Dynasty of Pūru

 janamejaya uvāca

bhagavañchrotumi pūrorvaṁśakarān nṛpān
yadvīryān yādṛśāṁścāpi yāvato yatparākramān

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

na hyasmin śīlahīno vā nirvīryo vā narādhipaḥ
prajāvirahito vāpi bhūtapūrvaḥ kathaṁcana

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

teṣāṁ prathitavṛttānāṁ rājñāṁ vijñānaśālinām
caritaṁ śrotumicchāmi vistareṇa tapodhana

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

vaiśampāyana uvāca

hanta te kathayiṣyāmi yanmāṁ tvaṁ paripṛcchasi

pūrorvaṁśadharān vīrāñchakrapratimatejasaḥ

bhūridraviṇavikrāntān sarvalakṣaṇapūjitān

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

pravīreśvararaudrāśvāstrayaḥ putrā mahārathāḥ
pūroḥ pauṣṭyāmajāyanta pravīro vaṁśakṛt tataḥ

Pūru begot on his wife Pauṣṭi 3 great car warriors, namely Pravīra, Īśvara and Raudrāśva. Amongst these 3, Pravīra kept up the line.

manasyurabhavat tasmācchūrasenīsutaḥ prabhuḥ

pṛthivyāścaturantāyā goptā rājīvalocanaḥ

Pravīra begot on his wife Śūrasenī a son named Manasyu. This lotus eyed king had his sovereighnty over whole Earth bounded by 4 seas.

śaktaḥ saṁhanano vāgmī sauvīrītanayāstrayaḥ
manasyorabhavan putrḥ śūrāḥ sarve mahārathāḥ

Manasyu begot on his wife Sauvīrī 3 sons namely Śakta, Saṁhanana and Vāgmī. They were all great heroes and car warriors.

anvagbhānuprabhṛtayo miśrakeśyāṁ manasvinaḥ
raudrāśvasya maheṣvāsā daśāpsarasi sūnavaḥ
yajvāno jajñire śūrāḥ prajāvanto bahuśrutāḥ
sarve sarvāstravidvāṁsaḥ sarve dharmaparāyaṇāḥ

Wise and virtuous Raudrāśva begot on Apsara Miśrakeśī 10 sons who were all great bow men. They were great heroes and performed many sacrifices in honour of celestials.They were learned in all Śāstras and were virtuous. All of them begot sons.

ṛceyuratha kakṣeyuḥ kṛkaṇeyuśca vīryavān
sthaṇḍileyurvaneyuśca jaleyuśca mahāyaśāḥ
tejeyurbalavān dhīmān satyeyuścendravikramaḥ
dharmeyuḥ saṁnateyuśca daśamo devavikramaḥ

They were Ṣceyu, Kakṣeyu, powerful Kṛkaṇeyu, Sthaṇḍileyu, Vaneyu, greatly famous Jaleyu, intelligent and strong Tejeyu, Indra like powerful Satyeyu, Dharmeyu and celestial like powerful Saṅnateyu.

anādhṛṣṭirabhūt teṣāṁ vidvān bhuvi tathaikarāṭ
ṛceyuratha vikrānto devānāmiva vāsavaḥ

Amongst them all, Ṛceyu became sole lord of the whole Earth and was known by the name Anādhṛṣṭi. He was in prowess like Indra.

anādhṛṣṭisutastvāsīd rājasūyāśvamedhakṛt
matināra iti khyāto rājā paramadhārmikaḥ

Anādhṛṣṭi had a son named Matināra who became very virtuous king and greatly famous. He performed both Rājasūya and Aśvamedha sacrifices.

matinārasutā rājaṁścatvāro ̍ mitavikramāḥ
taṁsurmahānatiratho druhyuścāpratimadyutiḥ

Matināra had 4 greatly powerful sons, namely Taṁsu, Mahān, Atiratha and immeasurably glorious Druhyu.

teṣāṁ taṁsurmahāvīryaḥ pauravaṁ vaṁśamudvahan
ājahāra yaśo dīptaṁ jigāya ca vasundharām

Amongst them greatly powerful Taṁsu became perpetuator of Pūru ̍ s line. He subjugated whole Earth and gained great fame and splendour.

īlinaṁ tu sutaṁ taṁsurjanayāmāsa vīryavān
so ̍ pi kṛtsnāmimāṁ bhūmiṁ vijigye jayatāṁ varaḥ

Taṁsu begot a greatly powerful son named Īlina. He also became the foremost of all conquerors and subjugated whole world.

rathantaryāṁ sutān pañca pañcabhūtopamāṁstataḥ
īlino janayāmāsa duṣyantaprabhṛtīn nṛpān

Īlina begot on his wife Rathantarī 5 sons, Duṣyanta being the eldest. They were all as great in power as 5 elements.

duṣyantaṁ śūrabhīmau ca pravasuṁ vasumeva ca
teṣāṁ śreṣṭho ̍ bhavad rājā duṣyanto janamejaya

They were Duṣyanta, Śūra, Bhīma, Pravasu and Vasu. O Janamejaya! Amongst them the eldest Duṣyanta became king.

duṣyantād bharato jajñe vidvāñchākuntalo nṛpaḥ
tasmād bharatavaṁśasya vipratasthe mahad yaśaḥ

Duṣyanta begot on his wife Śakuntalā a son named Bharata, who became king. From him was Bharata dynasty and from him spread its great fame.

bharatastisṛṣu strīṣu nava putrānajījanat
nābhyanandata tān rājā nānurūpā mametyuta

Bharata begot on his 3 wives 9 sons, but none of them was like their father and Bharata was not satisfied with any of them.

tatastān mātaraḥ kruddhāḥ putrān ninyuryamakṣayam
tatastasya narendrasya vitathaṁ putrajanma tat

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

tato mahadbhiḥ kratubhirījāno bharatastadā
lebhe putraṁ bharadvājād bhumanyuṁ nāma bhārata

King then performed great sacrifice and obtained a son named Bhumanyu through the grace of Bharadvāja.

tataḥ putriṇamātmānaṁ jñātvā pauravanandanaḥ
bhumanyuṁ bharataśreṣṭha yauvarājye ̍ yaṣecayat

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

tato diviratho bhumanyorabhavat sutaḥ
suhotraśca suhotā ca suhaviḥ suyajustathā
puṣkariṇyāmṛcīkaśca bhumanyorabhavan sutāḥ
teṣāṁ jyeṣṭhaḥ suhotrastu rājyamāpa mahīkṣitām

Bhumanyu begot on his wife Puṣkariṇī 6 sons, namely Suhotra, Suhotā, Suhavi, Suyaju, Ṛcīka and Diviratha. Eldest of them was Suhotra obtained the throne of the world.

rājasūyāśvamedhādyaiḥ so ̍ yajad bahubhiḥ savaiḥ
suhotraḥ pṛthivīṁ kṛtsnāṁ sāgarāmbarām
pūrṇāṁ hastigajāśvaiśca bahuratnasamākulām
mamajjeva mahī tasya bhūribhārāvapīḍitā
hastyaśvarathasampūrṇā manuṣyakalilā bhṛśam
suhotre rājani tadā dharmataḥ śāsati prajāḥ

He performed many Rājasūya and Horse sacrifices. He subjugated whole Earth bounded by 4 seas and full of elephants, kine, horses and great wealth of gems and gold. Earth was as it were sinking with the weight of numberless human beings, elephants, horses and cars. Suhotra virtuously ruled over his subjects.

caityayūpāṅkitā cāsīd bhūmiḥ śatasahasraśaḥ
pravṛddhajanasasyā ca sarvadaiva vyarocata

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

aikṣvākī janayāmāsa suhotrāt pṛthivīpateḥ
ajamīḍhaṁ sumīḍhaṁ ca purumīḍhaṁ ca bhārata

O descendant of Bharata race, king Suhotra begot on his wife Aikṣvākī 3 sons, namely Ajamīḍha, Sumīḍha and Purumīḍha.

ajamīḍo varasteṣāṁ tasmin vaṁśaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ
ṣaṭ putrān so ̍ pyajanayat tisṛṣu strīṣu bhārata

Eldest of them Ajamīḍa became perpetuator of royal line. O descendant of Bharata race, he begot 6 sons on his 3 wives.

ṛkṣaṁ dhūminyatho nīlī duṣyantaparameṣṭhinau
keśinyajanayajjahnuṁ sutau vrajanarūpiṇau

Ṛkṣa was born in the womb of Dhūminī, Duṣyanta and Parameṭhī in that of Nīlī and Janu, Jala and Rūpiṇa in that of Keśinī.

tatheme sarvapañcālā duṣyantaparameṣṭhinoḥ
anvayāḥ kuśikā rājan jahnoramitatejasaḥ

All Pañcālas were descendants from Duṣyanta and Parameṣṭhī. Kauśikas were descendants of greatly effulgent Janu.

jalarūpiṇayorjyeṣṭhamṛkṣamāhurjanādhipam
ṛkṣāt saṁvaraṇo jajñe rājan vaṁśakaraḥ sutaḥ

Ṛkṣa was elder than Jala and Rūpiṇa. He begot Saṁvaraṇa, who was perpetuator of the line.

ārkṣe saṁvaraṇe rājan praṣāsati vasuṁdharām
saṁkṣayaḥ sumahānāsīt prajānāmiti na śrutam
vyaśīryata tato rāṣṭraṁ kṣayairnānāvidhaistadā
kṣunmṛtyubhyāmanāvṛṣṭyā vyādhibhiśca samāhatam

O king! It has been heard by us that when Samvaraṇa, son of Rikṣa, was ruling the Earth, there occured great loss of people on account of famine, plague, draught and disease.

abhyaghnan bhāratāṁścaiva sapatnānāṁ balāni ca
cālayan vasudhāṁ cemāṁ balena caturaṅgiṇā
abhyayāt taṁ ca pāñcālyo vijitya parasā mahīm
akṣauhiṇībhirdaśabhiḥ sa enaṁ samare ̍ jayam

Bhārata princes were defeated by the armies of their enemies and Pāñcālas, set out with their 4 kinds of troops to conquer the Earth. They soon brought whole Earth under their sway and with their 10 Akṣauhiṇīs of soldiers, king of Pāñcālas defeated princes of Bhārata.

tataḥ sādāraḥ sāmātyaḥ saputraḥ sasuhṛjjanaḥ
rājā saṁvaraṇastasmāt palāyata mahābhayāt

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

sindhornadasya mahato nikuñje nyavasat tadā
nadīviṣayaparyante parvatasya samītasya samīpataḥ

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

tatrāvasan bahūn kālān bhāratā durgamāśritāḥ
teṣāṁ nivasatāṁ tatra sahasraṁ parivatsarān

There lived Bhāratas within their fort for many years and thus full 1,000 years passed away.

athābhyagacchad bharatān vasiṣṭho bhagavānṛṣiḥ
tamāgataṁ prayatnena pratyudgamyābhivādya ca
adhyamabhyāharaṁstasmai te sarve bhāratāstadā
nivedya sarvamṛṣaye satkāreṇa suvarcase
tamāsane copaviṣṭaṁ rājā vavre svayaṁ tadā
purohito bhavān no ̍ stu rājyāya prayatemahi

When they were living there, illustrious Ṛṣi Vasiṣṭha one day came to those exiled Bhāratas. On his approach, they went out and duly worshipped him. All BHāratas offered him Arghya and entertaining him with reverence, they told everything to great Ṛṣi. When he was seated on his seat, king himself addressed him thus: O illustrious one! Be our priest! We shall try to regain our kingdom!

omityevaṁ vasiṣṭho ̍ pi bhāratān pratyapadyata
athābhyaṣiñcat sāmrājye sarvakṣatrasya pauravam
viṣāṇabhūtaṁ sarvasyāṁ pṛthivyāmiti naḥ śrutam
bharatādhyuṣitaṁ pūrvaṁ so ̍ dhyatiṣṭamam

Vasiṣṭha replied to Bhāratas by saying Oṁ. We have heard that Vasiṣṭha installed the best of Pauravas - Saṁvaraṇa as the lord over all Kṣatriya races. King retook the capital that was lost.

punarbalabhṛtaścaiva cakre sarvamahīkṣitaḥ
tataḥ sa pṛthivīṁ prāpya punarīje mahābalaḥ
ājamīḍho mahāyajñairbahurbhūridakṣiṇaiḥ
tataḥ saṁvaraṇāt saurī tapatī suṣuve kurum

He then began to make all other kings of the world to pay tribute to him. That powerful king, thus getting possession of Whole Earth, performed many sacrifices in which great presents were made to Brāhmaṇas. Saṁvaraṇa begot on his wife Tapatī, daughter of Sūrya, a son named Kuru.

rājatve taṁ prajāḥ sarvā dharmajña iti vavrire
tasya nāmnābhivikhyātaṁ pṛthivyāṁ kurujāṅgalam

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

kurukṣetraṁ sa tapasā puṇyaṁ cakre mahātapāḥ
aśvavantamabhiṣyantaṁ tathā caitrarathaṁ munim
janamejayaṁ ca vikhyātaṁ putrāṁścāsyānuśuśruma
pañcaitān vāhinī putrān vyajāyata manasvinī

That great ascetic made Kurukṣetra famous by his asceticism there. We have heard that Avīkṣit, Abhiṣyanta, Caitraratha, Muni and famous Janamejaya were 5 sons begotten by him on his highly intelligent wife Vāhinī.

avikṣitaḥ parikṣit tu śabalāśvastu vīryavān
ādirājo virājaśca śālmaliśca mahābalaḥ

uccaiḥśravā bhaṅgakāro jitāriścāṣṭamaḥ smṛtaḥ
eteṣāmanvavāye tu khyātāste karmajairguṇaiḥ
janamejayādayaḥ sapta tathaivānye mahārathāḥ

Avikṣit begot Parīkṣit, powerful Sabalāśva, Virāja, greatly strong Śālmali, Ucchaiḥśravā, Bhaṅgakāra and the 8th Jitāri. In the race of these 8 heroes were born, as fruits of their many virtuous acts, 7 greatly powerful car warriors, Janamejaya at the head.

parikṣito ̍ bhavan putrāḥ sarve dharmāthakovidāḥ
kakṣasenograsenau tu citrasenaśca vīryavān
indrasenaḥ suṣeṇaśca bhīmasenaśca nāmataḥ
janamejayasya tanayā bhuvi khyātā mahābalāḥ
dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ prathamajaḥ pāṇḍurbāhlīka eva ca
niṣadhaśca mahātejāstathā jāmbūnado balī
kuṇḍodaraḥ padātiśca vasātiścāṣṭamaḥ smṛtaḥ
sarve dharmārthakuśalāḥ sarvabhūtahite ratāḥ

Parīkṣit had sons who were all learned in Dharma and Artha. They were Kakṣasena, Ugrasena, greatly effulgent Citrasena, Indrasena, Suṣeṇa and Bhīmasena. All the sons of Janamejaya were famous in the world as being greatly powerful. They were Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the eldest, Pāṇḍu, Bāhlīka, greatly effulgent Niṣada, mighty Jāmbūnada, Kuṇḍodara, Padāti and the 8th Vasāti. They were all learned in Dharma and Artha and engaged in doing good to all creatures.

dhṛtarāṣṭro ̍ tha rājā āsīt tasya putro ̍ tha kuṇḍikaḥ
hastī vitarkaḥ krāthaśca kuṇḍinaścāpi pañcamaḥ
haviḥśravāstathendrābho bhumanyuścāparājitaḥ
dhṛtarāṣṭrasutānāṁ tu trīnetān prathitān bhuvi
pratīpaṁ dharmanetraṁ ca sunetraṁ cāpi bhārata
pratīpaḥ prathitasteṣāṁ babhūvāpratimo bhuvi

Amongst them Dhṛtarāṣṭra became king and he had 8 sons, namely Kuṇḍika, Hasti, Vitarka, Kratha, Kuṇḍina, Haviśravā, Indrābha and invincible Bhumanyu. Amongst the sons of Dhṛtarāṭra only 3 were famous. O descendant of Bharata, they were Pratīpa, Dharmanetra and Sunetra. Amongst the 3 Pratīpa became unrivaled of all.

pratīpasya trayaḥ putrā jajñire bharatarṣabha
devāpiḥ śāntanuścaiva bāhlīkaśca mahārathaḥ
devāpiśca pravavrāja teṣāṁ dharmahitepsayā
śāntanuśca mahīṁ lebhe bāhlīkaśca mahārathaḥ

O best of Bharata race, Pratīpa begot 3 sons, nemely Devāpi, Śāntanu and mighty warrior Bāhlīka. Devāpi adopted asceticism, impelled by the desire to do good to his brothers. Consequently kingdom was obtained by Śāntanu and mighty car warrior Bāhlīka.

bharatasyānvaye jātāḥ sattvavanto narādhipāḥ
devarṣikalpā nṛpate bahavo rājasattamāḥ

O king! Beside these I have mentioned, there were born in Bharata race many other good kings all greatly effulgent and all like celestial Ṛṣis in virtue and ascetic power.

evaṁvidhāścāpyapare devakalpā mahārathāḥ
jātā manoranvavāye ailavaṁśavivardhanāḥ

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