Virocana
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Swami Harshananda
Virocana as per Chāndogya Upaniṣad[edit]
According to the Chāndogya Upaniṣad,[1] Virocana was the king of the Asuras[2] who went to the teacher Prajāpati to get the knowledge of ātman.[3] He, with his limited intellect, understood that the physical body itself was the ātman and propagated the same to his flock. Consequently, the asuras became gross materialists.
Virocana as per Mahābhārata[edit]
As per the Mahābhārata,[4] Virocana was the son of Prahlāda and father of Bali. Once he had a dispute with a brāhmaṇa sage Sudhanva about the relative superiority of a brāhmaṇa and a kṣattriya, but lost it.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore