The Lineage of Yadu and Kartavirya Arjuna

Verse 1 (vishnu.4.11.1)

श्रीपराशर उवाच अतः परं ययातेः प्रथमपुत्रस्य यदोर्वंशमहं कथयामि

śrīparāśara uvāca ataḥ paraṁ yayāteḥ prathamaputrasya yadorvaṁśamahaṁ kathayāmi

Sri Parashara said: Now, following this, I shall relate the lineage of Yadu, the eldest son of Yayati.

Verse 2 (vishnu.4.11.2)

यत्राशेषलोकनिवासो मनुष्यसिद्धगन्धर्वयक्षराक्षसगुह्यककिंपुरुषाप्सरोरगविहगदैत्यदानवादित्यरुद्रवस्वश्विमरुद्देवर्षिभिर्मुमुक्षुभिर्धर्मार्थकाममोक्षार्थिभिश्च तत्तत्फललाभाय सदाभिष्टुतोऽपरिच्छेद्यमाहात्म्यांशेन भगवाननादिनिधनो विष्णुरवततार

yatrāśeṣalokanivāso manuṣyasiddhagandharvayakṣarākṣasaguhyakakiṁpuruṣāpsaroragavihagadaityadānavādityarudravasvaśvimaruddevarṣibhirmumukṣubhirdharmārthakāmamokṣārthibhiśca tattatphalalābhāya sadābhiṣṭuto'paricchedyamāhātmyāṁśena bhagavānanādinidhano viṣṇuravatatāra

In this lineage — praised always by men, siddhas, gandharvas, yakshas, rakshasas, guhyakas, kimpurushas, apsarases, serpents, birds, daityas, danavas, adityas, rudras, vasus, ashvins, maruts, and divine sages, all seeking the fruits of dharma, artha, kama and moksha — the beginningless and endless Lord Vishnu, whose majesty knows no bound, descended in a portion of himself.

Verse 3 (vishnu.4.11.3)

अत्र श्लोकः

atra ślokaḥ

On this there is a verse:

Verse 4 (vishnu.4.11.4)

यदोर्वंशं नरः श्रुत्वा सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते । यत्रावतीर्णं कृष्णाख्यंपरं ब्रह्मनराकृति

yadorvaṁśaṁ naraḥ śrutvā sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate | yatrāvatīrṇaṁ kṛṣṇākhyaṁparaṁ brahmanarākṛti

A man who hears of the lineage of Yadu is freed from all sins, for in it the Supreme Brahman, bearing human form, descended under the name Krishna.

Verse 5 (vishnu.4.11.5)

सहस्रजित्क्रोष्टुनलनहुषसंज्ञाश्चात्वारो यदुपुत्रा बभूवुः

sahasrajitkroṣṭunalanahuṣasaṁjñāścātvāro yaduputrā babhūvuḥ

Yadu had four sons, named Sahasrajit, Kroshtu, Nala, and Nahusha.

Verse 6 (vishnu.4.11.6)

सहस्रजित्पुः शतजित्

sahasrajitpuḥ śatajit

Sahasrajit's son was Shatajit.

Verse 7 (vishnu.4.11.7)

तस्य हैहयहेहयवेणुहयास्त्रयः पुत्रा बभूवुः

tasya haihayahehayaveṇuhayāstrayaḥ putrā babhūvuḥ

He had three sons, named Haihaya, Hehaya, and Venuhaya.

Verse 8 (vishnu.4.11.8)

हैहयपुत्रो धर्मः तस्यापि धर्मनेत्रः ततः कुन्तिः कुन्तेः सहजित्

haihayaputro dharmaḥ tasyāpi dharmanetraḥ tataḥ kuntiḥ kunteḥ sahajit

Haihaya's son was Dharma, his son was Dharmanetra, from him came Kunti, and from Kunti came Sahajit.

Verse 9 (vishnu.4.11.9)

तत्तनयो महिष्मान् योऽसौ माहिष्मतीं पुरीं निर्वापयामास

tattanayo mahiṣmān yo'sau māhiṣmatīṁ purīṁ nirvāpayāmāsa

His son was Mahishman, who founded the city named Mahishmati.

Verse 10 (vishnu.4.11.10)

तस्माद्भद्रश्रेण्यस्ततो दुर्दमस्तस्माद्धनकः धनकस्य कृतवीर्यकृताग्निकृतधर्मकृतौजसश्चत्वारः पुत्रा बभूवुः

tasmādbhadraśreṇyastato durdamastasmāddhanakaḥ dhanakasya kṛtavīryakṛtāgnikṛtadharmakṛtaujasaścatvāraḥ putrā babhūvuḥ

From him came Bhadrashrenya; from him, Durdama; from him, Dhanaka. Dhanaka had four sons, named Kritavirya, Kritagni, Kritadharma, and Kritaujas.

Verse 11 (vishnu.4.11.11)

कृतवीर्यादर्जुःसप्तद्वीपाधिपतिर्बाहुसहस्रो जज्ञे

kṛtavīryādarjuḥsaptadvīpādhipatirbāhusahasro jajñe

From Kritavirya was born Arjuna, lord of all seven continents, possessed of a thousand arms.

Verse 12 (vishnu.4.11.12)

योऽसौ भगवदंशमत्रिकुलप्रसूतं दत्तात्रेयाख्यमाराध्य बाहुसहस्रमधर्मसेवानिवारणं स्वधर्मसेवित्वं रणे पृथिवीजयं धर्मतश्चानुपालनमारातिभ्योऽपराजयमखिलजगत्प्रख्यातपुरुषाच्च मृत्युमित्येतान्वरानभिलषितवांल्लेभे च

yo'sau bhagavadaṁśamatrikulaprasūtaṁ dattātreyākhyamārādhya bāhusahasramadharmasevānivāraṇaṁ svadharmasevitvaṁ raṇe pṛthivījayaṁ dharmataścānupālanamārātibhyo'parājayamakhilajagatprakhyātapuruṣācca mṛtyumityetānvarānabhilaṣitavāṁllebhe ca

By worshipping Dattatreya, the portion of the Lord born in the family of Atri, he obtained these desired boons: a thousand arms, freedom from unrighteous conduct, devotion to his own dharma, conquest of the earth in battle, righteous rule over it, invincibility before enemies, and death only at the hands of a man renowned throughout the world.

Verse 13 (vishnu.4.11.13)

तेनेयमशेषद्वीपवती पृथिवी सम्यक्परीपालिता

teneyamaśeṣadvīpavatī pṛthivī samyakparīpālitā

By him this whole earth, with all its continents, was well governed.

Verse 14 (vishnu.4.11.14)

दशयज्ञसहस्राण्यसावयजत्

daśayajñasahasrāṇyasāvayajat

He performed ten thousand sacrifices.

Verse 15 (vishnu.4.11.15)

तस्य च श्लोकोऽद्यापि गीयते

tasya ca śloko'dyāpi gīyate

Of him this verse is still sung today:

Verse 16 (vishnu.4.11.16)

न नूनं कार्तवीर्यस्य गातिं यास्यन्ति पार्थिवाः । यज्ञैर्दानैस्तपोभिर्वा प्रश्रयेण श्रुतेन च

na nūnaṁ kārtavīryasya gātiṁ yāsyanti pārthivāḥ | yajñairdānaistapobhirvā praśrayeṇa śrutena ca

Never indeed shall other kings attain the glory of Kartavirya — not by sacrifices, gifts, austerities, humility, or sacred learning.

Verse 17 (vishnu.4.11.17)

अनष्टद्रव्यता च तस्य राज्येऽभवत्

anaṣṭadravyatā ca tasya rājye'bhavat

In his kingdom no possession was ever lost.

Verse 18 (vishnu.4.11.18)

एवं च पञ्चाशीतिवर्षसहस्रण्यव्याहतेरोग्यश्रीबलपराक्रमो राज्यमकरोत्

evaṁ ca pañcāśītivarṣasahasraṇyavyāhaterogyaśrībalaparākramo rājyamakarot

Thus he ruled for eighty-five thousand years, his health, prosperity, strength, and valor never once diminished.

Verse 19 (vishnu.4.11.19)

माहिष्मत्यां दिग्विजयाभ्यागतो नर्मदाजलावगाहनक्रीडातिपानमदाकुलेनायत्नेनैव तेनाशेषदेवदैत्यगन्धर्वेशजयोद्भूतमदावलेपोऽपि रावणः पशुर् इव बद्ध्वा स्वनगरैकान्ते स्थापितः

māhiṣmatyāṁ digvijayābhyāgato narmadājalāvagāhanakrīḍātipānamadākulenāyatnenaiva tenāśeṣadevadaityagandharveśajayodbhūtamadāvalepo'pi rāvaṇaḥ paśur iva baddhvā svanagaraikānte sthāpitaḥ

When Ravana, in the course of his conquest of the quarters, came to Mahishmati — intoxicated with wine as he sported in the waters of the Narmada, and swollen with the pride born of his victories over the lords of gods, daityas, and gandharvas — Kartavirya, without the slightest effort, bound him like a mere beast and held him captive in a corner of his own city.

Verse 20 (vishnu.4.11.20)

यश्च पञ्चाशीतिवर्षसहस्रोपलक्षणकालावसाने भगवन्नारायणांशेन परशुरामेणोपसंहृतः

yaśca pañcāśītivarṣasahasropalakṣaṇakālāvasāne bhagavannārāyaṇāṁśena paraśurāmeṇopasaṁhṛtaḥ

And at the end of that span of eighty-five thousand years, he was slain by Parashurama, the incarnate portion of Lord Narayana.

Verse 21 (vishnu.4.11.21)

तस्य च पुत्रशतप्रधानाः पञ्चपुत्रा बभूवुः शूरशूरसेनवृषसेनमधुजयध्वजसंज्ञाः

tasya ca putraśatapradhānāḥ pañcaputrā babhūvuḥ śūraśūrasenavṛṣasenamadhujayadhvajasaṁjñāḥ

Foremost among his hundred sons were five, named Shura, Shurasena, Vrishasena, Madhu, and Jayadhvaja.

Verse 22 (vishnu.4.11.22)

जयध्वजात्तालजङ्घः पुत्रोभवत्

jayadhvajāttālajaṅghaḥ putrobhavat

Jayadhvaja's son was Talajangha.

Verse 23 (vishnu.4.11.23)

तालजङ्घस्य तालजङ्घाख्यं पुत्रशतमासीत्

tālajaṅghasya tālajaṅghākhyaṁ putraśatamāsīt

Talajangha had a hundred sons, known by the name Talajanghas.

Verse 24 (vishnu.4.11.24)

एषां ज्येष्ठे वीतिहोत्रस्तथान्यो भरतः

eṣāṁ jyeṣṭhe vītihotrastathānyo bharataḥ

The eldest of these was Vitihotra, and another was Bharata.

Verse 25 (vishnu.4.11.25)

भरताद्वृषः

bharatādvṛṣaḥ

From Bharata came Vrisha.

Verse 26 (vishnu.4.11.26)

वृषस्य पुत्रो मधुरभवत्

vṛṣasya putro madhurabhavat

Vrisha's son was Madhu.

Verse 27 (vishnu.4.11.27)

तस्यापि वृष्णिप्रमुखंपुत्रशतमासीत्

tasyāpi vṛṣṇipramukhaṁputraśatamāsīt

He too had a hundred sons, foremost among them Vrishni.

Verse 28 (vishnu.4.11.28)

यतो वृष्णिसंज्ञामेतद्गोत्रमवाप

yato vṛṣṇisaṁjñāmetadgotramavāpa

From this Vrishni, this family obtained the name Vrishni.

Verse 29 (vishnu.4.11.29)

मधुसंज्ञाहेतुश्च मधुरभवत्

madhusaṁjñāhetuśca madhurabhavat

And Madhu himself became the source of this lineage's name (Madhava).

Verse 30 (vishnu.4.11.30)

यादवाश्च यदुनामोपलक्षणादिति

yādavāśca yadunāmopalakṣaṇāditi

And by the name of Yadu, they are all known as Yadavas.