The Dynasties of the Sons of Pururava
Summary
9.17
Ayu, the eldest son of Pururava, had five sons.
This chapter describes the dynasties of four of them, beginning with Ksatravrddha.
Ayu, the son of Pururava, had five sons— Nahusa, Ksatravrddha, Raji, Rabha and Anena.
The son of Ksatravrddha was Suhotra, who had three sons, named Kasya, Kusa and Grtsamada.
The son of Grtsamada was Sunaka, and his son was Saunaka.
The son of Kasya was Kasi.
From Kasi came the sons and grandsons known as Rastra, Dirghatama and then Dhanvantari, who was the inaugurator of medical science and was a saktyavesa incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva.
The descendants of Dhanvantari were Ketuman, Bhimaratha, Divodasa and Dyuman, who was also known as Pratardana, Satrujit, Vatsa, Rtadhvaja and Kuvalayasva.
The son of Dyuman was Alarka, who reigned over the kingdom for many, many years.
Following in the dynasty of Alarka were Santati, Sunitha, Niketana, Dharmaketu, Satyaketu, Dhrstaketu, Sukumara, Vitihotra, Bharga and Bhargabhumi.
All of them belonged to the dynasty of Kasi, the descendant of Ksatravrddha.
The son of Rabha was Rabhasa, and his son was Gambhira.
Gambhira’s son was Akriya, and from Akriya came Brahmavit.
The son of Anena was Suddha, and his son was Suci.
The son of Suci was Citrakrt, whose son was Santaraja.
Raji had five hundred sons, all of extraordinary strength.
Raji was personally very powerful and was given the kingdom of heaven by Lord Indra.
Later, after Raji’s death, when the sons of Raji refused to return the kingdom to Indra, by Brhaspati’s arrangement they became unintelligent, and Lord Indra conquered them.
The grandson of Ksatravrddha named Kusa gave birth to a son named Prati.
From Prati came Sanjaya; from Sanjaya, Jaya; from Jaya, Krta; and from Krta, Haryabala.
The son of Haryabala was Sahadeva; the son of Sahadeva, Hina; the son of Hina, Jayasena; the son of Jayasena, Sankrti; and the son of Sankrti, Jaya.
9.17.4
kasyasya kasis tat-putro
rastro dirghatamah-pita
dhanvantarir dirghatamasa
ayur-veda-pravartakah
yajna-bhug vasudevamsah
smrta-matrarti-nasanah
SYNONYMS
kasyasya—of Kasya; kasih—Kasi; tat-putrah—his son; rastrah—Rastra; dirghatamah-pita—he became the father of Dirghatama; dhanvantarih—Dhanvantari; dirghatamasah—from Dirghatama; ayuh-veda-pravartakah—the inaugurator of medical science, Ayur Veda; yajna-bhuk—the enjoyer of the results of sacrifice; vasudeva-amsah—incarnation of Lord Vasudeva; smrta-matra—if he is remembered; arti-nasanah—it immediately vanquishes all kinds of disease.
TRANSLATION
The son of Kasya was Kasi, and his son was Rastra, the father of Dirghatama.
Dirghatama had a son named Dhanvantari, who was the inaugurator of the medical science and an incarnation of Lord Vasudeva, the enjoyer of the results of sacrifices.
One who remembers the name of Dhanvantari can be released from all disease.
9.17.5
tat-putrah ketuman asya
jajne bhimarathas tatah
divodaso dyumams tasmat
pratardana iti smrtah
SYNONYMS
tat-putrah—his son (the son of Dhanvantari); ketuman—Ketuman; asya—his; jajne—took birth; bhimarathah—a son named Bhimaratha; tatah—from him; divodasah—a son named Divodasa; dyuman—Dyuman; tasmat—from him; pratardanah—Pratardana; iti—thus; smrtah—known.
TRANSLATION
The son of Dhanvantari was Ketuman, and his son was Bhimaratha.
The son of Bhimaratha was Divodasa, and the son of Divodasa was Dyuman, also known as Pratardana.
9.17.6
sa eva satrujid vatsa
rtadhvaja itiritah
tatha kuvalayasveti
prokto ’larkadayas tatah
SYNONYMS
sah—that Dyuman; eva—indeed; satrujit—Satrujit; vatsah—Vatsa; rtadhvajah—Rtadhvaja; iti—like that; iritah—known; tatha—as well as; kuvalayasva—Kuvalayasva; iti—thus; proktah—well known; alarka-adayah—Alarka and other sons; tatah—from him.
TRANSLATION
Dyuman was also known as Satrujit, Vatsa, Rtadhvaja and Kuvalayasva.
From him were born Alarka and other sons.
9.17.7
sastim varsa-sahasrani
sastim varsa-satani ca
nalarkad aparo rajan
bubhuje medinim yuva
SYNONYMS
sastim—sixty; varsa-sahasrani—such thousands of years; sastim—sixty; varsa-satani—hundreds of years; ca—also; na—not; alarkat—except for Alarka; aparah—anyone else; rajan—O King Pariksit; bubhuje—enjoyed; medinim—the surface of the world; yuva—as a young man.
TRANSLATION
Alarka, the son of Dyuman, reigned over the earth for sixty-six thousand years, my dear King Pariksit.
No one other than him has reigned over the earth for so long as a young man.
9.17.8
alarkat santatis tasmat
sunitho ’tha niketanah
dharmaketuh sutas tasmat
satyaketur ajayata
SYNONYMS
alarkat—from Alarka; santatih—a son known as Santati; tasmat—from him; sunithah—Sunitha; atha—from him; niketanah—a son named Niketana; dharmaketuh—Dharmaketu; sutah—a son; tasmat—and from Dharmaketu; satyaketuh—Satyaketu; ajayata—was born.
TRANSLATION
From Alarka came a son named Santati, and his son was Sunitha.
The son of Sunitha was Niketana, the son of Niketana was Dharmaketu, and the son of Dharmaketu was Satyaketu.
9.17.9
dhrstaketus tatas tasmat
sukumarah ksitisvarah
vitihotro ’sya bhargo ’to
bhargabhumir abhun nrpa
SYNONYMS
dhrstaketuh—Dhrstaketu; tatah—thereafter; tasmat—from Dhrstaketu; sukumarah—a son named Sukumara; ksiti-isvarah—the emperor of the entire world; vitihotrah—a son named Vitihotra; asya—his son; bhargah—Bharga; atah—from him; bhargabhumih—a son named Bhargabhumi; abhut—generated; nrpa—O King.
TRANSLATION
O King Pariksit, from Satyaketu came a son named Dhrstaketu, and from Dhrstaketu came Sukumara, the emperor of the entire world.
From Sukumara came a son named Vitihotra; from Vitihotra, Bharga; and from Bharga, Bhargabhumi.
9.17.10
itime kasayo bhupah
ksatravrddhanvayayinah
rabhasya rabhasah putro
gambhiras cakriyas tatah
SYNONYMS
iti—thus; ime—all of them; kasayah—born in the dynasty of Kasi; bhupah—kings; ksatravrddha-anvaya-ayinah—also within the dynasty of Ksatravrddha; rabhasya—from Rabha; rabhasah—Rabhasa; putrah—a son; gambhirah—Gambhira; ca—also; akriyah—Akriya; tatah—from him.
TRANSLATION
O Maharaja Pariksit, all of these kings were descendants of Kasi, and they could also be called descendants of Ksatravrddha.
The son of Rabha was Rabhasa, from Rabhasa came Gambhira, and from Gambhira came a son named Akriya.
9.17.11
tad-gotram brahmavij jajne
srnu vamsam anenasah
suddhas tatah sucis tasmac
citrakrd dharmasarathih
SYNONYMS
tat-gotram—the descendant of Akriya; brahmavit—Brahmavit; jajne—took birth; srnu—just hear from me; vamsam—descendants; anenasah—of Anena; suddhah—a son known as Suddha; tatah—from him; sucih—Suci; tasmat—from him; citrakrt—Citrakrt; dharma-sarathih—Dharmasarathi.
TRANSLATION
The son of Akriya was known as Brahmavit, O King.
Now hear about the descendants of Anena.
From Anena came a son named Suddha, and his son was Suci.
The son of Suci was Dharmasarathi, also called Citrakrt.
9.17.12
tatah santarajo jajne
krta-krtyah sa atmavan
rajeh panca-satany asan
putranam amitaujasam
SYNONYMS
tatah—from Citrakrt; santarajah—a son named Santaraja; jajne—was born; krta-krtyah—performed all kinds of ritualistic ceremonies; sah—he; atmavan—a self-realized soul; rajeh—of Raji; panca-satani—five hundred; asan—there were; putranam—sons; amita-ojasam—very, very powerful.
TRANSLATION
From Citrakrt was born a son named Santaraja, a self-realized soul who performed all kinds of Vedic ritualistic ceremonies and therefore did not beget any progeny.
The sons of Raji were five hundred, all very powerful.
9.17.13
devair abhyarthito daityan
hatvendrayadadad divam
indras tasmai punar dattva
grhitva caranau rajeh
atmanam arpayam asa
prahradady-ari-sankitah
SYNONYMS
devaih—by the demigods; abhyarthitah—being requested; daityan—the demons; hatva—killing; indraya—to Indra, the King of heaven; adadat—delivered; divam—the kingdom of heaven; indrah—the King of heaven; tasmai—unto him, Raji; punah—again; dattva—returning; grhitva—capturing; caranau—the feet; rajeh—of Raji; atmanam—the self; arpayam asa—surrendered; prahrada-adi—Prahlada and others; ari-sankitah—being afraid of such enemies.
TRANSLATION
On the request of the demigods, Raji killed the demons and thus returned the kingdom of heaven to Lord Indra.
But Indra, fearing such demons as Prahlada, returned the kingdom of heaven to Raji and surrendered himself at Raji’s lotus feet.
9.17.14
pitary uparate putra
yacamanaya no daduh
trivistapam mahendraya
yajna-bhagan samadaduh
SYNONYMS
pitari—when their father; uparate—passed away; putrah—the sons; yacamanaya—although requesting from them; no—not; daduh—returned; trivistapam—the heavenly kingdom; mahendraya—unto Mahendra; yajna-bhagan—the shares of ritualistic ceremonies; samadaduh—gave.
TRANSLATION
Upon Raji’s death, Indra begged Raji’s sons for the return of the heavenly plane.
They did not return it, however, although they agreed to return Indra’s shares in ritualistic ceremonies.
PURPORT
Raji conquered the kingdom of heaven, and therefore when Indra, the heavenly king, begged Raji’s sons to return it, they refused.
Because they had not taken the heavenly kingdom from Indra but had inherited it from their father, they considered it their paternal property.
Why then should they return it to the demigods?
9.17.15
guruna huyamane ’gnau
balabhit tanayan rajeh
avadhid bhramsitan margan
na kascid avasesitah
SYNONYMS
guruna—by the spiritual master (Brhaspati); huyamane agnau—while oblations were being offered in the fire of sacrifice; balabhit—Indra; tanayan—the sons; rajeh—of Raji; avadhit—killed; bhramsitan—fallen; margat—from the moral principles; na—not; kascit—anyone; avasesitah—remained alive.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, Brhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods, offered oblations in the fire so that the sons of Raji would fall from moral principles.
When they fell, Lord Indra killed them easily because of their degradation.
Not a single one of them remained alive.
9.17.16
kusat pratih ksatravrddhat
sanjayas tat-suto jayah
tatah krtah krtasyapi
jajne haryabalo nrpah
SYNONYMS
kusat—from Kusa; pratih—a son named Prati; ksatravrddhat—the grandson of Ksatravrddha; sanjayah—a son named Sanjaya; tat-sutah—his son; jayah—Jaya; tatah—from him; krtah—Krta; krtasya—from Krta; api—as well as; jajne—was born; haryabalah—Haryabala; nrpah—the king.
TRANSLATION
From Kusa, the grandson of Ksatravrddha, was born a son named Prati.
The son of Prati was Sanjaya, and the son of Sanjaya was Jaya.
From Jaya, Krta was born, and from Krta, King Haryabala.
9.17.17
sahadevas tato hino
jayasenas tu tat-sutah
sankrtis tasya ca jayah
ksatra-dharma maha-rathah
ksatravrddhanvaya bhupa
ime srnv atha nahusan
SYNONYMS
sahadevah—Sahadeva; tatah—from Sahadeva; hinah—a son named Hina; jayasenah—Jayasena; tu—also; tat-sutah—the son of Hina; sankrtih—Sankrti; tasya—of Sankrti; ca—also; jayah—a son named Jaya; ksatra-dharma—expert in the duties of a ksatriya; maha-rathah—a greatly powerful fighter; ksatravrddha-anvayah—in the dynasty of Ksatravrddha; bhupah—kings; ime—all these; srnu—hear from me; atha—now; nahusan—the descendants of Nahusa.
TRANSLATION
From Haryabala came a son named Sahadeva, and from Sahadeva came Hina.
The son of Hina was Jayasena, and the son of Jayasena was Sankrti.
The son of Sankrti was the powerful and expert fighter named Jaya.
These kings were the members of the Ksatravrddha dynasty.
Now let me describe to you the dynasty of Nahusa.