About
Vrika — Son of Ruruka, King of Ayodhya, Solar Dynasty
Vrika · Vṛka · Ruruka-putra · Bahu-pita · Bahuda-pita · Ikshvaku-vamsha-nripa
Vrika is the son of Ruruka (Bharuka) and the father of Bahu (also called Bahuda and Asita) — the king whose defeat by the Haihaya and Talajangha Kshatriyas forced him into exile, where he died leaving his queen Yadavi pregnant with Sagara; a king of the Ikshvaku Solar Dynasty of Ayodhya. He is confirmed in the Garuda Purana (Chapter 138) by the name Vrika, in the Vishnu Purana (Book 4, Chapter 3), the Bhagavata Purana (Canto 9), and multiple Solar Dynasty king lists. No primary canonical source records any personal episode of Vrika's life, any military campaign, or any personal history beyond his genealogical position. He is the last king before the dynastic catastrophe that removed the Solar Dynasty from Ayodhya for a generation — his son Bahu was the defeated king, and his grandson Sagara was the one who recaptured the kingdom.
✦ The Name
The Sanskrit name Vrika — written Vṛka — means wolf, the wolf-like one. It is a name of fierce quality — the wolf being the most feared predator of the pastoral world of the Vedic tradition. As a Solar Dynasty king's name it records the martial ferocity that his lineage was expected to embody.
✦ Lineage
- Father: Ruruka (Bharuka) — profiled separately above
- Son: Bahu (Bahuda/Asita) — the defeated king; profiled separately below
- Position in Solar Dynasty: Vijaya → Ruruka → Vrika → Bahu/Bahuda → Sagara
✦ References
- Garuda Purana (Chapter 138); Bhagavata Purana (Canto 9, Chapter 7); Vishnu Purana (Book 4, Chapter 3)
- Wikipedia — Solar Dynasty; Wisdomlib — Garuda Purana Chapter 138