King Chandrasena

Raja Chandrasena (Sanskrit: चन्द्रसेन; also known as Soma Raja or सोमराज) was a king of an ancient Haihayas dynasty who ruled the Ujjain kingdom. Chandrasena was the descendent of Kritavirya Arjuna, king of the Haihayas. and a great devotee of god Shiva.

Legend of Mahakaleshwar Temple

Mahakaleshwar Ujjain

A local legend says that there once was a king called Chandrasena who ruled Ujjain and was a Shiva devotee. The Lord appeared in his Mahakal form and destroyed his enemies. Upon the request of his devotees, Shiva agreed to reside in the city and become its chief deity.

Chandrasena, the ruler of Ujjain, was not merely an intellectual but also a dedicated follower of Lord Siva. One day, his friend Maheswari's disciple Manibahdra gifted him a stunning gemstone known as Sundara Chintamani. It glimmered so brightly and beautifully when Chandrasena adorned it around his neck that he appeared even more magnificent than the divine gods. Its brilliance would evoke jealousy even among them. On one occasion, several kings approached Chandrasena, requesting that he relinquish the gem, but he quickly declined their request. This infuriated the kings, prompting them to launch an attack on Chandrasena's realm. Upon realizing that he was encircled by the adversaries, Chandrasena sought the assistance of Mahakal. Bhagawan Shiva was gratified by his prayers and presented him with a solution to his dilemma.

An uneducated boy once spotted the king conducting Puja at the stone and placed it in his vacant home. He believed it to be a manifestation of Shiva and began to venerate it. The boy became so absorbed in prayers and chants that he completely forgot about food. When his mother came to summon him, no amount of calling affected him. He was engaged in silent prayer. Incensed by this, the mother, who was still tethered by worldly affection, discarded the SivaLinga. She eliminated all items of worship. The boy felt profound sorrow over his mother's actions. He devoted himself entirely to praying to Shiva. It wasn't long before Shiva came to the aid of his devotee.

This stone SivaLinga, brought by the son of a cowherd, quickly became adorned with jewels and transformed into a JyotirLinga. After singing praises to Lord Siva, when the boy returned home, he was astonished to discover a magnificent palatial dwelling instead. Thus, through the Grace and Blessings of Lord Siva, the boy became wealthy and lived a joyful life.

Meanwhile, the enemy kings who had attacked Chandrasena's empire began to quarrel among themselves. They started proclaiming that king Chandrasena is a devotee of Siva and that Ujjain itself is the city of Mahakal. Therefore, it was deemed impossible for anyone to conquer it. They then chose to extend an olive branch to king Chandrasena, and together they all worshipped Mahakal.

Descendents

Descendants of Raja Chandrasen were called his son Chandrasena Kayasthas who successfully ruled Kashmir for a long period. They wer later known as Chandraseniya Kayasths, and they were called Prabhu because their subjects addressed them as ‘prabhu’ or ‘master’ with love and respect.