A Brief Survey of Kshatriya's Lunar Dynasty History ---

 

A Brief Survey of Kshatriya's  Lunar Dynasty History----

Brahma(the creator )sprung of the Lotus (in the form of the cosmos )evolve out of the pool -like navel of the (Supreme) Cosmic person possessed of countless heads ,there was  a son called Atri (by name ),who was a replica of his father in point of excellence .Out of his tears of joy ,so the tradition goes ,sprang up a son ,Soma or Chandra (by name ),who is a embodiment of the nector.He was appointed by Brahma as the Lord of Brahamanas ,herbs and annual plants ,as well as of the host of stars . Having completely subdued all the three worlds , he worshipped the Lord by means of a Rajasya sacrifice and out of the arrogance he forcibly carried away the wife of the sage Brihaspati (preceptor of gods ) , Tara (by name) .Despite Brahaspati 's repeated request ,Chandra refuged to return Tara .This made Brihaspati enraged and fierce war ensued between him and Chandra.Due to jealousy towards Brahaspati , Sukracharya (the preceptor of demons ) together with the Asuras took the side of the Moon-god (the ruler of the stars ) , while Lord Shiva (the destroyer of the universe ), and Indra continued to support Brahspati .

Since Tara was the basic reason for this war ,the whole war came to be known as Taramaya War .The war soon assumed such deadly proportions that it appeared as it the whole World might to be destroyed .This lead everybody to request Brahama to mediate to stop this war .Brahma took the role of mediator and in no time the war was stopped and Tara was restored to Brihaspati.Tara with Chandra brought forth a son effulgent as god.Brahma gave him name of Budha .(the wise one) ,in virtue of his profound wisdom.From this son.Soma derived (great )joy.

Budha subsequently married with Manu's daughter Ila ,a princes of the solar race .Of Budha was born , through Illa ,Pururava ,Who has already been referred to Smitten with shaft of Jove to hear of his personal charm , excellences ,liberality ,amiable deposition.,affluence and valour ,which were being extolled by the celestial sage (Narada ) ,in the court of Indra (the Lord of paradise ),the celestial nymph Urvashi sought his presence.Having developed a human disposition ,thanks to the curse of the gods Mitra and Varuna ,that charming damsel saw ,Pururava (the foremost of men ), who was as handsome as love and , controlling herself , arrived in his presence  .Perceiving Urvashi (the celestial lady ) to be gravid ,Pururava returned his capital .Urvashi gave birth to six sons with Pururuva , eldest being Ayu ,followed by Amavasu ,Visvasu , Ritayu , Satayu , Ayutuyu .The Pururava danasty was also called "Illa ", derived from mother ,Ila.Illa gave  the kingdom of Prtisthsnpur to her son Pururava .This prtisthanpuri was the kingdom of  Lunar race kings for a long period .Present Jhusi near Pryaga was called Prtisthan .
Ayu was married to Rahu's daughter Prabha.Prabha gave birth five sons with Ayu ,eldest was Nahusha  followed by Kshatravrdha ,Rambh , Raji ,and Anenas.Deu to eldest son of Ayu ,Nahusha become the throne of kingdom.

Nahusha had six son with her queen Virja , their name were Yati , Yayati , Samyati , Viyati , Ayati and Kriti.Among these Yati was a man of ascetic like temperament .He had no desired to be a king .With the result ,Yayati became the king after Nahusha .
Yayati had two wives .The first was Shukracharya's daughter Devyani and the second was the demon-Lord Vrishaparva's daughter , Sharmishtha .Yayati got two sons namely ,Yadu and Turvasu from Devyani and three sons namely , Druhu ,Anu and Puru.All of the prices earned good names and fame during the time of Rig Veda and were jointly called as Panchjanya .

King Yadu and Birth of Yadu Danasty---

Owing to a curse , King Yayati ,had received from Shukracharya he ,had become much old before he should have been .Then he called his eldest son Yadu and said"Son " I have become old rather untimely .But I still want to enjoy material and sensual pleasure.Would you lend me your youth and accept my old age for 1000years ".Yadu refused to comply with the request which made his further curse him ".Yayati say in your line no son would be worthy of being a king .Your (Yadu 's dynasty ) would be devoid of any worthy king.Then Yayati summoned Turvasa , Duruha and Anu.But they also refused topart with their youth against the exchange of their father 's old age . Consequently Yayati also imposed upon them the same curse which he had on Yadu.Finanly he summoned Puru ,his youngest son, who immediately agreed to his father's request .He took upon himself his Yayati's old age and gave in returns his own youth.
Becoming young Yayati immersed himself in all sensual pleasures.But after having spent many years in sensual pursuits he developed surfeit with them .Then he got back his old age from Puru and returned Puru's youth back to him.Yayati made Puru the King and went to do penance in the forest .All other sons of Yayati received small kingdoms from their unhappy father.
The kings between Budha and Yayati (five generations) were known descent of Soma or Chandra and their descendants were known as Somvanshi or Chandravanshi .As mentioned before ,Yadu had officially lost the title to govern by his father's command ,he could not have carried on the same dynastry ,called to be Somvanshi or Chandravanshi .Notably ,the only remaining dynasty of king Puru was only entitled to be known as Chandravanshi or Somvanshi.Thereby ,Yadu ordered that his future generations would be known as" Yadus "or "Yadavas " and the dynasty would be known as "Yaduvansis ".All those descended from Yadu came to be known as Yadavas ,the most prominent among them was Lord Krishna (son of Vrishni Vasudev ji and Andhakavanshi Devaki ji ) of the Gita fame .

The original name has been strangely corrupted ,and the race is now seldom designated as Yadus or Yaduvansi , but commonly by the term Jadu,or Jadon , or Jaduvansi .The title "Jadon" is now exclusively applied to the tribe which appears never to have strayed for from the limits of the ancient Suraseni , and consequently found them still in considerable number in that neighborhood .The name of Jadoo (Yadu) ,of whom there were Fifty-Six Tribes ,and became famous to the world and of this race was the nightly Shri Krishna , who founded Dwarika.( ).
The grand international conflicts amongst the "Fifty -Six YaduTribes ,"at Kurukshetra , and subsequently at Dwarika ,are sufficiently known to the reader of Hindu History ,and may be referred to elsewhere. Presently ,the Real Royal Clans or Kshatriya's family belong to ancient/puranic  Yadavas /Yaduvansis dynasty of Yadu , son of Yayati Lunar race kshatriya king  are the Jadus  (Jadons , porch ,Tank ,Chhonkars , Banafars , Baresari)  of Bayana /Karauli , the Bhatis of Jaisalmer , Bargalas ,Jaiswar , Jasawat in Qudh and the North-West Provices , for the Jadejas of Kutch &Bhuj , Chudasamas , Sarviyas ,Rayjadas in Gujrat ,Jadhavas in Maharastra and   wadeyars in Karnataka and Shooraseni of Hariyana ,Punjab ,and J&K,.A large number of the Musalmans like  Khanzadas or Meos of eastern Rajasthan are of Jadu descent .

References---

1-Shrimadbhagvatapurana.
2-Mahabharta .
3-Vishnupurana .
4-Harivanshpurana .
5-Gargasanhita.
6-Sakandapurana.
7-Krishna in History ,Thought and Culture :An Encyclopedia of HinduLord by Lavanya Vemsani .
8-Krishna Deities and Their Miracles by Stephen Knapp.
9-Meghdutam of Mahakavi Kalidas.
10-The life and Times of Krishna .byJ.B.Patro.
11-History of Ancient India.by J.P.Mittal
12-Krishna :A journey through the Lands and Legends of Krishna .By Dev Prasad.
13-The complete Life of Krishna .By Devi Vanamali .
14-The story of Ancient Dwaraka .By Devi Vanamala.
15-Braj Centre of Krishna Pilgrimage by A.W.Entwistle and Forsten ,E.1987.pp123 ,132.
16-Mathura: A District Memoir  by F .S.Growse .

Author-Dr Dhirendra Singh Jadaun
Village-Larhota near Sasni
District-Hathras ,Uttar Pradesh ,204216.
Associate Prof in Agriculture
Shahid Captain Ripudaman Singh Govt.College ,Sawai madhopur 'Rajasthan ,322001.