Genealogy of the Solar Dynasty in the Puranas and the Ramayana

Genealogy of the Solar Dynasty in the Puranas and the Ramayana : A Critical Study [puranesu ramayane ca suryavamsiyarajnam vamsavali tasya alocanatmakamadhyayanam ca] / By Dr. A. D. Pusalker, M.A., LL.B., Ph.D., Director, Post-Graduate and and Research Dept., BORI, Poona 4. / 22-33

ramayane purane [ lekhe'smin da0 pusalakara mahodayena coparvanitasya suryavamsasya visaye sralocanatmako vicarah prastutah | suryavamsasya pravarttako vaivasvatamanoh putra iksvakurasit | puranesu suryavamsasya varnanamitaravamsapeksaya vistrtataram varttate | ramayane tu ramaparyantameva suryavamsavali kathita | ato'smillekhe suryavamsavisayako vicaro ramaparyantameva prastuyate | puranesupavanitayah suryavamsavalyah pajitara - ramgacarya - manakada bhargavopa vidvadbhih samyagvicarah krtah, atra tu lekhaka mahodayena mulagranthanam samyagavalokananantaram suryavamsasucivisaye svamatamupasthapitam lekhasyante ca suryavamsavali visayaka svanirmita eka sucyapi samyojita | mahabharate, harivamse, puranesu ca suryavamsasucivisaye prayah sadrsyam varttate, parantu ramayane suciyamativa samksipta varttate | atra iksvaku - vamsiyanam kesamcinnrpanam namanyapi puranakathitanamabhyo bhidyante kramo'pi kvacid bhidyate | puranoktasu suryavamsiyasucisu manumarabhya ramaparyantam nrpanam nyunatama samkhya saptapancasat, ramayane tu pancatrimsade- va | parantu ramayanam tu vastutah kavyameva, natvitihasah, purananam ca rajavamsavarnanam pradhanam laksanam | sratah itihasadrstya ramayanasuci nativopayukta | kalidasenapi raghuvamsakavye iksvakuvamsaprabhavanam nrpanam caritavarnane tu ramayanamasritam, parantu suryavamsavali varnane purana- nyevasritani | ] The dynasty started by Ikshvaku, son of Vaivasvata Manu, was known as the solar dynasty, and it produced such celebrated figures as Kakutstha, Mandhatri, Purukutsa, Trasadasyu, Harischandra, Sagara, Bhagiratha, Ambarisha, Raghu, Rama and others. The importance of the dynasty in traditional history can also be seen from the fact that the Paper submitted to the History Section of the All-India Oriental Conference, Srinagar.

24 puranam - PURANA [Vol. IV. No. 1 genealogical list of this dynasty in the Puranas is more detailed and complete as compared with the lists of other dynasties. The genealogy of the solar dynasty (either whole or in part) appears in as many as eleven Maha-Puranas, the Saura and the Siva Upa-Puranas, the Harivansa, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. As the genealogy given in the Ramayana runs only up to Rama, we shall consider here the solar dynasty up to Rama only. The genealogy of the solar dynasty, as given in the Puranas, has been considered, more or less fully, by Pargiter, Rangacharya, Mankad and Bhargava. After going through these learned treatises, I made my own study on the basis of the original texts and have prepared my own list. A comparative study of the lists in the Puranas, the Harivamsa and the Mahabharata (so far as they go) shows that they are in general agreement on the whole. The Ramayana genealogy, however, is much shorter, contains several omissions with considerable differences regarding names and order of the persons, and has a number of new names. The Ramayana gives the genealogy at two places, which is almost identical. In dealing with the Purana lists it is to be borne in mind that it is not always correct to regard as genuine or nearer the original the list that contains a smaller number. In the first place, it is likely that the particular text is deficient and has lost the portion containing the missing names. It is well known that in course of transmission some Puranas have lost original parts. Secondly, some Puranas definitely state that with regard to particular lists, they have not given them exhaustively but have listed only the important names. Thus, the Matsya, which lists only important names, omits as many as twelve names, so that we cannot rule out as later interpolation the names uniformly found in the other Puranas, especially if they are corroborated by other sources. It is, therefore, not safe either to regard the smaller number in any particular Purana as indicative of genuineness or larger number of later interpolations. Further, we cannot always rely on the view

Jan. 1962] GENEALOGY OF THE SOLAR DYNASTY 25 of the majority of the Puranas, because in some cases it is possible that some of the Puranas are mere copies of the relevant parts from the other Puranas. Every case is to be considered on its merits. It is again to be noted that a particular Purana, found to be trustworthy regarding a particular dynasty, may not be equally trustworthy with regard to other dynasties. Even in the portion dealing with a particular dynasty there may be found corrupt or interpolated passages. It is, therefore, necessary that every stanza or every line must be considered independently on the basis of the data furnished by all Puranas. In the accompanying table, I have given the Puranic lists according to Bhargava, Pargiter, Rangacharya, Mankad and myself, the last column being allotted to the Ramayana list. The Puranic lists show that the solar dynasty contained at least 57 names from Manu to Rama. So far as the portions in the Mahabharata are concerned, it is seen that they are in general agreement with the Puranas. The Ramayana, however, springs a great surprise by presenting a much smaller number of kings in the dynasty, viz. 35. Thus our sources present two wholly divergent genealogiesBefore comparing the Puranic list with that in the Ramayana, it may be observed that the Ramayana is not a historical work, though it deals with history incidentally; it is a kavya. It is not much concerned with genealogies. The Puranas, on the other hand, profess to give traditional history and genealogical lists, and hence prima facie have a superior claim to trustworthiness. As compared to the Puranic list, the Ramayana list has several omissions; the individuals occupy different positions ; and there are several new names. It is found that such celebrated names from the Puranic list of solar dynasty as Purukutsa, Trasadasyu, Harischandra, Rohita, Bhagiratha, Rituparna, Sudasa, and Asmaka, are conspicuous by their absence in the Ramayana list. Now, the Puranas get confirmation from other authorities such as the Rigveda and later Vedic texts and 4

26 puranam - PURANA [Vol. IV. No. 1 the Mahabharata with regard to the fact that all these kings belonged to the solar dynasty. Purukutsa, Trasadasyu, Tridhanva, Trayyaruna, Harischandra and Rohita are well known to Vedic literature as belonging to the Ikshvaku (solar) dynasty. Rituparna occurs in the famous Nala story in the Great Epic. Though the second Ramayana list admits the existence of Sudasa by calling Kalmashapada "Saudasa", the name Sudasa is omitted in both lists and Kalmashapada is spoken of as the son of Raghu. The Mahabharata declares Kalmashapada to be the son of Sudasa, and mentions Asmaka, omitted in the Ramayana lists, as Kalmashapada's son. The well-known Harischandra story is given in the Ramayana as a story of Ambarisha, and though we can say that Ambarisha may have been another name of Harischandra, the Ramayana is wrong in stating Nahusha to be his son instead of Rohita. We must thus conclue that the Puranic lists, supported as they are by independent texts, are correct, and the Ramayana list is untrustworthy and defective as regards length. considered as a whole, therefore, the Ramayana list is open to grave doubt. When If we turn to details, it is found that there are considerable differences in the order of names in both sets of lists. Kakutstha, who appears as the son of Sasada and the third earliest king in the line in the Puranic list, appears quite late in the Ramayana list as the son of Bhagiratha and grandson of Dilipa. The Puranas are corroborated by the Mahabharata, which states that from Kakutstha's time the kings bore the title Kakutstha and that Dilipa was his descendant. Ambarisha, whom the Ramayana places three steps above Nabhaga, was in reality the son of Nabhaga according to the Puranas supported by the Mahabharata. Though the Ramayana list contains a smaller number, all the names cannot be taken to belong to the solar dynasty. The list wrongly includes Nahusha and Yayati who were obviously rulers of the lunar dynasty. Some names are not found in the Puranas.

Jan. 1962] GENEALOGY OF THE SOLAR DYNASTY 27 For the above reasons we conclude that the Ramayana genealogy of the solar dynasty is defective and unreliable. From the fact that for other particulars in his Raghuvamsa Kalidasa draws on the Ramayana but depends on other sources for his genealogy, it seems more likely that the text of the Ramayana used by Kalidasa had no genealogies than that he preferred the Purana lists to those in the Ramayana. In dealing with the unreliability of the Ramayana list, Pargiter has, in some instances, referred to the Raghuvansa in support of the Puranic statements; but the Raghuvamsa cannot be considered to be an independent authority in this connection. The differences between the Puranic and Ramayana genealogies are so obvious that it cannot be asserted that both are in general agreement. Dr. Daftary relies on the Ramayana genealogy of the solar dynasty in preference to the Puranic list possibly as the former contains fewer names. From the Ramayana list also he omits as many as eleven names. Daftary's scheme of genealogical tables based on his study of the Puranic accounts would form the subject of an independent paper. Dr.

Bhargava Pargiter Rangacharya Mankad Writer (A. D. Pusalker) Ramayana 1. Manu 28 puranam - PURANA [Vol. IV. No. 1 1. Manu 1. Manu 1. Manu .1 Manu 1. Manu 2. Ikshvaku 2. Ikshvaku 2. Ikshvaku 2. Ikshvaku 2. Ikshvaku 2. Ikshvaku 3. Vikukshi 3. Vikuksh- 4. Kakutstha 5. Anenas Sasada 4. Kakutstha 5. Anenas 3. Vikukshi (Sasada) 4. Kakutstha 3. Vikukshi- Sasada 3. Vikukshi 3. Kukshi 4. Kakutstha 4. Kakutstha 4. Vikukshi 5. Anenas 5. Anenas 5. Anenas 5. Bana 6. Prithu 7. Vishtarasva 8. Ardra 6. Prithu 7. Vishtarasva 8. Ardra 6. Prithu 7. Vishtarasva 6. Prithu 6. Prithu 6. Anaranya 7. Vishtarasva 7. Vishtarasva 7. Prithu 8. Ardra 8. Ardra 8. Ardra 9. Yuvanasva I 10. Sravasta 11. Brhadasva 12. Kuvalasva 9. Yuvanasva I 10. Sravasta 11. Brhadasva 12. Kuvalasva 9. Yuvanasva I 10. Sravasta 11. Brihadasva 9. Yuvanasva I 10. Sravasta 11. Brihadasva 9. Yuvanasva I 10. Sravasta 11. Brihadasva 8. Trisanku 9. Dhundhumara 12. Kuvalayasva 12. Kuvalayasva 12. Kuvalayasva

Jan. 1962] GENEALOGY OF THE SOLAR DYNASTY 13. Dridhasva 13. Dridhasvaa 13. Dridhasva 13. Dridhasva 14. Pramoda 14. Pramoda 14. Pramoda 15. Haryasva I 15. Haryasva I 16. Nikumbha 16. Nikumbha 15. Haryasva I 16. Nikumbha 17. Samhatasva 17. Samhitasva 18. Akritasva 18. Akrtasva 17. Samhatasva 18. Akrsasva 19. Prasenajit 19. Prasenajit 19. Prasenajit 14. Haryasva I 15. Nikumbha 16. Samhatasva 17. Akrsasva 18. Prasenajit 13. Dridhasva 14. Pramoda 15. Haryasva I 16. Nikumbha 17. Samhatasva 18. Akritasva 19. Prasenajit 20. Yuvanasva II 20. Yuvanasva II 20. Yuvanasva II 19. Yuvanasva II 20. Yuvanasva II 10. Yuvanasva 21. Mandhatr 21. Mandhatri 21. Mandhatri 20. Mandhatr 21. Mandhatri 11. Mandhatri 12. Susandhi 22. Durgaha 13. Dhruvasandhi 23. Girikshit 24. Purukutsa 22. Prukutsa 22. Purukutsa 21. Purukutsa 22. Purukutsa 14. Bharata 25. Trasadasyu 23. Trasadasyu 23. Trasadasyu 22. Trasadasyu 23. Trasadasyu 26. 29

Pargiter Rangacharya Mankad Writer (A. D. Pusalker) Ramayana 27. Sambhuta 24. Sambhuta 24. Sambhuta 23. Sambhuta 24. Sambhuta Bhargava 28. Vishnuvriddha 29. Anaranya 30. Trasadasva 31. Haryasva II 32. Hasta 33. Rohidasva 34. Vasumanas 35. Trivrshan 25. Anaranya 26. Trasadasva 27. Haryasva II 25. Anaranya 26. Prishadasva 27. Haryasva II (Hasta) 25. Anaranya 26. Trasadasva 27. Haryasva II 28. Hasta 28. Vasumat 29. Tridhanvan 28. Vasumanas 29. Tridhanvan 29. Vasumanas 24. Tridhanvan 30. Tridhanvan 36. Tryaruna 30. Trayyaruna 31. 30. Trayyaruna 25. Trayyaruna 31. Trayyaruna 37. Trisanku 32. SatyavrataTrisanku 31. SatyavrataTrisanku 26. SatyavrataTrisanku 32. Satya vrataTrisanku 30 puranam - PURANA [Vol. IV. No. 1

Jan. 1962] GENEALOGY OF THE SOLAR DYNASTY 31 38. Hariscandra 33. Hariscandra 32. Harischandra 27. Harischandra | 33. Harischandra 39. Rohita 34. Rohita 33. Rohitasva 28. Rohita 34. Rohita 40. Harita 35. HaritaChanchu 34. Harita (cr Haritasva 29. Harita 35. Harita 41. Chanchu (Sanchu) 30. Chanchu 36. Chancha 42. Vijaya 43. Ruruka 36. Vijaya 37. Ruruka 35. Vijaya 31. Vijaya 37. Vijaya 36. Ruruka (or Kuruka) 32. Ruruka 38. Ruruka 44. Vrika 45. Bahu 38. Vrika 39. Bahu (Asita) 37. Vrika 33. Vrika 39. Vrika 38. Bahu (Asita) 34. Bahu (Asita) 40. Bahu (Asita) 15. Asita 40. 46. Sagara 47. (Asamanjas) 48. Amsumat 49. Dilipa 50. Bhagiratha 41. Sagara 42. Asamanjas 43. Amsumat 44. Dilipa I 45. Bhagiratha 39. Sagara 40. Asamanja 41. Amsuman 42. Dilipa I 43. Bhagiratha 35. Sagara 36. Asamanja 37. Amsumat 38. Dilipa I 39. Bhagiratha 41. Sagara 42. Asamanjas 43. Amsumat 16. Sagara 17. Asamanjas 44. Dilipa I 45. Bhagiratha 18. Amsumat 19. Dilipa 20. Bhagiratha

Bhargava Pargiter Rangacharya Mankad Writer (A. D. Pusalker) Ramayana 21. Kakutstha 32 PURANA [Vol. IV. No. 1 51. Suhotra 46. Sruta 47. Nabhaga 48. Ambarisha 52. Sruta 53. Nabhaga 54. Ambarisha 55. Sindhudvipa 49. Sindhudvipa 47. Sindhudvipa 44. Sruta (or Suhotra) 45. Nabhaga 46. Ambarisha 40. Srut v 41. Nabhaga 42. Ambarisha 46. Sruta 22. Raghu 47. Nabhaga 48. Ambarisha 47. Sindhudvipa 43. Sindhudvipa 49. Sindhudvipa 56. Ayutayus 57. Rituparna 58. Sarvakama 50. Ayutayus 51. Rituparna 52. Sarvakama 48. Ayutayus 49. Rituparna 50. Sarvakama 44. Ayutayus 45. Rituparna 46. Sarvakama 50. Ayutayus 51. Rituparna 52. Sarvakama 59. Sudasa 60. Mitrasaha 53. Sudasa 54. Mitrasaha- 51. Sudasa 47. Sudasa 61. Asmaka 55. Asmaka 53. Asmaka 49. Asmaka 62. Mulaka 56. Mulaka 54. Mulaka 50. Mulaka 52. Saudasa-Mitra- 48. MitrashahaKalmashapada saha-Kalmashpada Kalmashapada 53. Sudasa 54. MitrasahaKalmashapada 55. Asmaka 23. Kalmashapada 24. Sankhana 25. Sudarsana 56. Mulaka

Jan. 1962] GENEALOGY OF THE SOLAR DYNASTY 32. Yayati (omitted in II. 110) 33. Nabhaga 34. Aja 35. Dasaratha 63. Sataratha 57. Sataratha 55. Sataratha 51. Sataratha 57. Sataratha 64. Idavida 58. Idavida 5 65. Vrddha- sarman 66. Visvasaha I 67. Dilipa Kha- tvanga 68. Dirghabahu 69. Raghu 58. Aidavida Vriddhasarman 59. Visvasaha I 60. Dilipa II Khatvanga 61. Dirghabahu 62. Raghu 56. Aidavida Vriddhasarman 57. Visvasaha I 52. AidavidaVriddhasarman 59. AidavidaVriddhasarma 60. Visvasaha I 26. Agnivarna 27. Sighraga 28. Maru 29. Prasusruka (-va in II. 110) 30. Ambarisha 58. Dilipa II Khatvanga 59. Dirghabahu 53. Dilipa II Khatvanga 61. Dilipa II Khatvanga 31. Nahusha 60. Raghu 54. Raghu 62. Raghu 70. Aja 63. Aja 61. Aja 55. Aja 63. Aja 71. Dasaratha 64. Dasaratha 62. Dasaratha 56. Dasaratha 64. Dasaratha 72. Rama 65. Rama 63. Rama 57. Rama 65. Rama 36. Rama 33