Chapter XVI
CHAP. XVI.
Descendants of Turvasu.
PARÁŚARA.--I shall now summarily give you an account of the descendants of Turvasu.
The son of Turvasu was Vahni 1; his son was Gobánu 2; his son was Traiśámba 3; his son was Karandhama; his son was Marutta. Marutta had no children, and he therefore adopted Dushyanta, of the family of Puru; by which the line of Turvasu merged into that of Puru 4. This took place in consequence of the malediction denounced on his son by Yayáti 5.
Footnotes
- 442:1
- 442:2
- 442:3
- 442:4
Besides Bharata, who, as will be hereafter seen, was the son of Dushyanta, the Váyu, Matsya, Agni, and Bráhma Puráńas enumerate several descendants in this line, for the purpose evidently of introducing, as the posterity of Turvasu, the nations of the south of India: the series is Varuttha, (Karutthama, Bráhma), Ándíra (Ákríra, Bráhma); whose sons are Páńd́ya, Karńát́a, Chola, Kerala; the Hari V. adds Kola, and the Agni very incorrectly Gandhára.
- 442:5
The curse alluded to is the failure of his line (Prajásamuchcheda), denounced upon Turvasu as the punishment of refusing to take his father's infirmities upon him (see p. 414). He was also sentenced to rule over savages and barbarians, Mlechchhas, or people not Hindus. The Mahábhárata adds that the Yavanas sprang from Turvasu. As sovereign of the southeast, he should be the ancestor of the people of Arracan, Ava, &c.; but the authorities cited in the preceding note refer the nations of the Peninsula to him, and consequently consider them as Mlechchhas. Manu also places the Dráviras or Tamuls amongst Mlechchhas; and these and similar passages indicate a period prior to the introduction of Hinduism into the south of India.