A King of Sāṅkāśya. This King surrounded the city of Mithilā and sent word that unless the bow of Śiva and the princess Sītā were given to him he would kill Janaka, who subsequently fought a battle with him. In this battle Sudhanvā was killed. Sāṅkāśya, the kingdom of Sudhanvā was given to Kuśadhvaja by his brother Janaka.
[Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa, Sarga 71] .
SUDHANVĀ I A guard of the ends of the quarters. In the beginning of creation Brahmā made four guards of the four ends. They were Sudhanvā in the East, Śaṅkhapāda in the South, Ketumān in the West and Hiraṇyaromā in the North.
[Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 19] .
SUDHANVĀ II Son of hermit Aṅgiras. Some information gathered from Ṛgveda and Mahābhārata is given below.
(i) There arose a contest between Sudhanvā and Virocana, the son of Prahlāda for marrying the damsel Keśinī. (For detailed story see under Keśinī V).
(ii) This hermit visited Bhīṣma in his bed of arrows.
[M.B. Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 26, Verse 7] .
(iii) Sudhanvā was the eighth son of Aṅgiras.
(iv) It is stated in
[Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 86, Verse 24] , that this Sudhanvā gave Subrahmaṇya a chariot, in the battle between the Devas and the asuras.
(v) Sudhanvā had three sons called Ṛbhu, Vibhvā and Vāja.
[Ṛgveda, Maṇḍala 1, Anuvāka 16, Sūkta 111] .
SUDHANVĀ III A great warrior who fought against the Pāṇḍavas in the battle of Kurukṣetra. He was killed by Arjuna.
[M.B. Droṇa Parva, Chapter 18, Verse 42] .
SUDHANVĀ IV A Sudhanvā who was the son of Drupada, is mentioned in
[Mahābhārata, Droṇa Parva, Chapter 23, Verse 44] . This warrior sided with the Pāṇḍavas in the battle of Kurukṣetra and fought against the Kauravas. When his brother Vīraketu was killed, he and his brothers joined together and attacked Droṇa. In that fight Droṇa killed Sudhanvā.
[M.B. Droṇa Parva, Chapter 122, Verse 45] .
SUDHANVĀ V An ancient King of Bhārata. A story that King Māndhātā defeated this Sudhanvā in battle, occurs in
[Mahābhārata, Droṇa Parva, Chapter 62]