CANDRAVAṀŚA A royal dynasty the kings of which ruled India for a long time. Since the founding father of the dynasty was Candra all the kings in the dynasty came to be called Candravaṁśarāja. (For Candra's birth see Purūravas). A chronological list of the kings of this dynasty is given infra. Descended from Candra thus, Budha--Purūravas-- Āyus--Nahuṣa. Nahuṣa had two sons, Āyati and Yayāti. Yayāti had three sons: Druhyu, Anudruhyu and Pūru by his wife Śarmiṣṭhā, and two sons, Yadu and Turvasu by his wife Devayānī. The genealogy of each of them is given below.
1)
Druhyu:--Descended from Druhyu thus:--Babhru-- Setu--Āraṇya-- Gandharva--Dharma--Ghṛta--Durdama-- Pracetas--Mlecchas.
2)
Anudruhyu:--Three sons, Sabhānara, Cakṣuṣ and Parokṣa were born to Anudruhyu. Sabhānara begot Kālanara, and he Sṛñjaya. Sṛñjaya had four sons: (a) Janamejaya, (b) Mahāmanas, (c) Uśīnara and (d) Titikṣa. Uśīnara and Titikṣa proved to be family progenitors. Their genealogy is given below:--
c) Uśīnara. Uśīnara had five sons: Śibi, Vena, Kṛmi, Uśi and Darpa of whom Śibi begot five sons: Bhadra-- Suvīra--Kekaya--Vṛṣadarpa and Kapotaromā, and from Kekaya was born the Kīcakas.
d) Titikṣa. Descended from Titikṣa were: Kṛśadratha--Homa--Sutapas and Bali, and Bali had seven sons: Anaghābhū--Aṅga--Kaliṅga--Suhva--Puṇḍra-- Vaṅga and Adrūpa. Of the seven sons Aṅga turned out to be the family progenitor, and thenceforth the Aṅga royal dynasty starts its course. To Aṅga were born the following sons: Dadhivāhana-- Raviratha--Dharmaratha-- Citraratha-- Satyaratha-- Lomapāda--Caturaṅga-- Pṛthu--Campa--Haryaṅga and Bhadraratha, and to Bhadraratha were born three sons viz. Bṛhadratha--Bṛhatkarmā and Bṛhadbhānu. And Bṛhadratha had the following sons: Bṛhanmanas, Jayadratha-- Vijaya--Dhṛtavrata--Satyakarman and Atiratha. Karṇa was Atiratha's foster son and father of Vṛṣasena.
3)
Pūru. Descended from Pūru were:--Janamejaya-- Prācinvān--Pravīra--Namasyu--Vītabhaya--Śuṇḍu-- Bahuvidha--Saṁyāti--Rahovādi and Raudrāśva. Raudrāśva married Miśrakeśī. They had ten sons, viz. Ṛkṣāyu--Kṛṣāyu--Sannatāyu--Ghṛtāyu--Citāyu-- Sthaṇḍilāyu--Dharmāyu--Sammitāyu--Ṛtāyu and Matināra. Matināra begot two sons(a) Pratiratha and (b) Sindhuratha.
a) Pratiratha. From Pratiratha was born Kaṇva and from him Medhātithi.
b) Sindhuratha. He had three sons, Duṣyanta--Pravīra and Sāmanta, and Bharata (Vitatha) was born to Duṣyanta of Śakuntalā. From Bharata were descended the following:--Suhotra--Suhotā--Gala--Garda-- Suketu and Bṛhatkṣatra, who had four sons: Nara-- Mahāvīra--Garga and Hasti. And, Nara begot Saṁkṛti and he begot Rantideva and Kuru. A son called Pāpakṣaya was born to Mahāvīra. Garga begot Śani. And it was Hasti who founded Hasthināpura. He became the family progenitor. Hasti had three sons, Purumīḍha -Ajamīḍha and Dvimīḍha. The King called Vipra was the son of Purumīḍha. Ajamīḍha, the second son of Hasti had three sons, (a) Ṛkṣa (b) Brhadiṣu and (c) Nīla. Their descendants are mentioned below.
a) Ṛkṣa. Ṛkṣa begot Saṁvaraṇa and from Saṁvaraṇa was born Kuru. From Kuru originated the Kuru dynasty. Kuru had four sons: (Ā) Parīkṣit, (Ạ) Sudhanus, (A3) Jahnu and (A4) Niṣāda. Out of the four Sudhanus and Jahnu became family progenitors. (Ạ)
Sudhanus. The following were descended from him in order:--Suhotra-- Cyavana--Kṛti-- Uparicaravasu--Bṛhadratha and Jarāsandha. Jarāsandha had four sons: Soma--Sahadeva--Turya and Śrutaśru. (A3)
Jahnu. From Jahnu were descended-: Suratha-- Viḍūratha--Sārvabhauma--Jayatsena--Ravaya-- Bhāvuka--Cakroddhata--Devātithi--Ṛkṣa--Bhīma and Pratīci. Pratīci had three sons: Devāpi, Śantanu and Bālhīka. Śantanu was also called Mahābhiṣak. And, he had two wives, Gaṅgā and Satyavatī. From Gaṅgā was born Bhīṣma; of Satyavatī, before her marriage, was born Vyāsa by Parāśara. Satyavatī had two sons, Citrāṅgada and Vicitravīrya by Śantanu. From Vyāsa were born Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and Vidura, and from Dhṛtarāṣṭra the Kauravas. Kunti and Mādrī, wives of Pāṇḍu, together got from the devas five sons, viz. Dharmaputra, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Dharmaputra had two sons, Devaka and Prativindhya. To Bhīma was born of Hidimbi Ghaṭotkaca. Śatānīka was born of Reṇumatī to Nakula. Arjuna's descendants were: Abhimanyu--Parīkṣit--Candrāpīḍa--Satyakarṇa Śvetakarṇa--Ajapārśva--Janamejaya--Śatānīka-- Sahasrānīka--Aśvamedha--Aśvinīkṛṣṇa--Gupta-- Citraratha--Śuciratha--Dhṛtimān--Suṣeṇa--Sunīta-- Sucakṣus--Nala--Uparipalva--Medhāvī--Mṛtyuñjaya-- Duṣya--Nimi--Bṛhadratha--Śatānīka--Durdama-- Vibhīnara--Daṇḍapāṇi--Kṣemaka.
B) Bṛhadiṣu. Descended from Bṛhadiṣu were: Bṛhaddhanu--Bṛhatkāya-- Jayadratha--Viśada--Senacitta-- Rucirāśva. Rucirāśva had three sons: Dṛḍhahanu--Kāśya and Vatsa.
C) Nīla. Descended from Nīla were: Śānti--Suśānti-- Puruja--Arka--Bharmyāśva and Pāñcāla. Pāñcāla had five sons: Mudgala, Yavīnara, Kāmpilya, Bṛhadiṣu and Sañjaya. Mudgala had two children: Divodāsa and Ahalyā. Gautama married Ahalyā. To Gautama was born Śatānanda, to Śatānanda Satyavratī and from Satyavratī was born Śaradvān. And from Divodāsa, brother of Ahalyā were descended: Mitrāyu--Puṣya-- Sudāsa--Sahadeva--Somaka and Drupada. Drupada became King of Pāñcāla and to him were born Dhṛṣṭadyumna and Pāñcālī (Kṛṣṇā). Dhṛṣṭaketu and Dhṛtaketu were the sons of Dhṛṣṭadyumna.
4)
Yadu. The Yadu dynasty owes its origin to Yadu who had four sons: Sahasrajit, Kroṣṭā, Nala and Ripu. Śatajit, the son of Sahasrajit begot three sons: Mahāhaya, Veṇuhaya and Hehaya (Ekavīra). Dharma was Hehaya's son, and Kaṇi was the son of Dharma. Kaṇi had four sons: Sadājit, Mahiṣmān, Bhadrāsana and Durdama. Bhadrāsana begot Dhanaka and he Kṛtavīrya, Kṛtāgni, Kṛtavarman and Kṛtaujas. Kārtavīryārjuna was Kṛtavīrya's son, and Kārtavīryārjuna had hundred sons, Jayadhvaja, Śūrasena, Vṛṣabha, Madhu, Maurjjita and others. Vṛṣṇi with whom the Vṛṣṇi dynasty begins was Madhu's son. From Jayadhvaja the eldest son of Kārtavīrya were descended in order: Tālajaṅgha--Vītihotra--Ananta--Durjaya.
The Vṛṣṇi dynasty. Vṛṣṇi, son of Madhu and grandson of Kārtavīryārjuna had four sons: Sumitra, Yudhājit, Vasu and Sārvabhauma. Śini and Nimna were the sons of Yudhājit. From Śini came in order: Satyaka-- Sātyaki (Yuyudhāna)--Jaya--Kaṇi--Amitra--Pṛśni. Pṛśni had two sons,
(1) Citraratha and
(2) Śvaphalka.
1)
Citraratha. Two sons (1A) Viḍūratha and (1B) Kukura were born to Citraratha. (1
A)
Viḍūratha. From Viḍūratha was born Śūra, and from Śūra was born Śini. Bhoja was Śini's son and from Bhoja, Hṛdīka was born. Hṛdīka had four sons: Devavāha, Gadādhanvā, Kṛtaparvan and Śūra and one daughter Pṛthā (Kuntī). And ten sons were born to Śūra by Māriṣā: Vasu, Devabhāga, Devaśravas, Ānaka, Sṛñjaya, Kākānīka, Śyāmaka, Vatsa, Kavūka and Vasudeva. Vasudeva married Devakī. Śrī Kṛṣṇa was born as the son of Vasudeva and Devakī, and Pradyumna was Śrī Kṛṣṇa's son. Aniruddha was the son of Pradyumna, and Vajra of Aniruddha. (1
B)
Kukura. The descendants of Kukura were: Vahni--Viloman--Kapotaromā--Tumburudundubhi-- Daridra--Vasu--Nāhuka--Āhuka. Āhuka had two sons: Ugrasena and Devaka. Kaṁsa was Ugrasena's son and Devakī his daughter. Devaka had three sons: Devāpa, Upadeva and Sudeva. Devāpa had seven daughters, Śrutadevā, Śāntidevā, Upadevā, Śrīdevā, Devarakṣitā, Sahadevā and Devakī.
2)
Śvaphalka. Son of Pṛśni and brother of Citraratha. Śvaphalka, had twelve sons called Akrūra, Āsaṅga, Sārameya, Mṛdura, Mṛduvadgiri, Dharmavṛddha, Sukarman, Kṣatropekṣa, Arimardana, Śatrughna, Gandhamādana and Pratibāhu. Of them Akrūra had two sons: Devaka and Upadevaka.
5)
Turvasu. From Turvasu were descended in order: Vahni--Bharga--Bhānu--Tribhānu--Karandhama-- Marutta. (As Marutta had no sons Duṣyanta was adopted; this Duṣyanta is not the famous Duṣyanta, husband of Śakuntalā). Duṣyanta--Varūtha--Gāṇḍīra. Gāṇḍīra had four sons, Gāndhāra, Kerala, Cola and Pāṇḍya. From Gāndhāra came in order, Kola, Druhyu, Babhrusetu, Purovasu--Gāndhārigharman-- Ghṛta--Viduṣa--Pracetas. Pracetas had four sons-- Aṇibhra, Sabhānara, Cākṣuṣa and Parameṣu. From Sabhānara came in order Kālanara--Sṛñjaya-- Purañjaya--Janamejaya-- Mahāsāla--Mahāmanas. All the above royal dynasties belong to Candra vaṁśa.
[Agni Purāṇa] ;
[Viṣṇu Purāṇa] ;
[Bhāgavata] ;
[Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa] .