The History of Antiquity, Vol. 4 (of 6)Duncker, Max
History
The History of Antiquity, Vol. 4 (of 6)
Duncker, Max
History, Ancient
In the poem of the great war once waged by the kings of the Aryas on the
Yamuna and the upper Ganges the Tritsus are no longer found on the
Sarasvati or the Yamuna. The enemies at this period are the Matsyas and
the Bharatas, the former on the Yamuna, the latter further to the east
on the upper Ganges. The Tritsus have been forced further to the east,
and have become lost among the Koçalas, who are situated on the Sarayu,
or have taken that name; at any rate, the name of Sudas appears in the
genealogical table of the rulers of the Koçalas, and in the Ramayana, as
in other traditions, Vasishtha, who (or whose family) then gained
victory by his prayers for Sudas, is the wisest priest among the
Koçalas.[136] Hence we may conclude that at a later time the Bharatas
were more fortunate in their advance to the east. The struggle for their
country and throne is the central point in the poem. According to the
Mahabharata the rulers of the Bharatas spring from Manu. With Ila, the
daughter of Manu, Budha the son of the moon, begot the 'pious'
Pururavas, _i.e._ the far-famed. Pururavas is succeeded by Ayus,
Nahusha, and Yayati. From Yayati's elder sons, Anu, Druhyu, Yadu, spring
the Anus, the Drahyus, and the Yadavas,[137] of whom we already have the
two first as confederates of the Bharatas.[138] Yayati was followed on
the throne by his youngest son Puru. Dushyanta, one of the successors of
Puru, married Çakuntala, the daughter of the priest Viçvamitra. To him
she bore Bharata, who reduced all nations, and was lord of the whole
earth. After Bharata, Bhumanyu, Suhotra, Ajamidha, and Samvarana,
occupied the throne of Hastinapura, the chief city of the kingdom on the
upper Ganges.[139] In Samvarana's reign the kingdom was attacked by
droughts, famine, and pestilence; and the king of the Panchalas advanced
with a mighty host, and conquered Samvarana in the battle, who fled with
his wife Tapati, his children and dependants, to the west, and took up
his abode in a forest hut in the neighbourhood of the Indus. There the
Bharatas lived for a long time, protected by the impenetrable country.
Afterwards Samvarana reconquered the glorious city which he had
previously inhabited, and Tapati bore him Kuru, whom the nation chose to
be king. Kuru was succeeded on the throne of Hastinapura by Viduratha,
Anaçvan, Parikshit, Pratiçravas, Pratipa and Çantanu.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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