Rohita

Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R)

Rohita (रोहित) was a Suryavanshi King in the line of Mandhata.

Variants

Rohita (रोहित) (AS, p.806)
Rohitas (रोहित) ^[1]

Jat Gotras from Rohita

Rohitik (रोहितिक) gotra of Jats get this name after Raja Rohita (रोहित). ^[2]

History

Buddha Prakash^[3] mentions.... [p.104]: Foremost among the tribes, who took up the struggle against the Saka-Kushanas, were the Yaudheyas. They were akin to the Iranian tribe Yautiya, who figured in the volkerwanderung

[p.105]: of peoples which brought the Medes and Persians into Iran about the 9th-8th century B. C. Driven forward by the Medes, these people bifurcated into two wings, the right one pushing north-west- wards up to Transcaspiana and the left one wheeling towards the south-east and penetrating into the Panjab. In the sixth century B. C. their chief Vahyazdata posed a challenge before the Achaemenian emperor Darius by capturing the Kabul Valley, but was defeated by the governor of Harahvatis, Vivana.

Along with the Yautiya the warrior clans of the Hindukush region, called ‘the ten mandalas of Lohita’ in the Mahabharata (II, 27, 17) and Rohitagiriya in the Kashika (IV, 3, 91), who gave their name Roh to medieval Afghanistan, also seem to have moved cast. The name of the township of Rohitaka or Rohtak in Hariyana appears to enshrine a reminiscence of their settlement. The name of a Jat gotra Rohila also suggests that these people are connected with the ancient Rohitas or Rohs who had come to East Panjab. Subsequently they moved into Rajasthana where we come across the name Rohilladdhi in the Jodhpur inscription of Bauka. In medieval times they settled in the Transgangetic region of Uttar Pradesha which came to be known as Rohilkhand after them. That the Rohitas (Ruhilas of medieval times) moved with the Yautiya becomes clear from the existence of the settlements of both of them in the same region of Hariyana.

In Mahabharata

Sabha Parva

Sabha Parva, Mahabharata/Book II Chapter 29 Mentions Kings whom Nakula subjugated, who set out from Khandavaprastha for the west. He first assailed the mountainous country called Rohitaka (Rohtak) that was dear unto (the celestial generalissimo) Kartikeya and which was delightful and prosperous and full of kine and every kind of wealth and produce. He then encountered Mattamyurakas, subjugated the whole of the desert country and the region known as Sairishaka (Sirsa) full of plenty, as also that other one called Mahetta (Meham). And the hero had a fierce encounter with the royal sage Akrosa. Then he left that part of the country having subjugated the Dasarnas, the Sivis, the Trigartas, the Amvashtas, the Malavas, the five tribes of the Karnatas, and those twice born classes that were called the Madhyamakeyas and Vatadhanas.

ततॊ बहुधनं रम्यं गवाश्वधनधान्यवत

कार्तिकेयस्य दयितं रॊहीतकम उपाद्रवत Mahabharata (II.29.4)

तत्र युद्धं महद वृत्तं शूरैर मत्तमयूरकैः

मरु भूमिं च कार्त्स्न्येन तदैव बहु धान्यकम Mahabharata (II.29.5)

शैरीषकं महेच्छं च वशे चक्रे महाद्युतिः

शिबींस तरिगर्तान अम्बष्ठान मालवान पञ्च कर्पटान Mahabharata (II.29.6)

तथा मध्यमिकायांश च वाटधानान द्विजान अद

पुनश च परिवृत्याद पुष्करारण्यवासिनः Mahabharata (II.29.7)

Udyoga Parva

Udyoga Parva/Mahabharata Book V Chapter 19 mentions the Kings and tribes Who joined Duryodhana for war. It spread over the land of Vatadhanas.

And thus Duryodhana had a force..., there was no space in the city of Hastinapura. And for this reason the land of the five rivers, and the whole of the region called Kuru-jangala, and the forest of Rohitaka which was uniformly wild, and Ahichhatra and Kalakuta, and the banks of the Ganga, and Varana, and Vatadhana, and the hill tracts on the border of the Yamuna--the whole of this extensive tract--full of abundant corn and wealth, was entirely overspread with the army of the Kauravas.

ततः पञ्चनथं चैव कृत्स्नं च कुरुजाङ्गलम

तदा रॊहित कारण्यं मरु भूमिश च केवला (V.19.29)

अहिच छत्रं कालकूटं गङ्गाकूलं च भारत

वारणा वाटधानं च यामुनश चैव पर्वतः (V.19.30)

In Bhagavata Purana

Mandhata son of Yuvanasva was a very powerful king in line of Ikshvakus. He married Indumati, daughter of Sasabindu. He had three sons Purukutsa, Ambarisha, and the Yogin Muchukunda. He had also fifty daughters.

Yuvanasva adopted his grand son Ambarisha. Ambarisha had one son Youvanasva. His son was Harita. These three, Ambarisha, Youvanasva and Harita were the founders of the chief clans of the Mandhata Dynasty.

The elemental serpents gave their sister Narmodā in marriage to Purukutsa. Purukutsa accompanied Narmoda to Rasatala at the request of Vasuki. There he killed such Gandharvas as deserved to be killed.

Yuvanasva → Mandhata → Purukuta (m. Narmoda) (+ Ambarisha + Muchukunda:Yogin) → Trasadasya → Anaranya → Horyasva → Praruna → Tribandhana → Satyavrata or Tri Sanku → Haris Chandra → Rohita → Harita → Champa (Founder of Champa) → Sudeva → Vijaya → Bharuka → Vrika → Bahuka

Tri Sanku became a Chandala by the curse of his father. Rishi Visvamitra lifted him up to Svarga in his own mortal body. Tri Sanku is still visible in the heavens. The devas turned him with his head downwards and attempted to throw him down. Visvamitra by his power has retained him there. [ Tri Sanku is a constellation in the southern hemisphere.]

Harish Chandra had at first no issue. He prayed to Varuna for a son, promising to offer him as a sacrifice to the Water-god. The king had a son named Rohita (Red). Varuna asked for his victim. Ten days passed away. " Without teething the child will not be pure." There was teething. " When these milk teeth fall away, then will be the time." The milk teeth fell off. "Let other teeth grow." Other teeth did grow. " But he is a Kshatriya boy. He can be pure only when he is fit to put his armour on."

The king put off Varuna from time to time in this way, out of affection for his son. Rohita came to know of his father's promise. To save himself, he took a bow and went to the forest. There he learned that his father had an attack of dropsy, the disease caused by Varuna. So he prepared himself to go back, but Indra prevented him by persuasive words. He was put back from year to year by Indra, till his 6th year. He then made his way to the king. He purchased from Ajigarta his second son Sunahsepha. He saluted his father and offered the child. King Haris Chandra appeased Varuna by human sacrifice and got rid of his dropsy. In that sacrifice, Visvamitra was the Hota, Jamadagni was the Adhvaryu, Vasistha Brahma and Ayasya was the Udgata. Indra being pleased gave a golden chariot to the king. Visvamitra taught Atma Vidya to Haris Chandra and he attained liberation.

रोहित

विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर^[4] ने लेख किया है .....रोहित (AS, p.806): 1. विष्णु पुराण 2,4,29 के अनुसार शाल्मलद्वीप का एक भाग या वर्ष जो इस द्वीप के राजा वपुष्मान् के पुत्र रोहित के नाम पर प्रसिद्ध हुआ था.

2. = रोह, लोह

3. रोहतासगढ़