Chapter 278 - The description of the lineage of Puru (puruvaṃśa)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Fire-god said:

I. Janamejaya was (born) from Puru. Prācīnavān was his son. Manasyu was from Prācīnavān. Vītamaya (was) the (next) king from him.

2. Śundhu was from Vītamaya. Bahuvidha was the son of Śundhu. Saṃyāti (was) from Bahuvidha. Rahovādī^[1] (was) his son.

3-4. Bhadrāśva (was) his son. Bhadrāśva had ten sons—Ṛkṣeyu, Kṛṣeyu, Sannateyu, Ghṛteyu, Citeyu, the noble Sthaṇḍileyu, Dharmeyu, Sannateyu (?), Kṛteyu and Matināra.

5. Taṃsurodha, Pratiratha and Purasta were the sons of Matināra. Kaṇva was (born) from Pratiratha. Medhātithi was from Kaṇva.

6-8. Duṣyanta, Pravīra, Sumanta and Vīra (were) the four (sons) from Taṃsurodha. Bharata was (born) from Duṣyanta through Śakuntalā. The descendants known as Bhāratas were mighty. When the sons of Bharata were lost on account of the wrath of the mother, then the Maruts (gods) brought Bharadvāja, son of Bṛhaspati and made (him) to meet (Bharata). Vitatha was born as a consequence of rituals (done by Bharadvāja).

9-11. That Vitatha also generated five sons—Suhotra, Suhotṛ, Gaya, Garbha and the great Suketu. Kapila had two sons—Kauśika and Gṛtsapati. The brahmins, warriors, tradesmen were the sons of Gṛtsapati. The Dīrghatamas were the sons of Kāśi (Kauśika?). Dhanvantari was (born) then. Ketumān was his son.

12. Hemaratha (was born) from Ketumān. He was well-known as Divodāsa. Pratardana (was) from Divodāsa. Bharga and Vatsa (were born) from Pratardana.

13. Anarka was from Vatsa. Kṣemaka was born from Anarka. Varṣaketu (was) from Kṣemaka. Vibhu is remembered (to be) from Varṣaketu.

14. Ānarta was the son of Vibhu. Sukumāraka (was the son) of Vibhu. Satyaketu (was born) from Sukumāra. Vatsabhūmi (was born) from Vatsaka.

15. Bṛhat (was) the son of Suhotra. Ajamīḍha, Dvimīḍha and the brave Purumīḍha were the three sons of Bṛhat.

16. The valorous Jahnu was born to Ajamīḍha and Keśinī. Ajakāśva was born from Jahnu. Balākāśva (was) his son.

17. Kuśika (was the son) of Balākāśva, and Gādhi, the Indra, (was born) from Kuśika. Satyavatī (was) the daughter of Gādhi and Viśvāmitra his excellent son.

18-20. Devarata and Katimukha were the sons of Viśvāmitra. Śunaḥśepa (known also as) Aṣṭaka (was) the other (son). Śānti was born as son to Ajamīḍha through Nīlinī. Purujāti (was born) from (Su) Śānti. Bāhyāśva (was born) from Purujāti. The five kings Mukula, Sṛñjaya, Bṛhadiṣu, Yavīnara and Kṛmila (were) from Bāhyāśva. They were known as the Pāñcālas.

21-23. (The descendants) of Mukula, (known as) the Maukulyas were brahmins endowed with property. Cañcāśva was born from Mukula. Cañcāśva had the twins—Divodāsa and Ahalyā. Śatānanda (was born) from Śaradvata through Ahalyā. Satyadhṛk (was born) from Śatānanda. Then a pair, Kṛpa and Kṛpī, (were born from Satyadhṛk). Maitreya (was born) from Divodāsa and then Somapa (from Maitreya). Pañcadhanus (was born) from Sṛñjaya. Somadatta was his son.

24. Sahadeva (was born) from Somadatta. Somaka (was born) from Sahadeva. Jantu was from Somaka. Pṛṣata (was) the son of Jantu.

25. Drupada (was) from Pṛṣata. Dhṛṣṭadyumna (was) from him. Dhṛṣṭaketu was his son. Ṛkṣa was born to Ajamīḍha through Dhūminī.

26. Saṃvaraṇa was born from Ṛkṣa. Kuru (was) then (born) from Saṃvaraṇa. He migrated from (the city of) Prayāga and founded (the kingdom of) Kurukṣetra.

27. Sudhanvā, Sudhanu, Parikṣit and Arimejaya (were the sons) of Kuru. Suhotra was from Sudhanvā. Cyavana was born from Suhotra.

28-29. Seven other sons such as Bṛhadratha, Kuśa, Vīra, Yadu, Pratyagraha, Bala and Matsyakālī, were born through (his queen) Girikā by propitiating (the sage) Vasiṣṭha. Kuśāgra was from King Bṛhadratha. Vṛṣabha was born from Kuśāgra and Satyahita was his son.

30. (His son was) Sudhanvā, Ūrja was his son. Sambhava was (born) from Ūrja. Jarāsandha (was) from Sambhava. Sahadeva was his son.

31. Udāpi (was born) from Sahadeva. Śrūtakarmaka (was born) from Udāpi. The righteous Janamejaya was the descendant of Parikṣit.

32. Trasadasyu (was born) from Janamejaya. Suratha, Śrutasena, Ugrasena and Bhīmasena (are) the names of the sons of Jahnu.

33. Janamejaya had two sons Suratha and Mahimān. Vidūratha was born from Suratha. Ṛkṣa was born from Vidūratha.

34. Bhīmasena was the son of Ṛkṣa^[2] the second. Pratīpa (was) from Bhīmasena. Śantanu (was the son) of Pratīpa.

35. Devāpi, Bālhika and Somadatta (were born) from Śantanu. Somadatta, Bhūri, Bhūriśravas and Śala were born from Bālhika.

36-38. Śantanu had Bhīṣma through Gaṅgā and Vicitravīryaka through Kālī (Satyavatī). Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana begot Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and Vidura through the wife of Vicitravīrya. Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīmasena and Arjuna were the three sons of Pāṇḍu through Kuntī and Nakula and Sahadeva through Mādrī by divine agency. Saubhadra (Abhimanyu born to Subhadrā) (was the son) of Arjuna. Parikṣit (was born) from Abhimanyu.

39-40. Draupadī was the wife of the Pāṇḍavas. Through her Prativindhya was born to Yudhiṣṭhira, (Śrutasena) from Bhīmasena, Śrutakīrti from Dhanañjaya (Arjuna), Śrutavarmā from Sahadeva and Śatānīka was the (son) of Nakula. Ghaṭotkaca was another (son) of Bhīmasena through Hiḍimbā.

41. These are the past and future kings. There is no count of their numbers. O Brahmin! They have gone along with the passage of time. Lord Hari (Viṣṇu) is really the time. Hence one should worship Him. Hence one should offer oblation to fire intended for Him that would yield all the desires.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Names differ from VI. P. IV. 19.

[2]:

See verse 25 for Ṛkṣa, the first.