Lunar dynasty
Lunar Dynasty | |
|---|---|
| Capital | Pratisthan, Mathura, Hastinapur |
| Common languages | Sanskrit |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Government | Monarchy |
| Monarch | |
| Today part of | Indian subcontinent |
The Lunar dynasty (IAST: Candravaṃśa or Somavaṃśa in Sanskrit) is a legendary principal house of the Kshatriyas varna, or warrior–ruling caste mentioned in the ancient Indian texts. This legendary dynasty was said to be descended from moon-related deities (Soma or Lunar).[1] The Hindu deity Krishna is believed to be born in the Yaduvansh branch of the Lunar dynasty.
According to the Shatapatha Brahmana, Pururavas was the son of Budha (himself often described as the son of Soma) and the gender-switching deity Ila (born as the daughter of Manu).[2] Pururavas's great-grandson was Yayati, who had five sons named Yadu, Turvasu, Druhyu, Anu, and Puru. These seem to be the names of five Vedic tribes as described in the Vedas.[3]
According to the Mahabharata, the dynasty's progenitor Ila ruled from Prayag, and had a son Shashabindu who ruled in the country of Bahli.[4] The son of Ila and Budha was Pururavas who became the first Chandravanshi emperor of the planet. Ila's descendants were also known as the Ailas.[5]
In Mahabharata
In Hindu texts, the Kurukshetra War, which forms the subject of the Indian epic Mahabharata, was largely fought between rival branches of the Lunar dynasty, famously resulting in Arjuna's turn away from war and the reprimand of his mentor Krishna. Krishna reminds Arjuna that Dharma stands above everything and the text forms an integral cultural cornerstone for all four Kshatriya houses.
By the conclusion of the Kurukshetra War most of the Yadhuvanshi lineage is in peril. The sinking of Dwarka sees the destruction of the entire Yaduvanshi lineage with the exception of Vajranabh who was saved by Arjuna and later becomes the King of Mathura.
See also
References
- ^ Paliwal, B. B. (2005). Message of the Purans. Diamond Pocket Books Ltd. p. 21. ISBN 978-8-12881-174-6.
- ^ Thapar 2013, p. 308.
- ^ A. K. Warder (1972). An Introduction to Indian Historiography. Popular Prakashan. pp. 21–22.
- ^ Doniger, Wendy (1999). Splitting the difference: gender and myth in ancient Greece and India. University of Chicago Press. p. 273. ISBN 978-0-226-15641-5. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
- ^ Encyclopaedia of the Hindu world, Volume 1 By Gaṅgā Rām Garg
Sources
- Thapar, Romila (2013), The Past Before Us, Harvard University Press, ISBN 978-0-674-72651-2
External links
Media related to Lunar dynasty at Wikimedia Commons
- Lunar dynasty
- Kshatriya
- Mythological peoples
- Kingdoms in the Mahabharata