Chapter 13 - The Family of Vṛṣṇis

Lomaharṣaṇa said:

1. Kroṣṭṛ had a son of great fame named Vṛjinīvān. Svāhi the most excellent of sacrificers was the son of Vṛjinivān.

2-3. King Uṣadgu the most excellent of eloquent ones was the son of Svāhi. Desirous of progeny, a very excellent son, he performed several sacrifices wherein much wealth was gifted to the sacrificing priests. Citraratha endowed with many holy rites was born as his son.

4. Heroic Śaśabindu was the son of Citraratha. He performed sacrifices wherein much wealth was distributed as the sacrificial fee. He followed the holy conduct of life lived by saintly kings.

5. King Pṛthuśravas of extensive fame was the son of Śaśabindu. Those who are conversant with the Purāṇas praise Antara as the deserving son of Pṛthuśravas.

6-7. Suyajña was the son of Antara. Uṣat was the son of Suyajña. He performed all sorts of sacrifices. He had great reverence for Religion. Śineyu the scorcher of enemies was the son of Uṣat. King Maruta his son was a saintly king.

8-9. Marut obtained Kambalabarhis as his eldest son. Although he was against holy rites due to wrath, he performed many such rites desiring to obtain a son for his son Kambalabarhis. After a hundred still born children the son Rukmakavaca was born.

10. After killing a hundred bowmen protected with coats of mail by means of sharp arrows in the battle, Rukmakavaca attained excellent glory.

11-13. Parajit, the slayer of inimical heroes, was born of Rukmakavaca. Parajit had five valiant sons. viz.—Rukmeṣu, Pṛthurukma, Jyāmagha, Pālita and Hari. The father gave Pālita and Hari to Videhas. With the support of Pṛthurukma, Rukmeṣu became a king. Externed by both of them, king Jyāmagha stayed in a hermitage.

14-16. The tranquil king was advised by the brahmins (to conquer new territories). Taking up his bow and waving his flag in his chariot the king went to another land on the banks of Narmadā. Single-handed he conquered the cities of Mekhalā^[1] and Mṛttikāvatī.^[2] After conquering the mountain Ṛkṣavān^[3] he stayed in Śūktimatī.^[4] Jyāmagha’s wife Śaibyā was a powerful chaste woman. Hence, though he had no son in her he did not marry another woman.

17. He gained victory in another battle and captured a virgin thereat: Slightly afraid the king told his wife—“Here is your daughter-in-law”.

18-19. On hearing this she said to him—“O lord, pray tell me whose daughter-in-law she is? On hearing it, the noble king Jyāmagha said:—

The king said:

“I have brought this girl as the wife of the son who will be born to you”.

Lomaharṣaṇa said:

20. Due to severe penance of that virgin, that fortunate chaste woman Śaibyā, in her old age, gave birth to the son Vidarbha.

21. Vidarbha begot of this daughter-in-law, a princess, two-learned heroic sons Kratha and Kaiśika who became experts in warfare.

22. Bhīma was Vidarbha’s son and Kunti was his son. The valorous son Dhṛṣṭa was born to Kunti. He was very bold in battle.

23. Three heroic sons of very great virtue were born to Dhṛṣṭa, Viz., Āvanta, Daśārha and the powerful Viṣahara.

24. Vyoman was the son of Daśārha. It is said that Jīmūta was Vyoman’s son. Jīmūta’s son was Vikṛti and Bhīmaratha was his son.

25. Navaratha was Bhīmaratha’s son and his son was Daśaratha. Śakuni was born to him.

26-27. From him was born Karambha king. Devarāta was the son of Karambha and his son was Devakṣatra. Daivakṣatri, was the son of Devakṣatra. He looked like a divine child. He earned great fame. King Madhu of sweet speech was also born to him. It was he who perpetuated the line of Madhu.

28-29. Purudvān the most excellent man was born of Madhu in his wife Vaidarbhī (daughter of the Vidarbha king). Madhu had another wife Aikṣvāki (born of the family of Ikṣvāku). Satvan endowed with good qualities was born of her. He enhanced the glory of Sātvats: After knowing this creation of Jyāmagha of noble soul one attains pleasure and is always blessed with progeny.

30-38. Kauśalyā bore many sons to Sātvata richly endowed with pious qualities viz.—Bhāgin, Bhajamāna, the divine king Devavṛdha, Andhaka of mighty arms, Vṛṣṇi and Yadunandana (?) The detailed narrative of the four has been glorified here.

Bhajamāna had two wives viz Bāhyaka Sṛñjayī and Upabāhyaka Sṛñjayī. Many sons were born to him in these two wives. Krimi, Kramaṇa, Dhṛṣṭa and the heroic Purañjaya, these were born to Bhajamāna in Bāhyaka Sṛñjayī.

Ayutajit, Sahasrajit, Śatajit and Daśaka—these were born to Bhajamāna in Upabāhyaka Sṛñjayī.

King Devavṛdha who had performed sacrifices resolved thus—“A son endowed with good qualities should be born to me.” Accordingly he performed an elaborate penance. While performing penance, it was the water of Parṇāsā^[5] river that he used always (for drinking and bathing purpose). The river did everything to please him. She was worried with thoughts about him. She could not decide what to do. That excellent river thought thus in view of the auspicious nature of that king—“He has not yet found out a woman in whom he can beget such a son (endowed with all good qualities). Hence, I shall myself go and become his wife.”

39. She became a young maiden assuming a fine physical form. She wooed the king and the lord too liked her.

40-41. The liberal king impregnated her with a brilliant foetus. On the tenth month, the most excellent of women gave birth to Babhru Devavṛdha who was endowed with good qualities.

In this context, those who are conversant with the Purāṇic lore are heard singing thus about this race glorifying the good qualities of the noble Devavṛdha.

42-44. Whether we look at him in front or from far or at close quarters, Babhru is the most excellent among men. Devabṛdha was equal to Devas. Seven thousand sixty-six men attained immortality due to Babhru Devavṛdha. He performed many sacrifices, he was the lord of donors, most intelligent, favourably disposed towards the brahmins; he held weapons with a steady grasp. His family was very big. The Bhojas of Mṛttikāvatī belonged to his family.

45-48. The daughter of Kāśya bore four sons to Andhaka—Viz. Kukura, Bhajamāna, Śaśaka and Balabarhis.

Vṛṣṭi was the son of Kukura. Kapotaroman was the son of Vṛṣṭi. His son was Tittiri. Punarvasu was born to him. Abhijit was born to Punarvasu. It is said that twin sons were born to Abhijit. They were known as Āhuka and Śrāhuka. They were the most excellent of all who earned renown.

49-54. In this context they cite the following verses about Āhuka. “The exalted Āhuka resembles a youth, is endowed with eighty coats of mail, goes ahead with attendants in white livery. The following shall not go in front of him—He who has no son, he who has not given one hundred gifts, who is not destined to live for a thousand years, who is not of pure activities and who does not perform sacrifices. To the East ten thousand elephants marched along with ten thousand chariots rumbling like clouds. Their banners scraped the lap of the moon (i.e. they flowed and fluttered at a great height). They were fitted with protective fenders. Twenty-one thousand huge boxes filled with silver and gold accompanied them. To the northern quarter as many thousands of these had parched. The Bhojas were the protectors of entire Earth. Their hands are scared with the tinkling bells and bowstrings.”

They say this also—The Andhakas gave their sisters in marriage to Avantis.

55. Two sons were born of Kāśya and Āhuka—Devaka and Ugrasena. Both of them were on a par with divine children.

56. Four sons comparable to Devas were born to Devaka—Devavān, Upadeva, Sudeva and Devarakṣita.

57-61. He had seven daughters who were married to Vasudeva—Devakī, Śāntidevā, Sudevā, Devarakṣitā, Vṛkadevī, Upadevī and Sunāmnī.

Ugrasena had nine sons. Kaṃsa was the eldest. Others were Nyagrodha, Sunāman, Kaṅka, Subhūṣaṇa, Rāṣṭrapāla, Sutanu, Anāvṛṣṭi and Puṣṭimān.

Five excellent ladies were their sisters—Kaṃsa, Kaṃsavatī, Sutanii, Rāṣṭrapālī and Kaṅka.

Ugrasena of the family of Kukura has been described along with children.

A man who retains in memory the race of the Kukuras of unmeasured prowess shall attain an extensive family for himself after being blessed with children.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Mekhalā (Mekalā). Mekhalā was a country which had attained Puranic fame in ancient India. The inhabitants of this place were called Mekhalas. They were Kṣatriyas (warriors) formerly. But they became persons of low caste when they showed jealousy towards the Brahmins.

[2]:

Mṛttikāvatī, a place of habitation in ancient Bhārata. Bhojas, as a Yādava tribe, dwelt in Kṛṣṇa’s kingdom in Su-rāṣṭra and Bhojas inhabited Mṛttikāvatī, situated somewhere on this north-eastern limits of the modem Gujarat.

[3]:

Ṛkṣavān—One of the seven principal mountains in India.

[4]:

Śūktimatī—Identification not certain. Śūktimatī range might be the southern portion of the Eastern Ghats and the hills of Mysore. General Cunningham’s identification of Śūktīmat mountains where the town Śuktimat was laid out, with the high range of mountains to the south of Sehoa and Kanker, which gives rise to Mahānadī, Pairi and Seonath Riven is challenged by F.E. Pargiter (Mar. Pu. p. 285).

[5]:

Parṇāśā, or (Varṇāśā) is the modem Banas, there are two rivers of this name, (1) a tributary of the Chambal rising near Udayapur and (2) a stream rising near mount Abu and flowing in the Rann of Kacchh.