THE CHANDRA DYANSTY PRODUCED MANY POWERFUL KINGS: JIYAR SWAMI

THE CHANDRA DYANSTY PRODUCED MANY POWERFUL KINGS: JIYAR SWAMI

19-SEP-ENG 19

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA--------------------------At the Paramanpur Chaturmasya fasting site, India's great sage, Shri Lakshmiprapanna Jiyar Swami Ji Maharaj, said that the Chandra dynasty produced many kings. Lord Shri Krishna was also born in this Chandra dynasty. This Chandra dynasty included great men like King Pururava, King Yadu, Lord Parashurama, Sage Vishwamitra, Sage Sahastrarjuna, King Bharata, Sage Bharadwaj, Sage Garga, Shantanu Maharaja, and Bhishmacharya. The Chandra dynasty also produced some Brahmin sages and maharishis. Brihaspati, the guru of the gods, and Mamta had a son, Sage Bharadwaj, whom King Bharata adopted as his son. After this, the Brahmin lineage also expanded within the lineage.

Kansa, Duryodhana, Kripacharya, Dronacharya, Ashwatthama, Dhritarashtra, Pandu, Yudhishthira, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula, Sahadeva, and others were also born in the Chandravansh. The Chandravansh has a vast lineage, including Parashurama, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Krishna, the chief incarnation of grace among the four incarnations of Lord Shriman Narayana, was also born in this Chandravansh. Three Brahmin sages were also born in this Chandravansh.

The Chandravansh produced many powerful and illustrious kings. One of them was King Dushyanta, a very powerful and illustrious king who married Shakuntala, the daughter of sage Vishwamitra and the heavenly nymph Menaka. Once, while sage Vishwamitra was engaged in meditation, Menaka interrupted his meditation, and they married a daughter named Shakuntala, who was raised at the ashram of sage Kanva.

This Shakuntala was married to King Dushyant, and they bore him a very valorous son, Bharata. In time, Bharata grew up and married, but they had no son. They then performed a Maruta Yagna, appeasing the Maruta deities and praying for a son. The Maruta deities granted King Bharata a child, already helpless in the forest. This child was none other than the son of Sage Brihaspati.

Sage Brihaspati's brother was Sage Utthaya, whose wife was Mamta. Once, Sage Brihaspati became playful with his brother's wife, Mamta. The child was born to Sage Bhardwaj. Sage Brihaspati took this child and left him in the forest. The Maruta deities then raised the child. The Maruta deities gave Sage Bhardwaj, who was in the form of a child, to Bharata.

Later, sage Bharadwaj became the successor to Bharat's kingdom. In this lineage, King Ratideva was born. In Ratideva's lineage, sage Garg was born. Sage Garg's son was Seeni. In their lineage, a king named Hasti was born, after whom Hastinapur was named. In this same lineage, a king named Mudgal was born, who had twins: a boy and a girl. The girl's name was Ahalya. This Ahalya was married to sage Gautam.

In the lineage of sage Bharadwaj, King Drupada was born, Dronacharya was born, and many other ascetics and powerful kings. Later, in this lineage, King Brihadratha was born, whose son was Jarasandha. In this lineage, King Shantanu was born, whose son was Bhishmacharya. Shantanu then married Satyavati, whose lineage gave birth to the Pandavas and Kauravas.

On the holy banks of the Ganges, King Parikshit was being told by Shukdev about the entire lineage of the Chandravansh dynasty. King Parikshit then asked Shukdev to also tell him about the lineage of Lord Krishna. Shukdev replied, "Blessed is the Chandravansh (Yaduvansh) in which Lord Krishna was born." King Parikshit then told Shukdev that Lord Krishna is his brother.

Shukdev then asked how Krishna became his brother. Parikshit replied, "He became his brother because Ashwatthama had released the Brahmastra when he was in his mother's womb. Then Lord Krishna, in the subtle form of a mace, released it into his mother's womb, protecting King Parikshit in the womb. Because God was protecting King Parikshit in the womb, he became Parikshit's brother."