Parāçara said:—The son of Puru was Janamenjaya, whose son was Prāchinvat, whose son was Pravira, whose son was Manasyu, whose son was Bhayada, whose son was Sudyunna, whose son was Bahugava, whose son was Samyati, whose son was Ahamyati, whose son was Raudraswa, who had ten sons: Riteyu, Kaksheyu, Sthanditeyu, Ghriteyu, Jaleyu, Sthaleyu, Santaleyu, Dhaneyu, Vaneyu, and Vrateyu. The son of Riteyu was Rantināra, whose sons were Tansu, Apratirtha and Dhruva. The son of the second of these was Kanwa, whose son was Medhātithi, from whom the Kanwayana Brāhmanas were sprung. Anila was the son of Tansu, who had four sons of whom Dushyanta was the elder. The son of Dushymanta was the Emperor Bharata regarding whom a verse is recited by the celestials. "The mother is merely the receptable; it is the father by whom a son is begotten. Rear up thy son, Dushyamanta, treat not Sakuntalā with disrespect. Sons, who are born from the loins of their father, save their manes from hell. Thou art father of this boy; Sakuntalā has spoken the truth".
Bharata begat on his wives nine sons, beholding whom he said that they were not after him. The queens, being afraid lest he might desert them, destroyed those sons. The birth of sons being thus useless the king celebrated a sacrifice in honour of Maruts. They gave him Bharadwaja, the son of Vrihaspati by Mamatā, the wife of Utathya, expelled untimely by the kick of his half brother Dirghatamas. The following verse explains the meaning of the name—"Silly woman" said Vrihaspati "cherish this child of two fathers (Bhara-dwa-jam)". "No, Vrihaspati" replied Mamatā "you take care of him". So saying they both left him and from these expressions the boy was named Bharadwaja. He was also called Vitatha for both the sons of Bharata proved fruitless. The son of Vitatha was Bhavanmanya, who had many sons, the principals among whom were Vrihatkshatra, Mahaviryya, Nara and Garga. The son of Narn was Sankriti, whose sons were Ruchiradhi and Rantideva. The son of Garga was Sini and their progeny were respectively called Gargyas and Sainyas; although Kshatriyas by birth they became Brāhmans. The son of Mahaviryya was Urukshaya, who had three sons: Trayyaruna, Pushkarin and Kapi, the last of whom became a Brahman. The son of Vrihatkshatra was Suhotta, whose son was Hastin, who founded the city of Hastināpur. The sons of Hastin were Ajamidha, Dwimidha, Purumidha. One son of Ajamidha was Kanwa, whose son was Medhatithi; his other son was Vrihadishu, whose son was Vrihadvasu, whose son was Vrihatkarman, whose son was Jayadratha, whose son was Viswajit, whose son was Senajit, whose sons were Ruchiraswa, Kasya, Dridhadhanusha and Vasahana. The son of Ruchiraswa was Prithusena, whose son was Pāra, whose son was Nipa, who had a hundred sons, of whom the chief Samara was the king of Kampilya. Samara had three sons: Para, Sampara, Sadāswa. The son of Para was Pritha, whose son was Sukriti, whose son was Vibhrata, whose son was Anuha, who married Kritwi, the daughter of Suka and had by her Brahmadatta, whose son was Viswaksena, whose son was Udaksena and whose son was Bhallata.
The son of Dwimidha was Yavinara, whose son was Dhrtimat, whose son was Satyadhriti, whose son was Dridhanemi, whose son was Suparswa, whose son was Sumati, whose son was Sannatimat, whose son was Krita, who was taught by Hiramyanabha, the philosophy of Yoga and who compiled the twenty-four Sanhitas for the use of the eastern Brāhmanas studying the Sama Veda. The son of Krita was Ugrayudhas, who by his power destroyed the Nipa race of Kshatriyas. His son was Kshemya, whose son was Suirra, whose son was Nripanjaya, whose son was Baharatha. These were all called Pauravas.
Ajamidha espoused Nilini and by her had a son called Nilaj whose son was Santi, whose son was Susanti, whose son was Purujanu, whose son was Chakshu, whose son was Harryaswa, who had five sons: Mudgala, Srinjaya, Vrihadishu, Pravira and Kampilya. Their father said—"These five sons of mine are capable of protecting the countries" and hence they were called Panchalas—(i.e. Pancha—five and alam—able). From Mudgala sprang the Maudgahya Brāhmans. He had also a son called Bahwaswa, who had two children, twins, a son and daughter—Divodasa and Ahalya. The son of Saradwat or Gautama by Ahalya was Sātanands, whose son was Satyadhriti, who was well versed in military science. Being enamoured of the nymph Urvasi, Satyadriti begot on her two children, a boy and a daughter. The king Sāntanu, a-hunting, found their children in a clump of long Sara grass and feeling pity for them took them and reared them up. As they were brought up through Kripā, pity, they were called Kripa and Kripi. The latter became the wife of Drona and the mother of Aswathāman.
The son of Divodasa was Mitrāyu, whose son was Chyavanna, whose son was Sudāsa, whose son was Saudāsa, also called Sahadeva, whose son was Somaka, who had a hundred sons of whom the eldest was Jantu and the youngest was Prishata. The son of Prishata was Drupada, whose son was Dhrishtadyumna, whose son was Drishtaketu.
Another son of Ajamidha was called Riksha, whose son was Samvarāna, whose son was Kuru, who gave his name to the holy district Kurukshetra. His sons were Sudhanush, Jahnu, Parikshit, and many others. The son of Sudanush was Suhotra, whose son was Chyavana, whose son was Kritaka, whose son was Uparichara the Vasu, who had seven children: Vrihadratha, Pratyagra, Kusamba, Mavella, Matysa and others. The son of Vrihadratha was Kusagra, whose son was Rishabha, whose son was Pushpavat, whose son was Satyadhrita, whose son was Sudhanwan, whose son was Jantu. Vrihadratha had another son. He was born in two parts which were joined together by a female fiend named Jarā and accordingly he was named Jarāsandha. His son was Sahadeva, whose son was Somāpi, whose son was Srutasravas. These were the kings of Magadha.
SECTION XX.
Parāçara said:—Parikshit had four sons—Janamejaya, Srutasena, Ugrasena and Bhimasena. The son of Jahnu was Surathai whose son was Viduratha, whose son was Sarvabhauma, whose son was Jayasena Aravin, whose son was Ayutayus, whose son was Akrodhana; one of his sons was Devatithi and another was called Riksha, whose son was Dilipa, whose son was Pratipa, who had three sons, Devāpi, Sāntanu, and Bāhlika. The first took to a forest life in childhood and Sāntanu became the king. Regarding him this verse is recited throughout the earth—"Sāntanu is his name because if he places his hands upon an old man he restores him to youth and by him men obtain tranquility".
In Sāntanu's kingdom there was not rain for twelve years. When he perceived that the whole kingdom was about to be devastated he called together all the Brāhmans and said to them—"Why does not the God pour rains in my kingdom? What fault have I committed?" They told him that he was as it were a younger brother married before sm elder for he was governing the kingdom which was the rightful property of his elder brother. "What then am I to do?" said the king. The Brāhmanas replied—"As long as the Brāhmanas shall not be displeased with Devāpi on account of his deviating from the path of righteousness the kingdom is his; you should therefore give it over to him". When the minister of the king Amarisarin heard this he collected a number of ascetics who taught doctrines opposed to those of the Vedas and sent them into the forest. They met Devāpi, perverted the understanding of the simple-minded prince and led him to cherish heretical notions. Being informed of his offence by the Brāhmanas, Sāntanu was greatly pained. Accordingly he sent them before him into the forest and then went there himself to restore the kingdom to his elder brother. When the Brāhmans reached the hermitage of Devāpi they informed him, that, according to the doctrines of the Vedas, succession to a kingdom was the right of the elder brother. But he discussed with them and set forth various arguments which were opposed to the teachings of the Vedas. When the Brāhmans heard this they looked towards Sāntanu and said "Come here king you need not put yourself further trouble in this matter. The dearth is gone, this man has fallen from his condition for he uttered disrespectful words to the authority of the eternal uncreated Veda. When the elder brother goes down to a degraded state there is no sin consequent upon prior espousals of his junior". Thereupon Sāntanu came back to his capital and governed the kingdom as before; his elder brother was degraded for declaring doctrines opposed to the Vedas. Indra poured down abundant rain, which was followed by rich harvests.
The son of Bahlika was Somadatta, who had three sons: Bhuri, Bhurisravas and Sala, The son of Sāntanu was the well known and the learned Bhishma, who was born to him by the holy Gangā. He had by his wife Satyavati two sons, Chitrangada and Vichitraviryya. Chitrangada, in his youth was slain in an encounter with a Gandharbha called Chitrangada. Vichitraviryya married Ambā and Ambālika, the daughters of the king of Kasi, and enjoying too much connubial pleasures was attacked with consumption and died. By command of Satyavati, my son Krishna-Daipāyana, who was always obedient to his mother, begot upon the widows of his brother, the princes Dhritarastra and Pandu and upon a female servant Vidura. Dritarashtra had Duryodhana, Dushāsana and others to the extent of a hundred. Having incurred the imprecation of a deer whose mate he had slain in a chase, Pandu was prevented from procreating children. Accordingly his wife Kunti bore to him three sons who were begotten by the deities, Dharma, Vayu and Indra—namely Yudhishthira, Bhima and Arjuna. His wife Madri had two sons by the sons of Aswini—namely Nakula and Sahadeva. These each had a son by Draupadi. The son of Yudhishthira was Prativindhya; of Bhima, Srutasoma; of Arjuna, Srutakirti; of Nakula, Satanika, and of Sahadeva, Srutakarman. The Pandavas had also other sons. By his wife Yaudheyi Yudhishthira had Devaka; Bhima had by Hidemba, Ghatotkacha, and had another by his wife Kasi, Sarvatraga. Sadeva had by Vijaya, Suhotra and Niramitra was the son of Nakula by Karenutmati. Arjuna had Irāvat by the serpent nymph Ulupi—by the daughter of the king of Manipur he had Babrubabana, who was adopted by his maternal grand father, by his wife Subhadrā, Abhimanyu, who even in his boy-hood was famous for valour and strength and crushed the enemies' cars in fight. The son of Abhimanyu by his wife Uttarā was Parikshit, who after the destruction of all the Kurus, was killed in his mother's womb by the weapon hurled by Aswathama. But by the mercy of Krishna at whose feet bow all the gods and demons and who for his own pleasure had assumed human shape he was restored to life. This Parikshit now governs the earth with undisputed sway.