Chapter 12 - The Description of Ikṣvāku’s Race (concluded)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Introductory:

This chapter gives a chronological statement of the kings in the Ikṣvāku family which will end with Sumitra (118th king), as follows: (The list differs in some respects from Pargiter’s Table of Royal Genealogies in AIHT.)

Kuśa—>Atithi—>Niṣadha—>Nabha—>Puṇḍarīka—>Kṣemadhanvā—>Devānīka—>Anīha—>Pāriyātra—>Bala—>Sthala—>Vajranābha—>Khagaṇa—>Vidhṛti—>Hiraṇyanābha—>Puṣya—>Dhruvasandhi—>Sudarśana—>Agnivarṇa—>Śīghra—>Maru—>Praśruta—>Sandhi—>Amarṣaṇa—>Mahasvān—>Viśvasāhva—>Prasenajit—>Takṣaka—>Bṛhadbala (contemporary of Pāṇḍavas, but an ally of Kauravas; killed by Abhimanyu)—>Bṛhadgaṇa—>Urukriya—>Vatsavṛdḍha—>Prativyoma—>Bhānu—>Divāka—>Sahadeva—>Bṛhadaśva—>Bhānumān—>Pratīkāśva—>Supratīka—>Marudeva—>Sunakṣatra—>Puṣkara—>Antarīkṣa—>Sutapas—>Amitrajit—>Bṛhadvāja—>Barhis—>Krtañjaya—>Raṇañjaya—>Sañjaya—>Śākya—>Śuddhoda—>Lāṅgala—>Prasenjit [Prasenajit?]—>Kṣudraka—>Raṇaka—>Suratha—>Sumitra (kings from Bṛhadbala onwards ruled in the Kali Age).

Śrī Śuka said:

1. From Kuśa’s (Rāma’s son’s) loins sprang up Atithi who gave birth to Niṣadha, whose son was Nabha. Nabha’s son was Puṇḍarīka from whom was born Kṣemadhanvā.

2. His son was Devānīka who had a son called Anīha, whose son was Pāriyātra. His son was Bala from whom was born Sthala^[1] (Cala), and his son Vajranābha was born from an aṃśa—ray—of the Sun-god.

3. His son was Khagaṇa from whom Vidhṛti was born as a son. From Vidhṛti sprang Hiraṇyanābha who became a preceptor of yoga and a pupil of Jaimini.^[2]

4. It was from Hiraṇyanābha that the sage Yājñavalkya of Kosala got instructions in yoga pertaining to the science of the soul (spiritual lore), which leads to the attainment of great mystical powers (ṣiddhis), and cuts asunder the knot of ego or ignorance in the heart.

5. Hiraṇyanābha’s son was Puṣya from whom was born Dhruvasandhi. His son was Agnivarṇa, the father of Śīghra who had Maru as his son.

6. It is this Maru who, having perfect mastery over yoga, is still residing at a village called Kalāpa^[3] and at the end of Kali Age, he will revive the extinct solar race again.

7. Maru’s son was Pra-Suśruta (or Suśruta), whose son was Sandhi, his son Amarṣaṇa, who gave birth to Mahasvān, from whom was born Viśvasāhva.

8. Viśvasāhva’s son was Prasenajit whose son was Takṣaka; his son was Bṛhadbala who was killed in the battle by your father (Abhimanyu).

9. These are the kings of the Ikṣvāku race in the past. Now listen to the names of kings who are yet to come in future. Bṛhadbala will have (?) a son by name Bṛhadraṇa^[4].

10. Bṛhadraṇa’s son will be Urukriya, whose son will be Vatsavṛddha; from him will spring Prativyoma whose son will be Bhānu; Bhānu’s son will be Divāka the leader of the celestial army.

11. Divāka’s son will be the great hero Sahadeva whose son will be Bṛhadaśva of whom will be born Bhānumān. Bhānumān’s son will be Pratīkāśva whose son will be Supratīka.

12. From him will be born Marudeva, whose son will be Sunakṣatra. Thence will be Puṣkara whose son will be Antarīkṣa; his son will be Sutapas, the father of Amitrajit.

13. From him will be born Bṛhadraja, whose son will be Barhis; thence Kṛtañjaya, whose son will be Raṇañjaya; thence will be born Sañjaya.

14. From him will be born Śākya; of him Śuddhoda from whom in turn will spring Lāṅgala; thence will be Prasenajit from whom will be born Kṣudraka.

15. From Kṣudraka will spring Raṇaka who will have a son called Suratha. Suratha’s son Sumitra will be the last scion—These will be the kings descended in the race of Bṛhadbala.

16. The race of Ikṣvākus will end up with Sumitra for when he ascends the throne, the race of Ikṣvāku will be terminated and extinct in the Kali age.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Anvitārthaprakāśikā. Bālaprabodhini Bhaktamanorañjanī take Bala & Sthala as father and son. B.P. specifically states:—balasya sthala-nāmā putro'bhavad ityarthaḥ.

[2]:

Can this be the author of the Sūtras of Pūrvamīmāṃsā or the pupil of Vyāsa as Hiraṇyanābha’s 14th descendant Bṛhaḍbala was a contemporary of Pāṇḍavas? He is probably some ancient sage of the same name.

[3]:

Kalāpa-grāma: A village situated near Badarikāśrama vide Bhāgavata Purāṇa. 10.87.7. From Nārada P. II. 67.6 it appears that Nārada and other sages were residents of this place. Here Maru and Devāpi, the last kings of the Solar and Lunar races, perform penance and wait to re-establish their dynasties at Ayodhyā and Hastināpura after Kalki, the tenth incarnation of Viṣṇu, has established social and religious order. According to the Vāyu P. 91.7, Kalāpa is near Meru where Purūravas and Ūrvaśī honeymooned. N.L. De on the authority of Col. Raper locates it near the source of Sarasvatī—a tributary of the Alakanandā, in Badrīnath in Garhwal—GDAMI P 84.

[4]:

If Bṛhadbala is killed by Abhimanyu, Bṛhadraṇa must have been born after the Bhārata war at the most, while Śuka is narrating these two generations after the Bhārata war—The Translator.