Vatapi, which was renamed Agasthyanagar soon after Yudhishthira had visited the place and offered his oblationsto the huge idol of Lord Vighneswara consecrated bySage Agasthya, came under the suzereinty of Indraprastha. After Yudhishthira, Parikshit ruled over the place, and later, Janamejaya and his sons and grandsons became the rulers. The place was once again known asVatapinagar.
During the rule of Shatrunjaya, who belonged to the Chandra dynasty, he extended the city, by annexing the neighbouring kingdoms. Vatapi slowly assumed the size of an empire. Shatrunjaya extracted taxes from his subjects so that he could build a big army. He became unpopular, and people wondered whether the demon Ilvalhad not incarnated as Shatrunjaya! The kind of atrocities the demon had perpetrated once upon a time revisited Vatapinagar, much to the suffering of the people.
Chalukyavarma, who was the youngest son of Shatrunjaya, was of a different mould. He was honest, well behaved and kind-hearted. He followed the edicts of Sage Agasthya inscribed all over the place. He wasthe lone member of the royal family who worshipped Lord Vighneswara. He was well-versed in all kinds of arts ,including the martial arts. The people saw in the young ster their savour and held him in high esteem.
When Shatrunjaya was prompting his sons to attack the neighbouring kingdoms, Chalukyavarma protested.“Father! It's not advisable to expand the kingdom, withouttaking care of the welfare of our own subjects," he told his father frankly. “I shall not join my brothers in attackingour neighbours."
Shatrunjaya got very angry. “It's a curse that you were born in my dynasty. It's like a rat is born to a lion. You deserve punishment!" He arranged for a rat to becaught and named it Chalooka! He told his son that he would have to take the rat as his bride.
Chalooka was really a nymph called Kalyani. Shewas cursed by Lord Indra and was born as a rat on theearth. By arranging his son's wedding with a rat,Shatrunjaya expected that Chalukya would become thebutt of ridicule by the guests at the wedding, and he would feel insulted.
But Chalukya was ready to turn the tables on his father. He laughingly told Shatrunjaya: “Father, Lord Vighneswara is capable of turning a rat into a queen! He can also make her a king's bride. Let's see what happens!"
