A Study of the Bhagavata Purana or Esoteric Hinduism Part 45

6. _Ila_.

--+---------------------+-----------+-- Uruvalka Others.

7. _Dhritadeva_ Vipristha.

8. _Santideva_ --+-----------+-----------+------+-- Prasama Prathita Others.

9. _Upadeva_ --+-----------+-----------+------+-- Rajanya Kalpa-Varha Others.

10. _Srideva_ --+---------+----------+---+------+-- Vasu Hansa Suvansa Others.

11. _Devaraks.h.i.ta_ --+------------------------+------+-- Gada Others.

12. _Shahadeva_ --+-------------+---------+------+-- Pravara Srutimukhya Others.

13. _Devaki_ --+---------+----------+-------+-+---------+----------+---- Kirtimat Sushena Bhadrasena Riju Sanmardana Bhadra --+----------------+-------------+--------------/ Sankarshana KRISHNA Subhadra.

With the birth of Sri Krishna, we come to the end of the Ninth Skandha of the Bhagavata Purana. But for the completion of the racial account, we give here only the 1st. Chapter of the 12th. Skandha.

*SKANDHA XII. CHAP. 1.*

We have seen Ripunjaya to be the last of the Magadha kings. He will be also called Puranjaya (The future tense, it must be remembered, is used solely with reference to the time of Pariks.h.i.t). His minister Sunaka shall kill him and place his own son Pradyota on the throne.

Pradyota Palaka Visakha Rajaka Nandivardhana

These 5 kings of the line of Pradyota shall reign for 138 years.

Nandi Vardhana Ajata-Satru (Contd).

Sisunaga Darbhaka Kakavarna Aj-aya Kshemadharma Nandi Vardhana Kshetrajna Mahanandi Vidhisara Saisunaga Ajata-Satru

These ten shall reign for 360 years--Mahanandi shall have a son, Nanda, by a Sudra woman. He shall be the next king. One Brahmana Chanakya shall kill Nanda and his eight sons and shall place Chandra Gupta on the throne.

Chandra Gupta Varisara Asokavardhana Suyasas Dasaratha Sangata Salisuka Soma-Sarman Satadhanvan Brihadratha

These ten kings called Mauryas shall reign for 137 years. Pushpamitra, Commander of Brihadratha's forces, shall kill his master and be king himself. He shall be the founder of the Sunga dynasty.

PUSHPAMITRA Agnimitra Sujyestha --+---------------------+-----------------+-- Vasumitra Bhadraka Pulinda Utghosha Vajramitra Bhagavata Devabhuti

These (10) ten kings of the Sunga dynasty shall reign for 112 years.

Vasudeva, the minister of Devabhuti, shall kill his master and become himself the king.

VASUDEVA Bhumitra Narayana Susarman

These four kings shall be called Kanvas. They shall reign for 345 years.

Susarman shall be killed by his servant Balin, a Sudra of the Andhra clan, who shall himself usurp the throne. Balin shall be succeeded by his brother.

--+------------+-- Balin Krishna Anishta Karman Gomati Srisantakarna Haleya Purimat Pournamasa Talaka Medasiras Lambodara Purishabhiru Sivaskanda Chivilaka Sunandana Yajnasri Meghasvati Chakora Vijaya Atamana 8 Bahus Chandravijna ending in Sivasvati Anishta Karman Salomadhi

These thirty kings of the Andhra dynasty shall rule the earth for 456 years. Seven abhiras, kings of Avabhriti, ten Gardabhins (men of Gardabha) and sixteen Kankas shall then be the rulers. They shall be followed by 8 Yavanas, 14 Turushkas and ten Surundas. These 65 kings shall reign for one thousand and ninety nine years. Eleven Moulas shall then be the kings for 300 years.

Bhuta-Nanda, Bangiri, Sisunandi and Yaso-Nandi shall then become kings.

Their sons, all known as Bahlikas, shall succeed them. Then Pushpamitra shall be the king, then his son Durmitra. Seven Andhras, seven Kosalas, Vidurapatis and Nishadhas shall then become kings, at one and the same time, over the lands of these names. They shall be the descendants of the Bahlikas.

Visvasphurji, otherwise called Puranjaya, shall be the king of the Magadhas. He shall make havoc of the caste system. His chief town shall be Padmavati (Modern Patna) but his kingdom shall extend from Hardwar to Pryag.

Then there shall be Sudra and Mlechcha kings.

THOUGHTS ON THE VAIVASVATA MANVANTARA.

The study of the Vaivasvata Manvantara can be pursued, as to minor details, from more than one stand-point. But I am at present concerned with only the broad outlines of its esoteric aspect.

We are to understand, in the first place, that there are certain types of human races in this as in other Manvantaras. Each of these types has a history of its own. Each has its stages of growth, rise and decline, and some have their periods of revival in this Manvantara as well. Each racial type has to be studied separately.

The connection of the races with the Sun and the Moon requires a little consideration.

Those who are acquainted with Hindu astrology know that the life time of a man is divided into certain divisions, each division being under the influence of one planet. Each planetary period again has its sub-divisions, in each of which there is a secondary run of the planets.

According to the Bengal School, the main planetary run takes 108 years for its completion, and according to another school, it takes 120 years.

The following is the order of planetary succession according to the second school, which prevails all over India, except in Bengal: -

Sun 6 years, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Brihaspati 16, Saturn 19, Mercury 17, Ketu 7 and Venus 20. Thus if a man lives for 120 years, all the planets will in turn have influenced his life in the above order, commencing from the planet of his birth. Again there will be corresponding sub-runs of all the planets during each planetary run. The races are also governed by such planetary influences.

The Solar Dynasty means that the particular type of humanity so denoted was born under the influence of the solar planet. When all the planets have in turn exercised their influence over this Dynasty, it disappears for a time and is re-born under the influence of the Sun.

Similarly there will be a revival of the Lunar dynasty - that which commenced under the influence of the Moon.

The law of planetary influence over the human races is not as clearly known as that over individual men. Otherwise the future history of each race would not be the sealed book to us which it is.

The humanity of the present Manvantara was first born under the influence of the Solar Planet. Our Moon is the son of the Sun-G.o.d.

The races that first appeared were called Solar races.

Other races appeared under the influence of the Moon. In these races we find first the influence of Brihaspati or Jupiter, through his wife Tara, then of Budha or Mercury, and lastly of Sukra or Venus, through his daughter Devayani.

This planetary succession may be only a Sub-run of the planets. We read, in the account of the previous Manvantaras, of the appearance of Sukra as the guide of the Daityas, and of Brihaspati as the guide of the Devas. We have also read of the appearance of Rahu in the sixth Manvantara. This shews that the main planetary round has to be found in the Kalpa itself.

Our knowledge on the whole subject is however so poor that it is unsafe to make any distinct suggestion.

Now we shall take the Solar Races, or the sons of Vaivasvat Manu, in order of their treatment in the text. _Prishadhta_ and _Kavi_ were the first spiritual races. They did not marry _i.e._ there was no s.e.xual reproduction among them.