Krishna's Lineage

by Simon Brodbeck

  69 Alarka’s heir was famous by the name of Kshema, Kshema’s son was Ketumat, and his son was Varshaketu. 70 Varshaketu’s heir was a prince of the people named Vibhu, Vibhu’s son was Ānarta, his son was Sukumāra, 71 and Sukumāra’s son was Satyaketu, a son of great splendour, a great warrior and a very dutiful king.

  The Vatsa country is Vatsa’s, but because he was a Bhārgava, it’s also the Bhārga country. 72 Its brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas, and shūdras are sons of Angiras, but they’re now born in the Bhārgava lineage, bull of the Bhāratas.

  73 The son of Suhotra† was Brihat. Brihat had three sons: Ajamīdha, Dvimīdha, and the valiant Purumīdha. 74 And Ajamīdha had three famous wives: Nīlī, Keshinī, and the lovely Dhūminī.

  75 From Ajamīdha’s wife Keshinī, the splendid Jahnu was born. He held a great ritual session, a massive festival at which he made every kind of offering. 76 During the proceedings the River Gangā, desiring a husband, flowed towards him, and when he didn’t want her, she flooded his assembly, 77 supreme Bhārata. When he saw that the Gangā had completely flooded the ritual enclosure, Suhotra’s descendant was angry and said to her: 78 Gangā, you must pay for this arrogance day by day. I’ll collect all your water in the three worlds and drink it myself.

  79 After that, when the noble great seers saw that the Gangā was being drunk away, they invested the lucky lady with the status of a daughter—Jahnu’s daughter.

  80 Jahnu married Yuvanāshva’s daughter Kāverī, but because Gangā cursed her, half of her body became a river in the west. 81 Jahnu had a valiant and cherished son by the name of Ajaka, and Ajaka’s heir was King Balākāshva. 82 His son was Kushika, who tended to hunt. That king grew up alongside the Pahlavas who roamed through the woods.

  83 Then King Kushika performed austerities, aiming to have a son who would match Indra. Shakra was worried, so he came there and was born: 84 Maghavat himself became King Gādhi, Kushika’s son. Gādhi’s children were Vishvāmitra, and King Vishvaratha, 85 and Vishvajit and Vishvakrit, and also Satyavatī, your majesty. Jamadagni was born to Richīka from Satyavatī.

  86 The sons of Vishvāmitra are remembered here, beginning with Devarāta. They’re renowned in the three worlds. Listen as I recite their names: 87 Devashravas, Kati (whence we know the Kātyāyanas), Shālāpati, Hiranyāksha, Renu (whose daughter was Renukā), 88 Sānkritya, Gālava, and Maudgalya. Those are the famous ones, your majesty. Theirs are the celebrated lineages of the great Kaushikas, the descendants of Kushika: 89 the Pānins and Babhrus, the Dhānanjayyas, the regal Devarātas, the Sālankāyanas and Saushravas, 90 the Lohityas and Yamadūtas, not to forget the Kārīshis. And there are others: the Saindhavāyanas are famous Kaushikas, your majesty, and many sons-in-law and other seers are known as Kaushikas.

  91 In this lineage—the lineage of Vishvāmitra Kaushika, who was a Paurava and a brahmin seer, your majesty—there is the famous combination of brahmin and kshatriya. 92 And among Vishvāmitra’s true sons, Shunahshepa is remembered as the firstborn. That best of sages was a Bhārgava, but he attained Kaushika status.*93 The ones beginning with Shabara were another seven sons of Vishvāmitra, of course, and then the eighth (ashtaka) was Ashtaka, Drishadvatī’s son by Vishvāmitra,†94 and Ashtaka’s son was Lauhi.

  I’ve listed Jahnu’s group. Now listen to Ajamīdha’s next lineage, bull of the Bhāratas. 95 Born to Ajamīdha from his wife Nīlī was Sushānti. Purujāti was the son of Sushānti, and after Purujāti came Bāhyāshva. 96 Bāhyāshva had five sons who were like immortals: Mudgala and Srinjaya, and King Brihadishu, 97 and bold Yavīnara, and Krimilāshva was the fifth. These five were famous for their ability to protect the provinces. 98 Know that from these five come the prosperous Pānchālas. The Pānchālas are surrounded by honest folk, and are famous for their ability to keep them safe.

  99 Mudgala’s heir was Maudgalya, a great celebrity, and Indrasenā gave birth to Vadhryashva, his child. 100 Panchavana was the son of the eminent Srinjaya, and the son of Panchavana was King Somadatta. 101 Somadatta’s heir was the glorious Sahadeva, Sahadeva’s son was a king called Somaka, 102 and Somaka’s son was Jantu. He had a hundred sons, and one of the younger ones was Prishata, the mighty father of Drupada.

  103 But Ajamīdha’s chief queen—the third mother of your forebears, your majesty—was Dhūminī the Smoky, who longed for a son. 104 That queen was devout in her disciplined observances for the sake of a son. For one hundred years she performed the most difficult kind of austerities that women can do. 105 She made offerings to the fire according to the prescriptions, she ate modestly and healthily, and she even slept on the kusha grass that was used for the fire offering, Janamejaya. 106 Ajamīdha made love with Queen Dhūminī, and she gave birth to beautiful Riksha, who was the colour of smoke. 107 Samvarana was born from Riksha, and Kuru was born from Samvarana. Kuru left Prayāga, and he made Kurukshetra 108 pure, pleasant, and populous, through meritorious deeds. His lineage is vast, and it’s because of his name that you’re the Kauravas.

  109 Kuru had four sons: Sudhanvan and Sudhanu, and strong-armed Parikshit, and Pravara who made his enemies tremble. 110 Dutiful Janamejaya* was Parikshit’s son, as were the ones named Shrutasena, Ugrasena, and Bhīmasena. 111 Then Janamejaya’s two sons were Suratha and Matimat, and Suratha’s son was the mighty Vidūratha, 112 and Vidūratha’s heir was a great warrior called Riksha the Bear. He was the second king to be known by that name. 113 In this lineage of yours there are two Rikshas, your majesty, and there are also two Parikshits, three Bhīmasenas, and even two Janamejayas. 114 The son of the second Riksha was Bhīmasena, and Bhīmasena’s son was Pratīpa. Shantanu was the son of Pratīpa, and so were Devāpi and Bāhlika, and all three were great warriors.

  115 Lord of the earth, lord of the people. The lineage in which you were born is the one that came from Shantanu. Bāhlika’s kingdom was the Saptabāhlya kingdom, 116 Bāhlika’s son was the glorious Somadatta, and from Somadatta were born Bhūri, Bhūrishravas, and Shala. 117 Devāpi became a sage, a teacher of the gods. He was adopted as the beloved son of the illustrious Chyavana. 118 So Shantanu became king of the Kauravas. He bore the burden, 119 Bhārata. Then Kālī Satyavatī gave birth to Shantanu’s cherished son Vichitravīrya, virtuous and untainted. 120 And in Vichitravīrya’s field* Krishna Dvaipāyana Vyāsa produced Dhritarāshtra, Pāndu, and Vidura. 121 Pāndu’s son was Arjuna Dhananjaya, his son was Subhadrā’s son Abhimanyu, and Abhimanyu’s son was your father Parikshit, your majesty.

  122 This was the lineage of Pūru’s descendants recited for you, your majesty: the lineage in which you were born. And now I’ll recite the lineages of Turvasu, Druhyu, Anu, and Yadu.

  123 Turvasu’s son was Vahni, Vahni’s son was Gobhānu, and Gobhānu’s son was the unconquerable King Trishānu. 124 Trishānu’s son was Karandhama, and his son was Marutta. (The King Marutta previously mentioned to you was a different one, the son of Avikshit.†) 125 King Marutta was childless. The king performed rites and gave generously to the priests, and then he had a daughter, named Sammatā. 126 She was given away to the eminent Samvarta as a sacrificial gift, and she had a faultless son called Duhshanta, who was a descendant of Pūru. 127 And so, because of Yayāti’s curse in the matter of the transference of his old age, the lineage of Turvasu was absorbed by that of Pūru, your majesty. 128 Duhshanta’s heir was King Sharutthāma, and then after Sharutthāma came Ākrīda, who had four sons: 129 Pāndya, Kerala, Kola, and King Chola. Their thriving communities are the Pāndyas, the Cholas, and the Keralans.

  130 As for Druhyu, his son was King Babhrusena, your majesty, and Babhrusena’s son, Angārasetu, is said to have been the lord of the Maruts. 131 That mighty man was slain in battle, with difficulty, by the son of Yuvanāshva. It was a very long battle indeed, lasting some fourteen months. 132 Angārasetu’s heir was a king called Gāndhāra. The great kingdom of Gāndhāra is of course known by his name, and the best horses are the swift ones from the Gāndhāra country.

  133 Now for Anu. His son was Dharma, Dharma’s s
on was Dhrita, Dhrita begat Duduha, Duduha’s son was Prachetas, and Prachetas’s son was Suchetas. There, I’ve commemorated the descendants of Anu.

  134 So. Yadu had five sons, and they were like sons of gods: Sahasrada, Payoda, Kroshtu the Calling Jackal, Nīla, and Anjika. 135 Sahasrada had three very dutiful sons: Hehaya and Haya, your majesty, and Venuhaya too. 136 Hehaya’s son was known as Dharmanetra the Eye of Duty, and Dharmanetra’s son was Kānta the Lovely. Then there were Kānta’s sons: 137 Kritavīrya, Kritaujas, and Kritadhanvan, and the fourth one was Kritāgni. And from Kritavīrya came Arjuna, 138 who ruled over seven continents with his one thousand arms. He conquered the earth all by himself, on a chariot as bright as the sun.

  139 Arjuna Kārtavīrya performed the most arduous austerities for a hundred years, and gained the favour of Atri’s son Datta. 140 Datta offered him four most splendid wishes. Arjuna said: First of all, one thousand arms. That’s what I want as my main wish. 141 And if I’m ever led into injustice, may the honest people overthrow me. And after conquering the earth in anger, may I retain a love of virtue. 142 And after defeating numerous armies and killing thousands of enemies, may I be killed by a superior warrior while engaged in combat on the battlefield.

  143 And Bhārata, because of his earlier exertions, when that master of yoga was engaged in combat his thousand arms really did magically appear. 144 Through violent conduct he conquered this whole earth of seven continents, with her oceans and her towns and cities.

  145 That king’s seven thousand rites, all done by the rules, are certainly known across the seven continents, Janamejaya. 146 All his rites involved generous gifts to the priests, strong-armed king. They all had golden sacrificial posts and golden ritual arenas, 147 they all featured the gods riding on their celestial chariots, your majesty, and they invariably featured light-elves and celestial nymphs as well. 148 At one of Arjuna’s rites Varīdāsa’s son Nārada,* the learned light-elf, was amazed by his show of majesty and sang these lyrics:

  149 Kings will never match up to Kārtavīrya’s career in their rites, their acts of generosity, their austerities, or their famous heroics. 150 For across seven continents the people see that yogi with his sword, shield, and quiver, ranging the continents on his chariot.

  151 That hero gave the seven continents away as alms, to the fire god. That was when Lord Āpava Vasishtha cursed Arjuna in anger, saying: 152 Because you didn’t spare this grove of mine, Hehaya, your deed is a wicked one. Another man called Arjuna will outdo what you’ve done: a descendant of Kuru, Kuntī’s son Arjuna Pāndava. 153 And a mighty Bhārgava brahmin ascetic will suddenly cut off your one thousand arms, grind you up, and kill you.

  154 Bane of your foes. As long as King Kārtavīrya protected them with power and justice, his subjects never suffered any loss of wealth. 155 But then of course he died at the hands of Rāma Jāmadagnya,* in accordance with the curse of the great sage. And this also fulfilled the wish that he himself had chosen earlier,† descendant of Kuru.

  156 Of the one hundred sons he’d had, five survived. They were august champions—strong, versed in archery, dutiful, and well respected: 157 Shūra the Champion, Shūrasena with an Army of Champions, Dhrishtokta and Krishna, and the one named Jayadhvaja the Banner of Victory, who was the great king of the Avanti country. Kārtavīrya’s offspring were valiant great warriors. 158 And Jayadhvaja’s son was the powerful Tālajangha, whose sons, one hundred in all, are known as the Tālajanghas.

  159 In the family of the illustrious Hehayas, your majesty, there are the Vītihotras, the Sujātas or Well-Borns, the Bhojas or Enjoyers, the Avantis, 160 and those known as the Taundikeras, as well as the Tālajanghas, Bhāratas, and other well-born peoples too numerous to mention.

  161 Ever since Vrisha the Bull,‡ your majesty, the Yādavas have performed pious deeds. In that regard, Vrisha carries the lineage. His son was Madhu, and Madhu had a hundred sons, and of them, Vrishana the Bull carried the lineage. 162 All the Vrishnis come from Vrishana, the Mādhavas are known to come from Madhu, the Yādavas are supreme because of Yadu, and I’ve talked about the Hehayas. 163 And a person never suffers a loss of wealth, and gets back whatever they’ve previously lost, if they always recite the life of Kārtavīrya in this connection.

  164 Lord of your people, I’ve described the five lineages: the lineages of Yayāti’s sons, the heroes of their peoples. These lineages surely sustain their peoples, just as the five elements sustain the standing and moving world, your majesty. 165 When a king who’s versed in propriety and prosperity hears the Offspring of the Five, he becomes a lord over the five, and the master of his offspring. 166 For as a result of listening to and thinking about that set of five, Bhārata, he obtains five earthly blessings that are hard to obtain in this world: long life, renown, wealth, progeny, and increased sovereignty as well.

  167 Now hear the lineage of the supreme person, your supreme majesty: the lineage of Kroshtu, a ritual patron who performed pious deeds and sustained Yadu’s lineage upon the earth. 168 After hearing this lineage of Kroshtu a person is delivered from all evils, for it was in Kroshtu’s lineage that the master of the Vrishni people, Vishnu Hari, was born.

  24. The Triple Lineage of Vrishni

  1 Vaishampāyana said:

  Gāndhārī and Mādrī were Kroshtu’s two wives. Gāndhārī gave birth to the powerful Anamitra No-Enemy. Mādrī gave birth to her son Yudhājit, and then to Devamīdhusha. 2 Their lineage became a triple lineage that strengthened the family of the Vrishnis. 3 The two sons of Mādrī produced the two who were known as Vrishni and Andhaka.

  Vrishni had two sons, Shvaphalka and Chitraka.

  4 Well, wherever Shvaphalka the soul of duty was to be found, your majesty, there was no danger of disease, still less any danger of drought. 5 On one occasion, best of the Bhāratas, the Punisher of Pāka didn’t rain in the realm of the mighty king of Kāshi for three years, 6 and so he hosted Shvaphalka there in great honour, and the god with the bay horses rained where Shvaphalka was staying.

  7 Shvaphalka acquired the king of Kāshi’s daughter as his wife. She was called Gāndinī, and she was always giving a cow (gām) away to the brahmins. 8 Akrūra was a donor and ritual patron who was calm, learned, hospitable, and gave generously to the priests. He was begotten by Shvaphalka, 9 and so were Madgu and Upamadgu, Mridura and Arimejaya, Arikshepa and Upeksha, Shatrughna and Arimardana, 10 Charmabhrit and Yudhivarman, Gridhramojas and Antaka, Āvāha and Prativāha, and beautiful Sundarā. 11 And Prasena* and Upadeva were born to Akrūra from Ugrasena’s graceful daughter, joy of the Kurus, and they were as splendid as gods.

  12 Chitraka† had sons: Prithu and Viprithu, Ashvagrīva and Ashvabāhu, Supārshvaka and Gaveshana, 13 Arishtanemi and Ashva, Sudharman and Dharmabhrit, Subāhu and Bahubāhu. His daughters were Shravishthā and Shravanā.

  14 Devamīdhusha* begat Shūra the Champion upon Ashmakī, and Shūra had ten boys from his chief queen, a delectable Bhoja woman. 15 Of these, strong-armed Vasudeva Ānakadundubhi was the firstborn. When he was delivered, kettledrums (dundubhis) sounded in the sky, 16 and there was a huge racket of tabors (ānakas) in the sky, and a great shower of blossoms fell upon Shūra’s house. 17 In the entire human realm on earth there’s no one as handsome as that superb man Vasudeva was. He was as radiant as the moon. 18 After him Devabhāga was born, and then after that Devashravas, Anādhrishti, Kanavaka, Vatsavat, Grinjima, 19 Shyāma, Shamīka, and Gandūsha.

  Shūra also had five beautiful daughters: Prithukīrti, Prithā, Shrutadevā, Shrutashravā, and Rājādhidevī. Those five were the mothers of heroes. 20 King Agridhnu, the son of a Kunti man, was born from Shrutadevā. Mighty Shishupāla of Chedi was born from Shrutashravā. 21 And the one who had formerly been Hiranyakashipu, the king of the Daityas, was born from Prithukīrti as the son of Vriddhasharman 22 the overlord of the Kārūshas—that is, as the mighty hero Dantavaktra. A Kunti man adopted Prithā as his daughter, and Pāndu brought her home as his bride. 23 She gave birth to King Yudhishthira who knew his duty, s
ired by Dharma the god of duty, and to Bhīmasena, sired by the wind god. Then, sired by Indra himself, she gave birth to Arjuna Dhananjaya, a hero as bold as Shakra, unrivalled in the world.

  24 Anamitra† was the youngest son of Kroshtu. He was the darling of the Vrishnis. His son was Shini, Shini’s son was Satyaka, and Satyaka’s son was Yuyudhāna Sātyaki.

  25 The eminent Uddhava was the son of Shūra’s son Devabhāga. Uddhava is said to have been famous among the gods and supreme among the learned.

  26 Ashmakī took the reputable Anādhrishti as her descendant.

  Shrutadevā gave birth to Nivrittashatru the Foe-Repeller, a killer of his foes. 27 Also born from Shrutadevā was the one who passes for the son of a forest hunter: Ekalavya, your majesty, who was raised by forest hunters.‡

  28 Shūra’s glorious son Vasudeva gave his own valiant son Kaushika to the sonless Vatsavat, who adopted him officially. 29 And Vishvaksena§ gave to the sonless Gandūsha his son the lovely Chārudeshna Lovely-Gift, a noted Pānchāla. 30 He was the youngest son of Rukminī, bull of the Bhāratas, a strong-armed hero who was never away from his army. 31 Thousands of crows followed behind him as he travelled, thinking: Today we’ll eat the lovely things killed by Chārudeshna Lovely-Gift.

  32 Shūra’s son Kanavaka had two sons, Tantrija and Tantripāla. The two Grinjima braves were Vīra the Brave and Ashvahanu Horse-Jaw. 33 Shyāma’s son was Sumitra. Shamīka obtained a kingdom, and his son was Ajātashatru No-Foes, the destroyer of his foes.

  34 Listen for the sons of Vasudeva. I’ll tell you about them next.

  35 This chapter is called the Triple Lineage of Vrishni, many-branched, vigorous, and broad. Whoever thinks about it meets no disappointments in this world.