The Lunar Dynasty (Continued)

Skandha IX. Chap. 17

Âyus was the eldest son of Pururavas. His line is now given.

Raji defeated the Asuras and made over Svarga to Indra. Indra placed Raji in charge of Svarga. Raji died and his sons did not return the kingdom of Svarga to Indra. Brihaspati made invocation against them and they were all easily killed.

SKANDHA IX. CHAPS. 18-19.

Śarmistha was the daughter of the Dânava king Vrishaparvan. Devayâni was the daughter of Sukra, the preceptor of the Dânavas. They quarrelled whilst playing with each other and Śarmistha threw Devayâni into a well. King Yayâti happened to pass by the way and he rescued her. She became attached to the king and married him. Sukra became displeased with the Dânavas for the ill treatment of his daughter by Śarmistha. And to please the preceptor and his daughter, Vrishaparvan had to make over his daughter and her companions to Devayâni as her constant attendants. So they accompanied Devayâni to the place of Yayâti. Sukra warned Yayâti however not to have any intercourse with Śarmistha. But the king did not heed the warning. He had two sons Yadu and Turvasu by Devayâni and three sons, Druhya, Anu and Puru by Śarmistha. Devayâni complained to Sukra and by the curse of the Rishi the king was attacked with the infirmities of old age. The Rishi was subsequently pleased to say that the king might exchange his infirmities with another. Yayâti called his sons one by one and they all declined to comply with his request except the youngest son Puru. So he exchanged his infirmities with Puru and lived as a young man. At last he found that no amount of gratification of the senses produced satiety and being disgusted with the pleasures of life, made over to Puru his youth and took upon himself his own infirmities. He made over the south east to Druhya, the east to Yadu, the west to Turvasu and the north to Anu. He then made Puru his successor and went into the forest.

SKANDHA IX. CHAP. 20.

Bharata had three wives, all of Vidarbha. One of them bore a son to the king, but he pronounced the child to be unlike himself. The wives of the king killed their children for fear of their being called illegitimate. Bharata gave Yajna offerings to the Maruts and to Sōma (Moon) that he might be blessed with a Son. The Maruts gave him Bharadvâja as his son. Brihaspati (Jupiter) produced Bharadvâja on Mamatâ (Egoism), the wife of his brother Utathya. The parents deserted the child and he was brought up by the Maruts. Bharadvâja being adopted by Bharata was called Vitatha.

Rantideva gave to others whatever he had and had nothing left for himself. He and his dependents remained without food for forty-eight days. On the morning of the 49th. day he got some ghee, milk, prepared barley, and water. While he was going to partake of that with the others, a Brâhmana became his guest. He duly respected his guest and gladly gave him a share of the meals. When the Brâhmana went away, he divided the remnant amongst his dependents and himself, and while he was going to eat, one Sûdra became his guest. He gave him a share out of his own. When the Sûdra went away, another man came with a number of dogs and Rantideva duly respected him and gave him what he could. Only some water now remained, sufficient for the drink of one man only. He was going to drink that water, when a man of the Pukvasa caste (a degraded mixed caste) came and pitifully asked for some water. “I do not ask for the eight Siddhis,” exclaimed Rantideva “I do not ask for Nirvâna. I only want that I may pervade all beings and suffer for them all their miseries, that they may be sorrowless. By parting with this water to save the life of this distressed man, my hunger, thirst, langour, giddiness, and distress are all gone.” Kind hearted Rantideva gave even the water to the thirsty Pukvasa. Even Brahmâ and others could not distract him from his devotion to Vishnu. His followers all became Yōgins devoted to Vishnu.

(Is there some connection between Rantideva and Jesus Christ?)

Santana had in his former life the power by pass of his hands to make an old man young. He was therefore called Sântanu in this life. When he became king, there was drought for 12 years. The Brâhmanas ascribed this to Sântanu’s overlooking the claims of his eldest brother Devâpi. Sântanu went to his brother. But in the meantime his minister had sent certain Brâhmanas to Devâpi and they dissuaded him from Vedic Dharma. He thus became unfit to be a king and the Devas then rained. But Devâpi is waiting at Kalâpa for his future mission. The lunar dynasty will come to an end in the present Kaliyuga and Devâpi will be the progenitor of the lunar Dynasty in the next Satyayuga.

             Sântanu
By Gangâ | By Satyavati
—+——+—+——+—
   | | |
Bhishma Chitrangada Vichitra Virya
          (killed by a m. Ambâ and
          Gandharva) Ambâlikâ
          daughters of
          Kâsirâja

Satyavati was the daughter of Uparichara Vasu by Matsyagandhâ. Before her marriage with Sântanu, Rishi Parâśara had by her one son Krishna Dvaipâyana, the renowned Vyâsa, father of Suka, the propounder of the Bhâgavata Purâna.

As Vichitra Virya had no son, Satyavati asked Vyâsa to produce sons on his wives. They were Dhritarâshra, Pându, and Vidura.

             Dhritarâshra
            m. Gandhari
       |
  —+——+——+——+—
    | | |
Duryodhana 99 Others Duhsalâ

YUDISTHIRA HAD:

(1) By Draupadî — Prativindhya
(2) By Pauravi — Devaka

BHIMA HAD:

(1) By Draupadî — Srutasena
(2) By Hidimbâ — Ghatot Kacha
(3) By Kâli — Sarvagata

ARJUNA HAD

(1) By Draupadî — Srutakirti
(2) By Ulûpi — Iravat
(3) By the princess of Manipur — Vabhruvâhana
(4) By Subhadrâ — Abhimanyu m. Uttarâ
|
Parikshit

NAKULA HAD:

(1) By Draupadî — Satânika
(2) By Karenumatî — Naramitra

SAHADEVA HAD:

(1) By Draupadî — Sruta Karman
(2) By Vijayâ — Suhotra

Kshemaka shall be the last of this approved line in the Kali Yuga.

Now as to the Magadha kings.

This line shall be extinguished one thousand years after the death of Parikshit. (The future tense is used in the text with reference to the time of Parikshit.)

SKANDHA IX. CHAPS. 23.

Dirghatamas Rishi produced on Bali’s wife Six sons — Anga, Banga, Kalinga, Sambhu, Pundra and Odhra. These six sons founded kingdoms in their own names in the East.

(Anga is the country about Bhâgalpur. Banga is modern Bengal. Kalinga is the country between Jagannatha and the Krishna. Odhra is part of modern Orissa.)

Chitratha was also called Rōmapâda. He had no son. Dasaratha (father of Râma) was his friend. He gave his daughter Sântâ to Rōmapâda. Sântâ was married to Rishi Rishya Sringa. That Rishi made a Yajna for Rōmapâda and he had a Son Chaturanga born to him.

(He adopted Karna of the Mahâbhârata as his son, when he had been left by Kunti.)

ADHIRATHA
|
Karna
|
Vrisha Sena

YADU
|
Kroshtu
|
Vrijinavat
|
Svâhita

Svâhita (Continued)
|
Visadgu
|
Chitraratha
|
Sasavindu. (Had ten thousand wives
and one laksha sons by each wife. Of these sons, six
were famous: Prithu Sravas, Prithu Kirti, Punyayasas etc.)

—+——+——+——
| | |
Dhrishti Tushtimat 5 Sisters married to the
brothers of Vâsudeva.

The five sisters of Vâsudeva were:—

(1) Prithâ, married to Pându

(2) Srutadeva, married to Vriddha Sarman
Dantavâkra

(3) Sruta Kîrti, married to Dhrishtaketu
|
—+—+——+—
| |
Santardan 4 sons

(4) Sruta Sravas, married to Damaghosha of Chedi
|
Sisupâla

(5) Râjâdhidevi, married to Jayasena
|
—++——+—
| |
Vinda Anuvinda

The five sisters of Kansa were married to the 5
brothers of Vâsudeva. They were:—

(1) Kansâ, married to Devabhâga.
|
—+——+——+—
| |
Chittaketu Brihadbala.

(2) Kansavatî, married to Deva Sravas.
|
—+-+——+—
| |
Suvîra Ishumat

(3) Kankâ, married to Kanka.
|
—+—+——+——+—
| | |
Vaka Satyajit Purujit.

(4) Râshtrapâlî, married to Srinjaya.
|
—+—+——+——+—
| | |
Vrisha Durmarshana Others.

(5) Sûrabhûmi, married to Syâmaka.
|
—+——+——+—
| |
Harikesa Hiranyâksha.

As to the other brothers of Vâsudeva, Vatsaka had by
Apsaras—Misrakesi, Vrika and other sons.

     Samika m. Sudâmâni
     |
—+——+——+——+—
   | | |
Sumitra Arjunapala Others.

     Anaka m. Karnika
     |
  —+——+——+—
    | |
Ritadhâman Jaya

Vâsudeva had several wives. Their names and the names of their sons are given below:

4. Bhadrâ |
Kesin.

5. Rochanâ |
—+——+——+——+—
| | |
Hasta Hemângada Others

  6. Ilâ.
  |
—+——+——+—
  | |
Uruvalka Others.

7. Dhritadevâ |
Vipristhâ.

8. Sântidevâ |
—+——+——+——+—
| | |
Prasama Prathita Others.

9. Upadevâ |
—+——+——+——+—
| | |
Râjanya Kalpa-Varha Others.

11. Devarakshitâ |
—+——+——+—
| |
Gada Others.

12. Shahadevâ |
—+——+——+——+—
| | |
Pravara Srutimukhya Others.

With the birth of Sri Krishna, we come to the end of the Ninth Skandha of the Bhâgavata Purâna. But for the completion of the racial account, we give here only the 1st. Chapter of the 12th. Skandha.

SKANDHA XII. CHAP. 1.

We have seen Ripunjaya to be the last of the Magadha kings. He will be also called Puranjaya (The future tense, it must be remembered, is used solely with reference to the time of Parikshit). His minister Sunaka shall kill him and place his own son Pradyōta on the throne.

   Pradyōta
      |
   Palaka
      |
   Visâkha
      |
   Râjaka
      |
Nandivardhana

These 5 kings of the line of Pradyōta shall reign for 138 years.

These ten shall reign for 360 years—Mahanandi shall have a son, Nanda, by a Sûdra woman. He shall be the next king. One Brâhmana Chânakya shall kill Nanda and his eight sons and shall place Chandra Gupta on the throne.

These ten kings called Mauryas shall reign for 137 years. Pushpamitra, Commander of Brihadratha’s forces, shall kill his master and be king himself. He shall be the founder of the Śunga dynasty.

These (10) ten kings of the Sunga dynasty shall reign for 112 years. Vâsudeva, the minister of Devabhuti, shall kill his master and become himself the king.

VASUDEVA
   |
Bhûmitra
   |
Nârâyana
   |
Susarman

These four kings shall be called Kânvas. They shall reign for 345 years. Susarman shall be killed by his servant Balin, a Sûdra of the Andhra clan, who shall himself usurp the throne. Balin shall be succeeded by his brother.

These thirty kings of the Andhra dynasty shall rule the earth for 456 years. Seven Âbhiras, kings of Avabhriti, ten Gardabhins (men of Gardabha) and sixteen Kankas shall then be the rulers. They shall be followed by 8 Yavanas, 14 Turushkas and ten Surundas. These 65 kings shall reign for one thousand and ninety nine years. Eleven Moulas shall then be the kings for 300 years.

Bhuta-Nanda, Bangiri, Sisunandi and Yaso-Nandi shall then become kings. Their sons, all known as Bâhlikas, shall succeed them. Then Pushpamitra shall be the king, then his son Durmitra. Seven Andhras, seven Kosalas, Vidurapatis and Nishadhas shall then become kings, at one and the same time, over the lands of these names. They shall be the descendants of the Bâhlikas.

Visvasphûrji, otherwise called Puranjaya, shall be the king of the Magadhas. He shall make havoc of the caste system. His chief town shall be Padmavati (Modern Patna) but his kingdom shall extend from Hardwar to Pryag.

Then there shall be Sûdra and Mlechcha kings.

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