Radha Krishna - Chapter 23: The Dynasties of the Sons of Yayâti: the Appearance of Lord Krishna

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'From Anu [the fourth son of Yayâti, see 9.17, 9.18 & 9.19] there were the three sons Sabhânara, Cakshu and Pareshnu. From Sabhânara thereafter Kâlanara was born and from him followed a son called Sriñjaya. (2) From Janamejaya [succeeding him] there was a son Mahâs'âla who fathered Mahâmanâ. Us'înara and Titikshu were the two sons of Mahâmanâ. (3-4) S'ibi, Vara, Krimi and Daksha were the four sons fathered by Us'înara. Vrishâdarbha, Sudhîra, Madra and the self-realized Kekaya were the four sons who took birth from the loins of S'ibi. Titikshu had one called Rushadratha from whom Homa was born who begot Sutapâ. Bali was Sutapâ's son. (5) Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Suhma, Pundra and Odra were known as the sons who were born from the seed of Dîrghatama impregnating the wife of the great conqueror Bali. (6) It were their names that were given to the six states they created in the east [of India]. Anga gave life to Khalapâna and from him thereafter Diviratha appeared. (7-10) From his son Dharmaratha, Citraratha was born who was celebrated as Romapâda. Romapâda had no children and thus his friend Das'aratha offered him S'ântâ, his own daughter [for adoption]. She then married with Rishyas'ringa [a hermit who lived in the forest, see also 8.13: 15-16]. Because the god [Indra] did not shower any rains Rishyas'ringa with the help of dancing and singing courtesans was drawn with music and bewildered with embraces and worship. On behalf of king Das'aratha who had no sons, he [Rishyas'ringa] held a marutvân [son giving] sacrifice so that he would get children [as well as the rain, see B.G. 3: 14]. He who was without sons thus got offspring [four sons]. Romapâda got the son Caturanga who gave life to Prithulâksha. (11) Brihadratha, Brihatkarmâ and Brihadbhânu were his sons. From the eldest one [Brihadratha] Brihanmanâ appeared from whom there was a son named Jayadratha. (12) His son Vijaya was born from the womb of Sambhûti. He next had the son Dhriti and from him Dhritavrata took his birth. Dhritavrata fathered Satkarmâ who gave life to the son Adhiratha. (13) One day enjoying at the bank of the Ganges Adhiratha found a baby in a basket. It was abandoned by Kuntî because it was born before she was married. Being sonless he adopted it as his son [Karna]. (14) Oh master of the universe, Vrishasena was Karna's son. From Druhyu [Yayâti's third son] there was a son called Babhru who next begot Setu. (15) Ârabdha who was fathered by him, had the son Gândhâra who begot Dharma. He on his turn had the son Dhrita and from Dhrita there was the son Durmada who gave life to the son Pracetâ who had a hundred sons. (16) Those kings [called the Pracetâs] accepted the jurisdiction over the north, the uncivilized areas of Mlecchades'a [of the barbarians]. Turvasu [Yayâti's second son] had the son Vahni and he fathered Bharga who begot the son Bhânumân. (17) His son Tribhânu, also had one. He was the magnanimous Karandhama. His son was called Maruta. He had no sons and adopted a Paurava [Dushmanta, see also 9.20: 7] as his son. (18-19) Dushmanta turned back to his clan [the Purus] because he aspired the throne.

From Yayâti's first son Yadu there was a dynasty oh best of the humans, that I will now describe to you. Oh ruler of man, to hear about the Yadu dynasty is something highly pious that vanquishes all sin[-ful reactions] in human society. Anyone simply hearing this is freed from all [the consequences of his] sin.

(20-21) The Supreme Lord [Krishna], the Supersoul, descended in this dynasty looking just like a human being [see also 1.2: 11]. Yadu fathered four sons who carried the names Sahasrajit, Kroshthâ, Nala and Ripu. S'atajit, the one first born, begot the sons Mahâhaya, Renuhaya and Haihaya. (22) Dharma was the son of Haihaya and his son Netra was the father of Kunti [not Kuntî]. Sohañji was the son of Kunti and he begot Mahishmân who had the son Bhadrasenaka. (23) Durmada and Dhanaka were the sons begotten by Bhadrasena and Dhanaka gave life to the sons Kritavîrya, Kritâgni, Kritavarmâ and Kritaujâ. (24) From Kritavîrya there was Arjuna [Kârtavîryârjuna] who became emperor over the seven continents. From Lord Dattâtreya, an [ams'a-] incarnation of the Supreme Personality, he obtained all the great qualities [the eight siddhis] of yoga [see also 9.15, 10.73 & 12.3]. (25) No one on earth could equal Kârtavîrya's qualities of sacrifice, charity, austerity, mystic potency, education, strength and mercy. (26) [Under his rule] for eighty-five thousand years the six forms of pleasure [as derived from the senses and the mind] were enjoyed with an undiminished strength, continuous opulence and unfailing memory. (27) In the fight [against Paras'urâma] only five of his thousands of sons remained alive: Jayadhvaja, S'ûrasena, Vrishabha, Madhu and Ûrjita. (28) Jayadhvaja begot the son Tâlajangha who next gave life to a hundred sons. They formed a clan of kshatriyas known as the Tâlajanghas who were destroyed by the great power [that Mahârâja Sagara] received from sage Aurva [see 9.8: 3-7]. (29) Tâlajangha's eldest son Vîtihotra, fathered the son Madhu who [also] had a hundred sons. From the well-known eldest one called Vrishni there was the dynasty [carrying that name].

(30-31) Oh King, the Yâdava, Mâdhava and Vrishni dynasties [of Lord Krishna's ancestors] received their names from their leading personalities. Yadu's son Kroshthâ begot a son called Vrijinavân. His son was Svâhita who next gave life to the son Vishadgu who became the father of Citraratha. Citraratha gave life to S'as'abindu, a great yogi who became a highly fortunate personality who, undefeated as an emperor, enjoyed all the fourteen kinds of great riches [*]. (32) S'as'abindu had ten thousand wives and in them the greatly famous one begot ten thousand lakhs [**] of sons [and grandsons]. (33) From them we but know six as the foremost. Prithus'ravâ [one of them] had a son with the name Dharma. Us'anâ, his son, performed a hundred as'vamedha sacrifices. (34) Us'anâ's son Rucaka had five sons named Purujit, Rukma, Rukmeshu, Prithu and Jyâmagha. Please hear now about them. (35-36) Jyâmagha was issueless but he nevertheless was afraid to accept another wife because of his wife S'aibyâ. He [one day] took a sensual girl from the camp of an enemy clan home whereupon S'aibyâ, who saw the girl sitting on her seat on the chariot, very angrily said to her husband: 'Who is this you have allowed to sit upon my seat on the chariot, you cheater?'

'She's your daughter-in-law' he then told her. Thereupon she with a smile said to her husband:

(37) 'I am sterile and have no co-wife, how can she then be my daughter-in-law?'

'My Queen', [he replied,] 'This girl will be very suitable for the son you will give birth to!'

(38) With the demigods and ancestors consenting to that [after being propitiated by Jyâmagha], S'aibyâ got pregnant and in due course of time gave birth to a son. That son was the auspicious, well-known Vidharba who later married with the virtuous girl that was accepted as the daughter-in-law.'