Uparicaravasu is the son of Kṛtaka, king of Cedi, who was the descendant of Ṛkṣa, son of Ajamīḍha. His original name is Vasu, later he came to be known as Uparicaravasu. In Matsyapurāṇa, king Uparicaravasu or Khacaravasu is referred to as the son of king Uttānapāda.

King Vasu went to tapovana and started hard ascetic practices. The gods, worried at his tapasyā, thought that he was doing so in order to gain the position of Indra. Then the gods came in front of him, and dissuaded him from tapasyā, and advised him to pay attention to his rājadharma. Indra was bound to him in friendship. By the grace of Indra, during the rule of Vasu, the Cedi kingdom flourished in wealth and natural beauty. Further, Indra gave him a vimāna (flying vehicle). He also gave him as gifts vaijayantī malā (a garland denoting one’s victory) and a flag. Being pleased, Vasu came back to his kingdom and started a grand celebration and yajña on the śuklapakṣ of the month of Agrahāyana. This celebration and worship of Indra came to be famous as Indrotsava on earth. Indra himself was present in this celebration, much to the pleasure of king Vasu.

King Vasu used to ride on that divine aircraft, surrounded by celestial beauties and Gandharvas. Since he moved above (in the air), he came to be known as Uparicara Vasu. In the edition of Mahābhārata, maintained by Haridāsa Siddhāntavāgīśa, it is said that Uparicaravasu was one day moving across the sky, with an Apsarā called Adrikā. A divine girl called Acchodā, who was deprived of fatherly affection, addressed him as ‘father’. This Acchodā was later born as his daughter Satyavatī.

Once instructed by his forefathers, king Uparicara went for hunting. But his mind remained with his beloved wife Girikā. Though he was inside the dense forest, he was constantly thinking of his wife, and he gave out an erection inside the forest. Considering that his erection might not go in vain, he collected it carefully in a leaf and sent it through a falcon to his wife, in his palace. But the leaf containing his vital energy slipped from the bird’s beak, and fell into the water of Yamunā. At that time, an Apsarā called Adrikā, cursed by some sage, was staying in a shape of a fish in water. She consumed the king’s semen and got pregnant. After ten months, that Apsarā, in the form of a fish was captured by the fishermen dwelling on the bank of Yamunā. Cutting the belly of the fish, they found one boy and one girl-child. Seeing this strange thing, they took the boy and the girl to the court of King Uparicaravasu. The king accepted the boy-child. He was named Matsya. Later he became a famous king, and the kingdom of matsya came to be named after him. And the girl child was brought up by the Dāsa king. Her name was Satyavati.
[See Satyavatī]

King Uparicaravasu had seven sons. King Vasu established them in separate kingdoms, and these sons founded their own cities, bearing their names. All this kingdoms and dynasties created by them became famous in ancient India. Vasu’s son Vṛhadratha was established in Magadha. He was the father of Jarāsandha. Among his other sons, Pratyagraha (or Patyagra), Kuśasva or Maṇivāhana, Māvella , Matsya and Yadu were the major ones.

King Uparicaravasu was a great devotee of God Viṣṇu, as stated in Mahābhārata. Once the performed Aśvamedha yajña and Vṛhaspati himself was his priest in this yajña. Pleased with the dedicated worship of Uparicaravasu, Nārāyaṇa himself was present there, and though he was invisible to all others, he gave his divine vision exclusively to his devotee, Uparicara.

Once Indra, the king of Gods performed a yajña in Martyaloka ( the earthly abode). In terms of animal-sacrifice in yajña, there arose a debate between the gods and Vṛhaspati, Guru of the Gods. The gods were in favour of animal sacrifice, and Vṛhaspati, along with other priests were against it. Finally the asked the righteous king Uparicara to give a solution. The king’s opinion was in line with the gods, so the priests, being angry, cursed him- “Since you have opined in favour of the gods, and against the practice of non-violence hailed in Veda, you will no longer be entitled to move in air. From now on, you will be livingin the underworld. King Uparicara started residing in the underworld, but even staying there, he continued to worship God Viṣṇu. Pleased with his tapasyā, Nārāyaṇa commanded Garuḍa to bring his devotee from the underworld, and replace himin the ethereal realm. Thus king Uparicara was freed of his curse, and entitled to Brahmaloka. In Matsyapurāṇa, too, there is the mention of this validity of animal-sacrifice in yajña. There king Uparicaravasu is referred to as Khacaravasu.

From Sabhāparva of Mahābhārata, it is known that Uparicaravasu was one of the king-sages placed in the court of Yama.