Vayu Purana

The noble line of kings continued with Shatanika, a son of great power and steadfast valor. The Brahmins, upholding tradition, consecrated Shatanika as sovereign, and from him was born Ashvamedhadatta, a prince renowned for his vigor. In due course, Ashvamedhadatta’s lineage gave rise to Parapuramjaya, and now, the righteous and illustrious Adhisamakrishna rules the realm. It is under his reign that you, the twice-born, have accomplished this arduous and lengthy sacrifice—a sacred rite lasting three years, performed for two years at Kurukshetra and on the banks of the Drishadvati. The assembled sages, eager to know more, addressed Suta, the wise narrator: "O learned one, as you have so faithfully recounted the kings and events of the past, we wish now to hear of the future—of the people and the kings yet to come. Tell us their names, even those who will arise after many years. Reveal to us the times ahead, the measure of the ages, the virtues and faults that will emerge, and the happiness and sorrow that will befall people with regard to righteousness, desire, and wealth. Having considered all this, speak the truth to us as we ask." Thus addressed, Suta, foremost among the wise, began to narrate all that he had seen and heard, as the great Vyasa himself had revealed to him—the wondrous acts and the unfolding of the coming Kali Yuga and the Manvantaras. "Hear now," Suta said, "all that is yet to come. I shall declare the names of the kings who will arise from this point forward: the Ailas, the Ikshvakus, and the Saudyumnas—those royal lines upon which the auspicious Ikshvaku land is established. I will recount all those future kings who will be named, as well as those who will come after them, O rulers of the earth. "There will be Kshatriyas, Parashavas, Shudras, and the twice-born; the Andhas, Shakas, Pulindas, Tulikas, together with the Yavanas. Also, the Kaivartas, Abhiras, Shabaras, and other Mleccha tribes. I will declare them in the order of the years and name those kings as well. "At present, Adhisamakrishna rules among the descendants of Puru. I shall now recount, in due order, the kings who will arise in his lineage in the future. Adhisamakrishna’s son will be Nirvakra. When the city called Nagasahvaya is swept away by the Ganga, Nirvakra will abandon his city and splendid residence, and dwell instead in Kaushambi. "Nirvakra’s son will be Ushna, and from Ushna will come Citraratha. From Citraratha will be Shucidratha, and from Shucidratha, Vritiman. Vritiman will beget Sushena, a man of great strength and fame, and from Sushena will arise a king named Sutirtha. From Sutirtha will come Rucha, and from him, Trichakshu; the heir of Trichakshu will be Sukhibala. Sukhibala’s son will be the king Paripluta, and Paripluta’s son will be the ruler Sunaya. "Then Medhavi will be king, son of Sunaya, and Medhavi’s son will be Dandapani. From Dandapani will come Niramitra, and from Niramitra, Kshemaka. Thus, twenty-five kings will be born in this ancient line. As the wise have sung, ‘The family, honored by the divine sages, is the source of both Brahmins and Kshatriyas.’ When the kingship reaches Kshemaka, the dynasty will come to an end in the Kali age. Thus, the Paurava line has been properly recounted. "Now, I shall narrate the line of the great-souled Ikshvakus, after the wise Pandu’s son, the noble Arjuna. The heir of Brihadratha will be the valiant king Brihatkshaya; his son will be Kshaya, and from Kshaya will come Vatsavyuha. From Vatsavyuha will come Prativyuha, whose son will be Divakara, the king who now rules the city of Ayodhya. Divakara’s son will be the illustrious Sahadeva; Sahadeva’s heir will be Brihadashva. His son will be Bhanuratha, and Bhanuratha’s son will be Pratitashva; Pratitashva’s son will be Supratita. Sahadeva will be his son, and Sunakshatra will be the son of Sahadeva. "From Sunakshatra will come Kinnara, a subduer of foes, and Kinnara’s great son will be Antariksha. From Antariksha will be Suparna, and from Suparna, Amitrajit; his son will be Bharadvaja, known as Dharmi. Dharmi’s son will be named Kritanjaya; Kritanjaya’s son will be Vrata, and his son will be Rananjaya. There will be a heroic king named Sanjaya, victorious in battle; Sanjaya’s son will be Shakya, and from Shakya will be born Shuddhodana. To Shuddhodana will be born, for the sake of the Shakya line, the one known as Rahula. From Prasenajit will come Kshudraka, and from him another will be born. From Kshudraka will come Kshulika, and from Kshulika, Suratha is remembered; Sumitra will be born from Suratha, and he will be the last king. "These are declared as the Ikshvaku kings who will arise in the Kali age, born in the line of Brihadbala. They will be valiant, learned, truthful, and self-controlled. As the genealogists say, ‘This is the lineage of the Ikshvakus, which will end with Sumitra; upon reaching Sumitra as king, the line will come to its close in the Kali age.’ Thus, the human field and the Maileya line have been described. "Now, I shall declare the Magadhas of the Brihadratha line, the kings descended from Sahadeva in the lineage of Jarasandha. Those who have passed, those who are present, and those who will come again—I shall recount them in order of prominence; listen as I speak. In that great Bharata war, Sahadeva was slain; his son was the royal sage Somadhi, who ruled in the city of Girivraja." In this way, Suta lovingly and reverently recounted the illustrious lines of kings, their virtues, their destinies, and the unfolding of ages, as had been revealed by Vyasa, so that the sages might know both what had been and what was yet to come.