King Divodasa and Dhundiraj

The Kashi Khanda of the Skanda Purana, narrated by Lord Subrahmanya to the sage Agastya, tells of the righteous king Divodasa, whose rule over Kashi grew so faultless that even Lord Shiva himself struggled to reclaim the city.

A King Beyond Reproach

Divodasa had been granted rulership of Kashi by Brahma, on the condition that the gods themselves withdraw from the city. So just and blameless was his reign that no fault could be found in him, and every direct attempt to remove him from Kashi failed, leaving Shiva unable to return to his own sacred city.

A Disguise for a Difficult Task

Turning to his son, Shiva asked Shree Ganesh to succeed where others had not, and Shree Ganesh took the form of a Brahmin skilled in astrology, moving through Kashi's households offering forecasts and counsel, working patiently and indirectly toward the outcome his father needed.

The Name That Remained

Through this quiet, sustained effort, Shree Ganesh accomplished what direct confrontation could not, and Divodasa's rule over Kashi came to its end, allowing Shiva to return with Parvati, Skanda, and his full retinue. In recognition of this achievement, Shiva named him Dhundhi, "one who discovers the way," a title still carried today at the Dhundhiraj Vinayaka shrine, visited by pilgrims before Kashi Vishwanath itself.