Mahabharata – 147

by

Sankar Mukherjee

and

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                      Aadivamsavataran Parva

Bharata race retold & Santanu became the king

Janamejaya said-- Oh great sage Vaisampyana!I heard from you about  history my ancestors of great soul who made history.But I am not happy.Because  this attractive account so short. Therefore, would you kindly recite the alluring narrative in detail commencing from Brahma & Manu. Vaisampayana  continued -- Listen  then, Oh king! As I narrate in detail the auspicious account of your own race just as I heard in the past from the great sage Vyasa.

Brahma was born from the navel of Lord Vishnu during the twilight of creation.He will exist till the last moment of pralaya when the creation will go out of joints.He seens to be eternal.His body does not wane with age.It was from this Brahma  that Daksha & Marichi were born.

Daksha took birth from the thumb of Brahma & Marichi from the eyes.Kasyapa is the son of Marichi & Aditi is the daughter of Daksha. Kasyapa begot the Sun god in the womb of Aditi.Sun begot Manu,Manu begot Ila,from Ila Pururava & Pururava begot Ayu.From Ayu Nahusha took birth.Yayati was born from Nahusha.Yayati had two queens.One Devayani the daughter of Sukracharya & the other Sarmishta the daughter of the demon king Vrishaparva. Devayani gave birth to Yadu and Turvasu & Sarmishtha gave birth to Druhyu,Anu, & Puru.The descendants of Yadu are the Yadavas & of Puru are the Pauravas.And Puru had a wife named  Kausalya,in whom he begot a son named Janamejaya who performed three horse-sacrifices & a sacrifice called Viswajit.And then he went to the woods for penance. And Janamejaya married Ananta,the daughter of Magadha, and begot a son called Prachinwan.He was so called because he had conquered all the eastern countries of the region before the next  Sun rises.And Prachinwan married Asmaki, a daughter of the Yadavas and begot a son named Samyati. And Samyati married Varangi,the daughter of Drishadwan & begot a son named Ahamyati. And Ahamyati married Bhanumati, the daughter of the king Kritavirya and begot a son named  Sarvabhauma. And Sarvabhauma married Sunanda, the daughter of the king Kekaya  after conquering the kingdom of Kekaya. And he begot a son named Jayatsena, who married Susrava, the daughter of the Vidarbha king and begot Avachina. And Avachina also married another princess of Vidarbha,Maryada by name.And he begot a son named Ariha.And Ariha married a princes of the Anga kingdom & begot a son named Mahabhauma. Mahabhauma married Suyajna,the daughter of Prasenajit & begot a son named Ayutanayi. He was so called because he had performed a sacrifice called Purushmedha Ayuta or ten thousand in number.And Ayutanayi married Kama,the daughter of Prithusravas.And begot a son named Akrodhana.Akrodhana married Karambha daughter of the king Kalinga.And Devatithi was born in her womb. Devatithi  married Maryada, the princess of Videha.And to her a son was born  named Ariha the second.And Ariha married  Sudeva, the daughter of king Anga  & he begot a son named Riksha. Riksha married the daughter of the king Taksaka.Their son was Matinar.He performed on the bank of Saraswati the twelve years long sacrifice said to be so beautiful in every respect that the goddess Saraswati appeared in person before the king and chose him as her  husband.And he begot  a son named Tansu. Tansu was the son of  Saraswati by Matinar. And Tansu himself begot a son named Ilina by his wife, Kalingi.

Ilina had five sons. Dushmanta was the eldest. Dushmanta  married Sakuntala,the daughter of Viswamitra. And he begot a son named Bharata.There was a voice from heaven that commanded Dushmanta to look after the child of Shakuntala.Hence he was so namedAnd Bharata married Sunanda,the daughter of Sarvasena, the king of Kasi, and begot a son named Bhumanyu.And Bhumanyu in due course married Vijaya, of Yadu race.And he begot a son Suhotra who married Suvarna, the daughter of Ikkhaku race. To her a son was born by Suhotra named Hasti Hasti founded the city,known as Hastinapura. Hasti married Yasodhara,the daughter of king Trigarta.A son was born to her named Vikunthana. Vikunthana married Sudeva of Yadu race.And   he begot a son named Ajamidha.(May be the city of Ajmir still remembers his name)And Ajamidha had four wives named Kaikeyi,Gandhari, Visala &Riksha.And he begot on them one hundred twenty four sons.And they became the rulers of different kingdoms & founded different races.There was  the Samvarana among them.We have already referred to Samvarana.It was he who founded your race.  Samvarana married Tapati,the daughter of Vivaswan,the Sun god Kuru was born to her. Kuru married Subhangi,of Yadu race. And he begot a son named Viduratha. Viduratha married  Sampriya, the daughter of the Madhu race.And he begot a son named Anaswa.Anaswa married Amrita, the daughter of the Magadhas. And of her was born a son named Parikshit.Parikshit was married to Suvasa  the daughter of the king Vahud & begot a son named Bhimasena. Bhimasena married Kumari the daughter of the king of Kekaya and begot a son Pratisrava. Pratisrava’s son was Pratipa.And Pratipa married Sunanda,the daughter of Sivi, and begot three sons-- Devapi, Santanu and Valhika. Devapi,during his childhood entered the woods as a hermit. And Santanu became the king.

Here occurs a sloka in respect of Santanu. Those old men that were touched by Santanu not only felt a sensation of pleasure but also became restored to youth. Therefore, this King was known as Santanu.

And Santanu married Ganga & begot a son named Devavrata. Devavrata was afterwards called Bhishma.