Sambhava Parva — History of Yayati

Janamejaya said : Adorable Sir, I desire to hear the history of those kings who were descended from Puru. Tell me what powers and what achievements each possessed?

I have heard that in the dynasty of Puru there was not a single king who was deficient in good behaviour or in prowess. There was none who has no sons.

O great ascetic, I desire to hear in detail the account of these kings who were endued with great learning and who possessed all accomplishments.

Vaishampayana said: As you ask me I shall tell you all about the heroic kings of Puru's royal dynasty, who were all equal to Indra in power. They possessed great affluence and commanded the respect of all, on account of their many accomplishments.

Puru begot on his wife Paushti three great car-warriors, namely Pravira, Ishvara and Raudrashva. Amongst these three, Pravira kept up the line.

Pravira begot on his wife Shuraseni, a son named Manasyu. This lotus-eyed king had his sovereignty over the whole earth bounded by the four seas.

Manasyu begot on his wife Sauviri three sons, namely Shakta, Sanhanana and Vagmi; they were all great heroes and car-warriors.

The wise and virtuous Raudrashva begoi on Apsara Mishrakeshi ten sons who were all great bow-men. They were great heroes and performed many sacrifices in honour of the celestial; they were learned in all the Shastras and were virtuous. All of them begot sons.

They were Richeyu, Kaksheyu, powerful Krikaneyu, Sthandileyu, Vaneyu, greatly famous Jaleyu, intelligent and strong Tejeyu, Indra-like powerful Satyeyu, Dharmeyu and celestial-like powerful Sannateyu.

Amongst them all, Richeyu became the sole lord of the whole earth and was known by the name of Anadhrishti. He was in prowess like Indra.

Anadhrishti had a son, named Matinara who became a very virtuous king and greatly famous. He performed both Rajasuya and Ashvamedha sacrifices.

Matinara had four greatly powerful sons, namely Tansu, Mahan, Atiratha and immeasurably glorious Druhyu.

Amongst them, greatly powerful Tansu became the perpetuator of Puru's line. He subjugated the whole earth and gained great fame and splendour.

Tansu begot a greatly powerful son, named Ilina. He also became the foremost of all conquerors and subjugated the whole world.

Ilina begot on his wife, Rathantari, five sons, Dushyanta being the eldest. They were all as great in power as the five elements.

(They were) Dushyanta, Shura, Bhima, Pravasu and Vasu. O Janamejaya, amongst them the eldest Dushyanta became king.

Dushyanta begot on his wife, Shakuntala, a learned son, named Bharata who became king. From him was the Bharata dynasty and from his spread its great fame.

Bharata begot on his three wives nine sons, but none of them was like his father and Bharata was not satisfied with any of them.

Thereupon their mothers, becoming angry, killed them all. Therefore, the procreation of that great king was in vain.

The king then performed a great sacrifice and obtained a son, named Bhumanyu through the grace of Bharadvaja.

O best of the Bharata race, the descendant of Puru, regarding himself as really possessing a son, installed him as his heir-apparent.

Bhumanyu begot on his wife Pushkarini six sons, namely Suhotra, Suhota Suhavi, Suyaju, Richika and Diviratha. The eldest of them Suhotra obtained the throne of the world.

He performed many Rajasuya and Horsesacrifices. He subjugated the whole earth bounded by the four seas, And full of elephants, kine, horses and great wealth of gems and gold. The earth was, as it were, sinking with the weight of numberless human beings, elephants, horses and cars. Suhotra virtuously ruled over all his subjects.

During his reign, the surface of the whole earth was dotted all over with hundreds and thousands of sacrificial stakes. The earth became full of corns and human beings.

O descendent of the Bharata race, the lord of the earth Suhotra begot on his wife, Aikshvaki three sons, namely Ajamidha, Sumidha and Purumidha.

The eldest of them Ajamidha became the perpetuator of the royal line. O descendant of the Bharata race, he begot six sons upon his three wives.

Riksha was born in the womb of Dhumini, Dushyanta and Parameshti in that of Nili and Jahnu, Jala and Rupina in that of Keshini.

All the Panchalas were descended from Dushyanta and Parameshti. The Kushikas were the descendants of the greatly effulgent Jahnu.

Riksha was elder than Jala and Rupina; he begot Samvarana, who was the perpetuator of the line.

O king, it has been heard by us that when Samvarana, the son of Riksha, was ruling the earth, there occurred a great loss of people on account of famine, plague, draught and disease.

The Bharata princes were defeated by the armies of their enemies; and the Panchalas, set out with their four kinds of troops to conquer the earth. They soon brought the whole earth under their sway and with their ten Akshauhinis of soldiers the king of the Panchalas defeated the princes of Bharata.

Samvarana then fled in fear with his wife, sons, relatives and ministers from that place.

He took shelter in the forest on the banks of the river Sindhu which extended up to the foot of the mountain.

There lived the Bharatas within their fort for many years; and thus full one thousand years: and thus full one thousand years passed away.

(And when they were living there), the illustrious Rishi Vasistha one day came to those exiled Bharatas. On his approach, they went out and duly worshipped him. All the Bharatas offered him Arghya and entertaining him with reverence, they told every thing to the great Rishi. When he was seated on his seat, the king himself addressed him thus, "O illustrious man, be our priest. We shall try to regain our kingdom."

Vasistha replied to the Bharatas by saying Om. We have heard that Vasistha installed the best of the Pauravas (Samvarana) as the lord over all the Kshatriya races. The king retook the capital that was lost.

He then began to make all the other kings of the world to pay tribute to him. That powerful monarch, thus getting possession of the whole earth, performed many sacrifices in which great presents were made to the Brahmanas. Samvarana begot on his wife Tapati, the daughter of Surya, a son named Kuru.

As Kuru was greatly virtuous, he was installed as the king by all the people. It is after his name that Kuru Jangala has become so famous in the world.

That great ascetic made Kurukshetra famous by his asceticism there. We have heard that Avikshit, Abhishyanta, Chaitraratha, Muni and famous Janamejaya were the five sons begot by him on his highly intelligent wife Vahini.

Avikshit begot Parikshit, powerful Sabalashva, Adiraja, Viraja, greatly strong Shalmali, Uchchaishrava, Bhangakara and the eighth Jitari. In the race of these (eight heroes) were born, as the fruits of their many virtuous acts, seven greatly powerful car-warriors, Janamejaya being at the head.

Parikshit had sons who were all learned Dharma and Artha. They were Kakshasena, Ugrasena and greatly effulgent Chitrasena, Indrasena, Sushena and Bhimasena. All the sons of Janamejaya were famous in the world as being greatly powerful (princes). They were Dhritarashtra, the eldest, Pandu, Balhika, greatly effulgent Nishada, the mighty Jambunada, Kundodara, Padati and the eighth Vasati. They were all learned in Dharma and Artha and engaged in doing good to all creatures.

Amongst them Dhritarashtra became king and he had eight sons, namely Kundika, Hasti, Vitarka, Kratha, Kundina, Havishrava, Indrabha and the invincible Bhumanyu. Amongst the sons of Dhritarashtra only three were famous. O descendant of Bharata, (they were) Pratipa, Dharmanetra and Sunetra. Amongst the three Pratipa became unrivalled of all.

O best of the Bharata race, Pratipa begot three sons, namely Devapi, Shantanu and mighty car-warrior Balhika. Devapi adopted asceticism, impelled by the desire to do good to his brothers. Consequently the kingdom was obtained by Shantanu and the mighty carwarrior Balhika.

O king, besides these (I have mentioned), there were born in the Bharata race many other good monarchs all greatly effulgent and all like the celestial Rishis in virtue and ascetic power.

In this way were born in the race of Manu, many mighty car-warriors like the celestials themselves and who by their number greatly increased the Aila dynasty.