"Janamejaya said, 'O adorable one (Rishi Vaishampaayana), I desire to hear the histories of those kings who were descended from (King) Pooru. O tell me of each as he was possessed of capabilities and achievements. I have, indeed, heard that in Pooru's line there was not a single one who was wanting in good behaviour and capability, or who was without sons. O you of wealth of Tapas, I desire to hear the histories in detail of those famous monarchs endued with learning and all accomplishments.'
"Vaishampaayana said, 'Asked by you, I shall tell you all about the heroic-kings in Pooru's line, all equal to (Lord) Indra in skills, possessing great wealth and commanding the respect of all for their accomplishments.
"Pooru had by his wife Paushti three sons - Pravira, Ishwara, and Raudrashwa, all of whom were mighty chariot-warriors (Maharatha in Sanskrit). Among them, Pravira was the preserver of the dynasty.
"Pravira had by his wife Chuurashyeni a son named Manasyu. The latter of eyes like lotus-petals had his rule over the whole Earth bounded by the four seas.
"Manasyu had for his wife Sauveeri. He fathered upon her three sons called Subru, Sahana, and Vaagmi. They were heroes in battle and Maharathas.
"The intelligent and virtuous Raudrashwa fathered upon the Apsara Misrakesi ten sons who were all great bowmen. They all grew up into heroes, performing numerous yagnas in honour of Devas. They all had sons, were learned in all branches of knowledge and ever devoted to Dharma. They are Richepu, Kakshepu and Krukanepu of great skills; Sthandilepu, Vanepu, Sthalepu of great fame; Tejeyu of great strength and intelligence; Satyepu of the skill of (Lord) Indra; Dharmepu and Sannatepu the tenth of the skills of Devas.
"Among them all, Richepu became the sole monarch of the whole earth and was known by the name of Anaadhrishti. In capability, he was like to Vasava (Lord Indra) amongst Devas. Anaadhristi had a son of the name of Matinaara who became a famous and Dharmaraja and performed the Rajasuya (yagna) and Ashwamedha (yagna).
"Matinaara had four sons of immeasurable skills - Tamsu, Mahaan, Atiratha, and Druhyu of immeasurable glory. (Amongst them, Tamsu of great prowess became the perserver of Pooru's line). He subjugated the whole earth and acquired great fame and splendour.
"Tamsu fathered a son of great prowess named Ilina. He became the foremost of all conquerors and brought the whole world under his subjection.
"Ilina fathered upon his wife Rathantara five sons with Dushanta at their head, all equal in might to the five elements (Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether). They were Dushanta, Shoora, Bhima, Prapoorvau and Vasu.
"O Janamejaya, the eldest of them, Dushanta, became king. Dushmanta had by his wife Shakuntala an intelligent son named Bharata who became king.
"Bharata gave his name to the race of which he was the founder. It is from him that the fame of that dynasty has spread so wide. Bharata fathered upon his three wives nine sons in all. But none of them were like their father and so Bharata was not at all pleased with them. Their mothers, therefore, became angry and slew them all. The procreation of children by Bharata, therefore, became vain. The monarch then performed a great yagna and through the grace of (Rishi) Bharadwaja obtained a son named Bhumanyu. Then Bharata, the great descendant of Pooru, regarding himself as really possessing a son, installed, O foremost one of Bharata's race, that son (Bhumanyu) as his heir-apparent.
"Bhumanyu fathered upon his wife Pushkarini six sons named Suhotra, Suhotaa, Suhavi, Suyaju, Pushkarin and Richika.
"The eldest of them all, Suhotra, obtained the throne and performed many Rajasuya (yagna) and Ashwamedha (yagna). Suhotra brought under his rule the whole earth surrounded by her belt of seas and full of elephants, cows and horses, and all her wealth of gems of gold. The earth pained with the weight of numberless human beings, elephants, horses, and cats, was, as it were, about to sink. During the Suhotra's reign of Dharma the surface of the whole earth was dotted all over with hundreds and thousands of stakes of yagna. The lord of the earth, Suhotra, fatherd, upon his wife Yekshvaaki three sons - Ajamidha, Sumidha, and Purumidha.
"The eldest of them, Ajamidha, was the preserver of the royal line. He fathered six sons --Riksha was born of the womb of Dhumini, Dushanta and Parameshti of Neeli, and Jahnu, Jana and Rupina were born in that of Keshini. All the tribes of the Panchalas are descended from Dushanta and Parameshti. The Kushikas are the sons of Jahnu of immeasurable capability.
"Riksha who was older than both Jana and Rupina became king. Riksha fathered Samvaranaa, the preserver of the royal line.
"O king (Janamejaya), it has been heard by us that while Samvaranaa, the son of Riksha, was ruling the earth, there happened a great loss of people from famine, pestilence, drought, and disease. The Bharata princes were beaten by the troops of enemies. The Panchalas setting out to invade the whole earth with their four kinds of troops soon brought the whole earth under their rule. With their ten Akshauhinis, the king of the Panchalas defeated the Bharata prince. Samvarana then with his wife and ministers, sons and relatives, fled in fear, and took shelter in the forest on the banks of the Sindhu (present day Indus river) extending to the foot of the mountains. There the Bharatas lived for a full thousand years, within their fort.
"After they had lived there a thousand years, one day the illustrious Rishi Vasishtha approached the exiled Bharatas, who, on going out, saluted the Rishi and worshipped him by the offer of Arghya. Entertaining him with respect, they said everything to that illustrious Rishi. After he was seated on his seat, the king (Samvarana) himself approached the Rishi and addressed him, saying, 'You be our priest (Purohita in Sanskrit), O illustrious one! We will attempt to regain our kingdom.'
"Vasishtha answered the Bharatas by saying, 'Om' (the sign of consent). It has been heard by us that Vasishtha then installed the Bharata prince (Samvarana) in the sovereignty of all the Kshatriyas on earth, making by virtue of his Mantras this descendant of Pooru the veritable horns of the wild bull or the tusks of the wild elephants. The king retook the capital that had been taken away from him and once more made all monarchs pay tribute to him. The powerful Samvarana, thus installed once more in the actual sovereignty of the whole earth, performed many yagnas at which the presents to the Brahmanas were great.
"Samvarana fathered upon his wife, Tapati, the daughter of Surya, a son named Kuru. This Kuru was exceedingly Dharmic, and therefore, he was installed on the throne by his people. It is after his name that the field called Kuru-jangala has become so famous in the world. Devoted to Tapas, he made that field (Kurukshetra) sacred by practising Tapas there.
"It has been heard by us that Kuru's highly intelligent wife, Vaahini, brought forth five sons, viz., Ashvanta, Abhishvata, Chitraratha, Muni and the celebrated Janamejaya. Abhishvata fathered Parikshit the powerful, Sabalashwa, Abhiraja, Viraja, Shalmala of great physical strength, Uchaihsravaa, Bhadrakaara and Jitaari the eighth.
"In the race of these were born, as the fruit of their acts of Dharma seven mighty Maharathas with Janamejaya at their head.
"To Parikshit were born sons who were all acquainted with (the secrets of) Dharma and Arthaa. They were named Kakshasena, Ugrasena, Chitrasena endued with great energy, Indrasena, Sushena and Bhimasena.
"The sons of Janamejaya were all endued with great strength and became celebrated all over the world. They were Dhritarashtra who was the eldest, Pandu, Balhika, Nishadha endued with great energy, the mighty Jaambunada, Kundodara, Padati and then Vasaati the eighth. They were all proficient in morality and profit and were kind to all creatures. Among them Dhritarashtra became king.
"Dhritarashtra had eight sons - Kundika, Hasti, Vitarka, Kraatha, Kundala the fifth, Havihsrava, Indraabha, and Sumanyu the invincible. Dhritarashtra had many grandsons, of whom three only were famous. O king (Janamejaya), they were Pratipa, Dharmanetra, Sunetra.
"Among these three, Pratipa became unrivalled on earth. O bull in Bharata's race, Pratipa fathered three sons - Devaapi, Shantanu, and the mighty Maharatha Balhika. The eldest Devaapi adopted the course of life of Rishi, driven thereto by the desire of benefiting his brothers. The kingdom was obtained by Shantanu and the mighty Maharatha Valhika.
"O monarch (Janamejaya), besides, there were born in the race of Bharata numberless other excellent monarchs endued with great energy and like to Devarishis themselves in Dharma and power of Tapas. So also in the race of Manu were born many mighty Maharathas like to Devas themselves, who by their number swelled the Yela dynasty into gigantic proportions.'"
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