Source
Texts:
The
Degraded Dynasties of Kali-yuga
Text
0:
S'rî
Parîkchit said: 'Please o sage tell me, whose dynasty
ruled over the earth after Krishna, the jewel of the Yadu
dynasty, had left for His heavenly abode?'
[*]
When
S'rî Krishna, the jewel of the Yadu's line, had left
for His own realm in heaven, whose dynasty ruled over the
earth? (pray) tell me this, O (revered) sage! (version:
S'astri C.L. Gosvâmî).
Text
1-2:
S'rî
S'uka said: 'The last descendant there'll be of Brihadratha in
the future [see 9.22:
49] is
named Purañjaya [not the one in 9.6:
12]; but
his minister S'unaka will assassinate his master to make his
own son named Pradyota [hist. Bimbisâra] king,
whose son Pâlaka will have
Vis'âkhayûpa
as his son with Râjaka then to be.
S'ukadeva
Gosvâmî said: The last king mentioned in our
previous enumeration of the future rulers of the
Mâgadha dynasty was Purañjaya, who will take
birth as the descendant of Brihadratha. Purañjaya's
minister S'unaka will assassinate the king and install his
own son, Pradyota, on the throne. The son of Pradyota will
be Pâlaka, his son will be Vis'âkhayûpa,
and his son will be Râjaka.
Text
3
His son will be
Nandivardhana; these five Pradyotana kings will enjoy the earth
for one-hundred-thirty-eight years.
The
son of Râjaka will be Nandivardhana, and thus in the
Pradyotana dynasty there will be five kings, who will enjoy
the earth for 138 years.
Text
4
Then will
S'is'unâga take birth and will Kâkavarna be his
son, from whose son Kshemadharmâ, Kshetrajña will
be born.
Nandivardhana
will have a son named S'is'unâga, and his son will be
known as Kâkavarna. The son of Kâkavarna will be
Kshemadharmâ, and the son of Kshemadharmâ will
be Kshetrajña.
Text
5
The
son Vidhisâra [of Kshetrajña],
will have Ajâtas'atru and Darbhaka will be his son of
whom Ajaya will be remembered.
The
son of Kshetrajña will be Vidhisâra, and his
son will be Ajâtas'atru. Ajâtas'atru will have a
son named Darbhaka, and his son will be Ajaya.
Text
6-8
From Ajaya
there will be [another] Nandivardhana whose son next is
Mahânandi. These ten S'is'unâga kings, o best of
the Kurus, will in the age of Kali rule over the earth for
three-hundred-and-sixty years. O King, the son of
Mahânandi, a certain Nanda, taking birth from the womb of
a working class woman, will, powerful as he is as a master over
millions, be the destroyer of the royal class; the kings will
then, falling to irreligion, become no better than
s'ûdras.
Ajaya
will father a second Nandivardhana, whose son will be
Mahânandi. O best of the Kurus, these ten kings of the
S'is'unâga dynasty will rule the earth for a total of
360 years during the age of Kali. My dear Parîkshit,
King Mahânandi will father a very powerful son in the
womb of a s'ûdra woman. He will be known as Nanda and
will be the master of millions of soldiers and fabulous
wealth. He will wreak havoc among the kshatriyas, and from
that time onward virtually all kings will be irreligious
s'ûdras.
Text
9
He, that ruler
over millions [also known as Ugrasena], will as the
single lead over the entire earth be undefied and in his
sovereignty of rule be like a second Paras'urâma [see
9.15
& 16].
That
lord of Mahâpadma, King Nanda, will rule over the
entire earth just like a second Paras'urâma, and no
one will challenge his authority.
Text
10
The eight sons
headed by Sumâlya that so will be born from him will as
kings enjoy this earth for a hundred years.
He
will have eight sons, headed by Sumâlya, who will
control the earth as powerful kings for one hundred
years.
Text
11
A certain twice
born brahmin [called Cânakya]
trusted by the nine Nandas will overturn them, after which with
them gone the Mauryas will rule the earth in Kali-yuga
[**].
A
certain brâhmana [Cânakya] will betray
the trust of King Nanda and his eight sons and will destroy
their dynasty. In their absence the Mauryas will rule the
world as the age of Kali continues.
Text
12
The brahmin
thus will put Candragupta on the throne of whose son
Vârisâra then As'okavardhana
will follow.
This
brâhmana will enthrone Candragupta, whose son will be
named Vârisâra. The son of Vârisâra
will be As'okavardhana.
Text
13
Suyas'â
will be born of him; Sangata, Suyas'â's [grand-]
son [born from his son Das'aratha] will be
S'âlis'ûka
of whom next there will be Somas'armâ who will father
S'atadhanvâ of whom there will be
Brihadratha.
As'okavardhana
will be followed by Suyas'â, whose son will be
Sangata. His son will be S'âlis'ûka,
S'âlis'ûka's son will be Somas'armâ, and
Somas'armâ's son will be S'atadhanvâ. His son
will be known as Brihadratha.
Text
14
These ten
Maurya kings, o eminent hero of the Kuru-dynasty, will in
Kali-yuga rule the earth for over
one-hundred-thirty-seven-years.
O
best of the Kurus, these ten Maurya kings will rule the
earth for 137 years of the Kali-yuga.
Text
15-17
From Agnimitra
[the son of Pushpamitra, the general who murdered
Brihadratha] will follow Sujyeshthha
from whom there will be Vasumitra with next Bhadraka and his
son Pulinda. His son will be Ghosha of whom Vajramitra will be
born; of him will Bhâgavata be born of whom there will be
Devabhûti, o eminent Kuru. These ten S'ungas will enjoy
the earth for more than a hundred [112] years after
which this earth will fall under the rule of the
Kânva-dynasty poor in qualities, o ruler of
man.
My
dear King Parîkshit, Agnimitra will follow as king,
and then Sujyeshthha. Sujyeshthha will be followed by
Vasumitra, Bhadraka, and the son of Bhadraka, Pulinda. Then
the son of Pulinda, named Ghosha, will rule, followed by
Vajramitra, Bhâgavata and Devabhûti. In this
way, O most eminent of the Kuru heroes, ten S'unga kings
will rule over the earth for more than one hundred years.
Then the earth will come under the subjugation of the kings
of the Kânva dynasty, who will manifest very few good
qualities.
Text
18
Vasudeva,
a most intelligent minister from the Kânva-family,
(through a female slave) killing the lusty S'unga king
Devabhûti, will then himself assume
rulership.
Vasudeva,
an intelligent minister coming from the Kânva family,
will kill the last of the S'unga kings, a lusty debauchee
named Devabhûti, and assume rulership himself.
Text
19
His son will be
Bhûmitra and his son Nârâyana. These
Kânva kings will rule the earth for
three-hundred-forty-five more years in
Kali-yuga.
The
son of Vasudeva will be Bhûmitra, and his son will be
Nârâyana. These kings of the Kânva dynasty
will rule the earth for 345 more years of the
Kali-yuga.
Text
20
A low class man
of the Andhra race called Balî will as a servant kill
Sus'armâ, the [last] Kânva king and most
degraded rule the earth for some time.
The
last of the Kânvas, Sus'armâ, will be murdered
by his own servant, Balî a low-class s'ûdra of
the Andhra race. This most degraded Mahârâja
Balî will have control over the earth for some
time.
Text
21-26
His
brother, named Krishna, will then become the next ruler of the
earth and the son of S'ântakarna, his son, will be
Paurnamâsa. After Lambodara, his son, will Cibilaka be
the king and from Cibilaka will come Meghasvâti of whom
there will be Athamâna followed by Anishthakarmâ.
Of Hâleya, his son, will Talaka appear of whose son
Purîshabhîru then Sunandana will be the king.
Cakora [his son] will be followed by the eight Bahus,
among whom S'ivasvâti will be a great subduer of enemies.
Of Gomatî, his son, there will be Purîmân,
whose son will be Medas'irâ. S'ivaskanda of him will have
Yajñas'rî for his son after whom next Vijaya, his
son, will have Candravijña along with Lomadhi. These
thirty kings will rule the world for four-hundred-fifty-six
years, o son of the Kurus [***].
The
brother of Balî, named Krishna, will become the next
ruler of the earth. His son will be S'ântakarna, and
his son will be Paurnamâsa. The son of
Paurnamâsa will be Lambodara, who will father
Mahârâja Cibilaka. From Cibilaka will come
Meghasvâti, whose son will be Athamâna. The son
of Athamâna will be Anishthakarmâ. His son will
be Hâleya, and his son will be Talaka. The son of
Talaka will be Purîshabhîru, and following him
Sunandana will become king. Sunandana will be followed by
Cakora and the eight Bahus, among whom S'ivasvâti will
be a great subduer of enemies. The son of S'ivasvâti
will be Gomatî. His son will be Purîmân,
whose son will be Medas'irâ. His son will be
S'ivaskanda, and his son will be Yajñas'rî. The
son of Yajñas'rî will be Vijaya, who will have
two sons, Candravijña and Lomadhi. These thirty kings
will enjoy sovereignty over the earth for a total of 456
years, O favorite son of the Kurus.
Text
27
From
the city of Avabhriti then will follow seven Âbhîra
kings, ten Gardabhîs, and sixteen Kanka kings who as
earthly rulers will be most greedy.
Then
will follow seven kings of the Âbhîra race from
the city of Avabhriti, and then ten Gardabhîs. After
them, sixteen kings of the Kankas will rule and will be
known for their excessive greed.
Text
28
Then will eight
Yavanas follow, fourteen Turushkas and furthermore ten Gurundas
and eleven Maulas.
Eight
Yavanas will then take power, followed by fourteen
Turushkas, ten Gurundas and eleven kings of the Maula
dynasty.
Text
29-31
These
[first six dynasties] will rule the earth for one
thousand ninety-nine years, and the eleven Maulas will rule for
three hundred years, my dear. With them all dead and gone will
in the city of Kilakilâ for one-hundred-and-six years
rule the kings Bhûtananda followed by Vangiri with next
S'is'unandi and then his brother Yas'onandi and
Pravîraka.
These
Âbhîras, Gardabhîs and Kankas will enjoy
the earth for 1,099 years, and the Maulas will rule for 300
years. When all of them have died off there will appear in
the city of Kilakilâ a dynasty of kings consisting of
Bhûtananda, Vangiri, S'is'unandi, S'is'unandi's
brother Yas'onandi, and Pravîraka. These kings of
Kilakilâ will hold sway for a total of 106
years.
Text
32-33
Of them
[the Kilakilâs]
there will be
thirteen sons called the Bâhlikas after whom Pushpamitra
and next zis son king Durmitra as well as
also
seven Andhras, seven Kaus'alas and also the rulers of
Vidûra and the Nishadhas then at the same time will be
sure to rule as kings.
The
Kilakilâs will be followed by their thirteen sons, the
Bâhlikas, and after them King Pushpamitra, his son
Durmitra, seven Andhras, seven Kaus'alas and also kings of
the Vidûra and Nishadha provinces will separately rule
in different parts of the world.
Text
34
To
the province of Mâgadha there will be
Vis'vasphûrji, who like another Purañjaya will
turn the people of all classes into inferior Pulindas, Yadus
and Madrakas [low-class, uncivilized men, see
*4].
There
will then appear a king of the Mâgadhas named
Vis'vasphûrji, who will be like another
Purañjaya. He will turn all the civilized classes
into low-class, uncivilized men in the same category as the
Pulindas, Yadus and Madrakas.
Text
35
The
unintelligent king, protected in the city of Padmavatî
ruling over the earth from the source of the Gangâ to
Prayâga, will, predominantly being unbrahminical with the
citizens, ruin the almighty class of the
kshatriyas.
Foolish
King Vis'vasphûrji will maintain all the citizens in
ungodliness and will use his power to completely disrupt the
kshatriya order. From his capital of Padmavatî he will
rule that part of the earth extending from the source of the
Gangâ to Prayâga.
Text
36
The twice-born
living in the provinces
S'aurâshthra, Avantî, Âbhîra,
S'ûra, Arbuda and Mâlava
will [at that
time] fall from their vows and the ones coming first among
the people will
become no better than s'ûdras.
At
that time the brâhmanas of such provinces as
S'aurâshthra, Avantî, Âbhîra,
S'ûra, Arbuda and Mâlava will forget all their
regulative principles, and the members of the royal order in
these places will become no better than
s'ûdras.
Text
37
The lands at
the river
Sindhu, as well as the districts of Candrabhâgâ,
Kauntî and Kâs'mîra, will be ruled by
uncivilized men
[mlecchas],
s'ûdras
and others who,
missing the spiritual strength, deviate from the standard.
The
land along the Sindhu River, as well as the districts of
Candrabhâgâ, Kauntî and
Kâs'mîra, will be ruled by s'ûdras, fallen
brâhmanas and meat-eaters. Having given up the path of
Vedic civilization, they will have lost all spiritual
strength.
Text
38
O King, these
mostly ignorant earthly caretakers dedicated to irreligious and
unrealistic practices will, with fierce tempers [competing
to rule] at the same time [zone-time...], leave
little room for their subjects
[economically].
There
will be many such uncivilized kings ruling at the same time,
O King Parîkshit, and they will all be uncharitable,
possessed of fierce tempers, and great devotees of
irreligion and falsity.
Text
39
Destroying the
lives of women, children, cows and converted people, do they,
coveting the wives of other men, elated, moderate and [then
again] depressed, poor in goodness mostly have short lives
[or careers]. Lacking in sacrifice not fit for the job
will they, these ignoramuses posing as kings, under the sway of
passion and ignorance, virtually devour the
citizens.
These
barbarians in the guise of kings will devour the citizenry,
murdering innocent women, children, cows and brâhmanas
and coveting the wives and property of other men. They will
be erratic in their moods, have little strength of character
and be very short-lived. Indeed, not purified by any Vedic
rituals and lacking in the practice of regulative
principles, they will be completely covered by the modes of
passion and ignorance.
Text
40
The people in
the cities will, with these rulers their character, behavior
and speech, pained by the 'kings' and by each other, find
ruination [in wars, economic collapse and natural disaster,
see also kles'a,
Kali-yuga
and B.G. 16:
6-12].
The
citizens governed by these low-class kings will imitate the
character, behavior and speech of their rulers. Harassed by
their leaders and by each other, they will all suffer
ruination.
*
The paramparâ of ISKCON left out this first line of
Parîkchit questioning, where other sources like S'astri
C.L. Gosvâmî do begin this chapter thus.
**
The paramparâ adds: 'The great historical narration
S'rîmad-Bhâgavatam, which began with the events
prior to the cosmic manifestation, now reaches into the realm
of modern recorded history. Modern historians recognize both
the Maurya dynasty and Candragupta, the king mentioned in the
following verse.' [pp. 12.1.11]
***
According an academic translator of the Bhâgavatam,
Ganesh Vasudeo Tagare [1989, Morilal Banarsidass], this
period would be found short before the beginning of the
christian year count. Analyzing this text in reference to
historical sources does he, stating that there are many
discrepancies with the cultural [manipulated?] records,
also conclude that historically the Kanva-dynasty would have
only ruled for forty-five years from 75 to 30 B.C., and not for
the three hundred forty five as the Sanskrit text states here.
According to him this part of the Bhâgavatam would have
been of a later date and consist of a mishmash of hearsay
historical knowledge, which is a position contested by the
paramparâ of course since it is more likely to err in the
discordance of the worldly interest than in the harmony of a
consciousness motivated by spiritual discipline.
*4:
The total span of generations covered here from the first
Purañjaya to the last one in the line of the Kali-yuga
decay, so would have stretched from about 2000 B.C. to about
the twelfth century AD.
