The Kashi Line: Dhanvantari and Alarka

Verse 1 (vishnu.4.8.1)

श्रीपराशर उवाच । पुरूरवसो ज्येष्ठः पुत्रो यस्त्वायुर्नामा स राहोर्दुहितरमुपयेमे

śrīparāśara uvāca | purūravaso jyeṣṭhaḥ putro yastvāyurnāmā sa rāhorduhitaramupayeme

Sri Parashara said: Pururavas's eldest son, named Ayus, married the daughter of Rahu.

Verse 2 (vishnu.4.8.2)

तस्यां च पंच पुत्रानुत्पादयामास

tasyāṁ ca paṁca putrānutpādayāmāsa

By her he had five sons.

Verse 3 (vishnu.4.8.3)

नहुषक्षत्रवृद्धरंभरजिसंज्ञास्तथैवानेनाः पंचमः पुत्रोऽभूत्

nahuṣakṣatravṛddharaṁbharajisaṁjñāstathaivānenāḥ paṁcamaḥ putro'bhūt

Nahusha, Kshatravriddha, Rambha, Raji — and the fifth son was Anena.

Verse 4 (vishnu.4.8.4)

क्षत्रवृद्धात्सुहोत्रः पुत्रोऽभवत्

kṣatravṛddhātsuhotraḥ putro'bhavat

From Kshatravriddha, Suhotra was born.

Verse 5 (vishnu.4.8.5)

काश्यपकाशगृत्समदास्त्रयस्तस्य पुत्रा बभूवुः

kāśyapakāśagṛtsamadāstrayastasya putrā babhūvuḥ

Kashyapa, Kasha, and Gritsamada were his three sons.

Verse 6 (vishnu.4.8.6)

गृत्समदस्य शौनकश्चातुर्वर्ण्यप्रवर्त्तयिताऽभूत्

gṛtsamadasya śaunakaścāturvarṇyapravarttayitā'bhūt

Gritsamada's son was Shaunaka, who established the fourfold order of the varnas.

Verse 7 (vishnu.4.8.7)

काश्यस्य काश्योः काशीराजः तस्माद्राष्ट्रः राष्ट्रस्य दीर्घतपाः पुत्रोऽभवत्

kāśyasya kāśyoḥ kāśīrājaḥ tasmādrāṣṭraḥ rāṣṭrasya dīrghatapāḥ putro'bhavat

From Kasha's son (also called Kasha) came the king of Kashi; from him, Rashtra; Rashtra's son was Dirghatapas.

Verse 8 (vishnu.4.8.8)

धन्वंतरिस्तु दीर्घतपसः पुत्रोऽभवत्

dhanvaṁtaristu dīrghatapasaḥ putro'bhavat

Dhanvantari was the son of Dirghatapas.

Verse 9 (vishnu.4.8.9)

स हि संसिद्धकार्यकरणस्सकलसंभूतिष्वशेषो ज्ञानविदा भगवता नारायणेन चातीत संभूतौ तस्मै वरो दत्तः

sa hi saṁsiddhakāryakaraṇassakalasaṁbhūtiṣvaśeṣo jñānavidā bhagavatā nārāyaṇena cātīta saṁbhūtau tasmai varo dattaḥ

He, perfect in accomplishing his tasks, all-knowing among all beings, was granted a boon in a former birth by the Lord Narayana, knower of all things —

Verse 10 (vishnu.4.8.10)

काशीराजगोत्रेऽवतीर्य त्वमष्टधा सम्यगायुर्वेदं करिष्यसि यज्ञभागभुग्भविष्यसीति

kāśīrājagotre'vatīrya tvamaṣṭadhā samyagāyurvedaṁ kariṣyasi yajñabhāgabhugbhaviṣyasīti

'Being born in the lineage of the king of Kashi, you shall duly compose the eightfold Ayurveda, and shall partake of a share in sacrifices.'

Verse 11 (vishnu.4.8.11)

तस्य च धन्वंतरेः पुत्रः केतुमान् केतुमतो भीमरथः तस्यापि दिवोदासः तस्यापि प्रतर्दनः

tasya ca dhanvaṁtareḥ putraḥ ketumān ketumato bhīmarathaḥ tasyāpi divodāsaḥ tasyāpi pratardanaḥ

That Dhanvantari's son was Ketuman; Ketuman's son, Bhimaratha; his son too, Divodasa; his son too, Pratardana.

Verse 12 (vishnu.4.8.12)

स च भद्रश्रेण्यवंशविनाशनादशेषशत्रवोनेन जिता इति शत्रुजिदभवत्

sa ca bhadraśreṇyavaṁśavināśanādaśeṣaśatravonena jitā iti śatrujidabhavat

He, because of the destruction of the Bhadrashrena line and the conquest of all his enemies, became known as Shatrujit.

Verse 13 (vishnu.4.8.13)

तेन च प्रीतिमतात्मपुत्रो वत्सवत्सेत्यभिहितो वत्सोऽभवत्

tena ca prītimatātmaputro vatsavatsetyabhihito vatso'bhavat

And out of great affection his own son was called by the pet name 'Vatsa,' and so he was named Vatsa.

Verse 14 (vishnu.4.8.14)

सत्यपरतया ऋतध्वजसंज्ञामवाप

satyaparatayā ṛtadhvajasaṁjñāmavāpa

Through his devotion to truth, he obtained the name Ritadhvaja.

Verse 15 (vishnu.4.8.15)

ततश्च कुवलयनामानमश्वं लेभे ततः कुवलयाश्व इत्यस्यां पृथिव्यां प्रथितः

tataśca kuvalayanāmānamaśvaṁ lebhe tataḥ kuvalayāśva ityasyāṁ pṛthivyāṁ prathitaḥ

Then he obtained a horse named Kuvalaya, and so became renowned on this earth as Kuvalayashva.

Verse 16 (vishnu.4.8.16)

तस्य च वत्सस्य पुत्रोऽलर्कनामाभवत् यस्यायमद्यापि श्लोको गीयते

tasya ca vatsasya putro'larkanāmābhavat yasyāyamadyāpi śloko gīyate

That Vatsa's son was named Alarka, of whom this verse is still sung today —

Verse 17 (vishnu.4.8.17)

षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि षष्टिवर्षशतानि च । अलर्कादपरो नान्यो बुभुजे मेदिनीं युवा

ṣaṣṭivarṣasahasrāṇi ṣaṣṭivarṣaśatāni ca | alarkādaparo nānyo bubhuje medinīṁ yuvā

'For sixty thousand years and sixty hundred years, none other than Alarka, ever youthful, enjoyed the earth.'

Verse 18 (vishnu.4.8.18)

तस्याप्यलर्कस्य सन्नतिनामाऽभवदात्मजः

tasyāpyalarkasya sannatināmā'bhavadātmajaḥ

That Alarka's own son was named Sannati.

Verse 19 (vishnu.4.8.19)

सन्नतेः सुनीथः तस्यापि सुकेतुः तस्माच्च धर्मकेतुर्जज्ञे

sannateḥ sunīthaḥ tasyāpi suketuḥ tasmācca dharmaketurjajñe

Sannati's son was Sunitha; his son too, Suketu; from him, Dharmaketu was born.

Verse 20 (vishnu.4.8.20)

ततश्च सत्यकेतुः तस्माद्विभुः तत्तयस्सुविभुः ततश्च सुकुमारस्तस्यापि दृष्टकेतुः ततश्च वीतिहोत्रः तस्माद्भार्गः भार्गस्य भार्गभूमिः ततश्चातुर्वर्ण्यप्रवृत्तिरित्येते काश्यपभूभृतः कथिताः

tataśca satyaketuḥ tasmādvibhuḥ tattayassuvibhuḥ tataśca sukumārastasyāpi dṛṣṭaketuḥ tataśca vītihotraḥ tasmādbhārgaḥ bhārgasya bhārgabhūmiḥ tataścāturvarṇyapravṛttirityete kāśyapabhūbhṛtaḥ kathitāḥ

From him, Satyaketu; from him, Vibhu; his son, Suvibhu; from him, Sukumara; his son too, Dhrishtaketu; from him, Vitihotra; from him, Bharga; Bharga's son, Bhargabhumi; from him came the establishment of the fourfold order — these are the kings of the Kashya line, as related.

Verse 21 (vishnu.4.8.21)

रजेस्तु संततिः श्रूयताम्

rajestu saṁtatiḥ śrūyatām

Now hear the lineage of Raji.