Bhagavad Gita · Mahabharata Codex

The King of Kashi

काशिराज · kāśirāja

Ruler of Kashi (Varanasi), allied with the Pandavas

The Gita mentions him twice and never tells us his name.

Kashi, the ancient city on the Ganga now called Varanasi, was tied to the Kuru house for generations: Bhishma once carried off three of its princesses. Its king in this generation is an ally of the Pandavas by marriage and fights in their army. The Gita calls him valiant and 'a supreme archer' and identifies him only by his title.