The Linga Purana

by J. L. Shastri | 1951 | 265,005 words | ISBN-10: 812080340X | ISBN-13: 9788120803404

This page describes The race of Jyamagha (vamsha-anuvarnana) which is chapter 68 of the English translation of the Linga Purana, traditionally authored by Vyasa in roughly 11,000 Sanskrit verses. It deals with Shaiva pilosophy, the Linga (symbol of Shiva), Cosmology, Yugas, Manvantaras, Creation theories, mythology, Astronomy, Yoga, Geography, Sacred pilgrimage guides (i.e., Tirthas) and Ethics. The Lingapurana is an important text in Shaivism but also contains stories on Vishnu and Brahma.

Chapter 68 - The race of Jyāmagha (vaṃśa-anuvarṇana)

Sūta Said:

1. I shall enumerate the members of the family of the glorious Yadu, the eldest son of Yayāti. Even as I narrate them succinctly and in the proper order listen to it and understand.

2. Yadu had five sons comparable to the sons of Devas. Sahasrajit was the eldest. The others were Kroṣṭu, Nīla, Ajaka and Laghu.

3. The king Śatajit was the son of Sahasrajit. Śatajit had three renowned sons.

4. They were Haihaya, Haya and the king Veṇuhaya. The successor of Haihaya was the well known Dharma.

5. O brahmins, his son was Dharmanetra. Kīrti was the son of Dharmanetra and his son was Sañjaya.

6. The virtuous Mahiṣmān was the heir and successor of Sañjaya. The valorous Bhadraśreṇya was the son of Mahiṣmān.

7. Bhadraśreṇya’s legal heir was the king named Durdama who had an intelligent son known as Dhanaka.

8-9. The sons of Dhanaka were four and they were very popular. They were—Kṛtavīrya, Kṛtāgni, Kṛtavarmā and Kṛtaujas. Arjuna was the son of Kṛtavīrya. He was born with thousand arms and became the best of the lords of the seven islands.

10-12. Rāma who was identical with Nārāyaṇa was the cause of his death. He had a hundred sons. Five of them were great heroes. They were strong, heroic, virtuous and learned. They had good practice in the use of all missiles. They were Śūra, Śūrsena, Dhṛṣṭa, Kṛṣṇa and Jayadhvaja the king of Avanti. Jayadhvaja’s son Tālajaṅgha was very powerful.

13. He had a hundred sons. They were known as Tālajaṅghas. The eldest of them the powerful Vītihotra was the ruler.

14. Vṛṣa and others too were his sons of meritorious deeds. Vṛṣa was the founder of a dynasty. His son was Madhu.

15-18. Madhu had hundred sons and Vṛṣṇi the eldest was the founder of a dynasty. Vṛṣṇi’s descendants were also called Vṛṣṇis and those of Madhu are known as Mādhavas.

Since the Haihayas belonged to the family of Yadu they are also designated as Yādavas. There were five groups or families of the Haihayas of noble souls. They were—Vītihotras, Haryātas, Bhojas, Āvantis and Śūrasenas. The last were known as Tālajaṅghas also. The most famous kings among the Haihayas were Śūra, Śurasena, Vṛṣa, Kṛṣṇa, and Jayadhvaja.

19. Śūra and Śūravīra were the pious descendants of Śūrasena. The land of these noble souls is known as Śūrasenas.

20. The son of Vītihotra was the well known Narta. Durjaya the son of Kṛṣṇa was a destroyer of his enemies.

21. Listen to the race of the saintly king Kroṣṭu. It consisted of excellent men. Viṣṇu the scion of the family of Vṛṣṇi was born of this race.

22. Kroṣṭu had a son of great renown named Vṛjinīvan. His son was Svāti and Kuśaṅku was his son.

23. Desirous of progeny, the extremely powerful king Kusaṅku performed great sacrifices of various kinds with the requisite gifts.

24-25. Citraratha his son did glorious deeds. The heroic son of Citraratha was king Śaśabindu who performed sacrifices giving large sums as gifts. He observed excellent holy rites, and was an Emperor of great strength and valour over a large number of subjects.

26. Śaśabindu had twenty thousand sons. They specifically praise Anantaka as the most excellent of all of them.

27-28. The son Yajña was born to Anantaka. Yajña’s son was Dhṛti. His son was Uśanas. That most virtuous king after obtaining the kingdom, performed a hundred horse sacrifices. The king named Siteṣu is known as the son of Uśanas.

29. Marutta, the saintly king who made his family flourish, was his son. The heroic Kambalabarhis was the son of Marutta.

30-31. Rukmakavaca. a learned king was the son of Kambalabarhis. This Rukmakavaca had killed in battle many heroic archers wearing coats of mail with sharp arrows and attained great glory. The pious soul gave land to the Ṛtviks (Brahmins officiating) in the Horse-sacrifice,

32. Parāvṛt, the slayer of heroic enemies, was born of Rukmakavaca. Five sons of great strength were born to Parāvṛt.

33. They were Rukmeṣu, Pṛthurukma, Jyāmagha, Parigha and Hari. The father fixed Parigha and Hari in Videha.

34. Rukmeṣu became the king and Pṛthurukma was dependent on him. Compelled by them, king Jyāmagha abdicated the throne and stayed in the hermitage.

35-36. He remained quiescent while he stayed in the forest. He received enlightenment from the brahmins. Then he took up his bow and went to another land in his chariot decorated with flags. He went to the Narmadā[1] river accompanied by his wife. He went to the mountain Ṛkṣavān[2] and passed his days.

37-39. Śaibyā the chaste woman of good conduct was the wife of Jyāmagha. After observing severe penance that fortunate lady, in her advanced age, gave birth to Śruta and Vidarbha. King Śruta had no son. Two scholarly sons Kratha and Kaiśika were born to Vidarbha. They were heroic and very efficient in battle. A third son was Romapāda and Babhru was his son.

40. Sudhṛti a learned and very pious king was his son. His son was Kuśika who was the originator of the family of Caidya.

41-42. Kratha was the son of Vidarbha. His son was Kunti. Kunti’s son was Vṛta and from him was born the valorous Raṇadhṛṣṭa. His son Nidhṛti was a slayer of enemies. The son of Nidhṛti was Dāśārha, the destroyer of his foes.

43. Vyāpta was the son of Dāśārha, and Jīmūta his son. Vikṛti was the son of Jīmūta. His son was Bhīmaratha.

44. Navaratha was the son of Bhīmaratha. He was perpetually engaged in charitable gifts and holy rites. He was devoted to truthfulness and good conduct.

45. His son was Dṛḍharatha. Śakuni was his son. Karambha was born of him. Devarāta was his son.

46. From Devarāta was born king Devarāti of great renown. He was equal to the son of Devas. From him was born Devakṣatra.

47. Devakṣatra’s son was Madhu of great renown. He was the founder of the line of Madhus. From Madhu was born Kuruvaṃśaka.

48. After Kuruvaṃśa was Anu and from him was born Purutvān, the best among men. From him Aṃśu was born to queen Bhadravatī of Vidarbha.

49-51. Aṃśu married Aikṣvākī and Sattva was born of him. From Sattva was born Sāttvata, endowed with good qualities who enabled the family to flourish. The dynasty of Jyāmagha has thus, been narrated to you in detail. He who reads or listens to this lineage of Jyāmagha lives for a long time and attains heavenly kingdom and happiness.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Narmadā—this river rises in the Vindhya mountain and falls into the gulf of Cambay. It flows in a wide flood-plain and is fairly deep. It forms a suitable boundary between the political units north and south of it.

[2]:

Ṛkṣavān—Rāmāyaṇa places it on the Narmadā river. “ṛkṣavantaṃ giriśreṣṭham adhyāste narmadām piban”—Rāma.

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