern Malwa, Nimar and adjoining parts of the Madhya Pradesh.
Anarta is a Vedic period kingdom of ancient India described in the Mahabharata, roughly forming the northern Gujarat state of India. It was founded by a grandson of Vaivasvata, inter alia the father of the present Manu and of Yama, named Anartha. He built a fortress at Kusasthali (Dvaraka), which was later flooded by Varuna. The place remained then for some time as a forest land, before Krishna and the Yadavas went there and built Dvaraka. It was then ruled by Yadavas after they fled from Mathura of Surasena Kingdom, due to the attacks of Jarasandha, the king of Magadha. The Yadava chiefs like Vasudeva Krishna, Bala Rama, Kritavarma and Satyaki, ruled this kingdom under their king Ugrasena. In Mahabharata, Dwaraka is considered as a capital city of Anarta Kingdom. But some other ancient texts like Mahabhagavata, mentions Dwaraka and Anarta as two independent kingdoms. As per the Purana viz. Bhagavata Purana, Bala Rama's wife Revati was from this kingdom.
Salwa is a kingdom grouped among the western kingdoms in the epic Mahabharata. It was close to Madra Kingdom as both are mentioned together in many places. Saubha was its capital. Martikavati also was mentioned as the capital of Salwa kingdom. The famous prince Satyavan was from Salwa. He married the Madra princess, Savitri, the daughter of Madra king Aswapati. Their history is a famous narration in Mahabharata. Seven chapters 3:291 to 3:297 is dedicated to this history of Satyavan and Savitri.
Within the Indian epic Mahabharata, Krishna was the son of the Yadava chief Vasudeva and his mother was Devaki. Hence he was known as Vāsudeva-Krishna or Vāsudeva.
According to the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Jarasandha was a powerful king of Magadha. He was a descendant of a king Brihadratha, the creator of the Barhadratha dynasty of Magadha. According to Vayu Purana, the descendants of Brihadratha ruled Magadha for 2600 years followed by the Haryanka dynasty. He is ninth pratinarayana according to the Jain text Harivamsa Purana.
Kālayavana was a king who invaded Mathurā with an army of three million yavanas against Sri Krishna.
The Vrishnis were an ancient vedic Indian clan who were believed to be the descendants of Vrishni,the ancestor of Yadu. It is believed that Vrishni was father of Satvata, a ancestor of Yadu, the son of Yayati. He had two wives, Gandhari and Madri. He has a son named Devamidhusha by his wife Madri. Vasudeva, the father of Krishna was the grandson of Devamidhusha. According to the Puranas, the Vrishnis were residents of Dvaraka.
Shurasena or Shoorsaini was an ancient Yadava ruler of Mathura. He was married to a Naga, or serpent, a woman named Marisha. She bore all of his children and was the cause for Vasuki’s boon to Bhima. after whom the Surasena Kingdom or mahajanpada and the Yadava sect of Surasenas were named.