Mahābhārata (Mahabharata) mentions Agāvaha (Agabaha) who was a brave warrior from the Vṛṣṅi clan. During the Kurukṣetra (Kurukshetra) war, Dhṛtarāṣtra (Dhritarashtra), who had become very anxious at the death of Abhimanyu, expressed his concern that this incident could enrage the warriors of the Vṛṣṅi clan and incite them to leave the Kauravas’s side for joining the Pāṇḍavas (Pandava). In this context, Dhṛitaraṣtra mentioned the name of the Vṛṣṅi warrior Agāvaha in league with Gada, Śāmva (Shamba), Pradyumna and warriors. Although this phase of Mahābhārata mentions the name of Agāvaha as a Vṛṣṅi hero, nothing has been said about his background. The credentials of Vṛṣṅi hero Agāvaha is found in the Purāṇas. According to Matsyapurāṇa, Vāyupurāṇa and Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa, Agāvaha was a son of Bṛkadevī and Vasudeva. But owing to variations in different Purāṇas, Agāvaha has been referred to as Svagāvaha and Āgāvaha also in some places. Matsyapurāṇa says that the son born to Bṛkadebī was called Avagāha. However, Agāvaha is the name that has been used in most places in Purāṇas as well as Mahābhārata and this lends authenticity to this name.
- In Sabhāparva (Sabhaparva) of Mahābhārata we find the presence of one Aṅgāvaha of the Vṛṣṅi clan during Yudhiṣṭhira’s (Yudhishthir) Rājasūya yajña (rajsuya yajna). This Aṅgāvaha and Agāvaha are most probably the same person.