Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c13.s2.18

c13.s2.18

This dynasty was descended from Manu’s son Nābhānediṣṭha, and is given by seven Puranas, and also partially by the Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata.¹ None of these works however carries the genealogy beyond Pramati or Sumati, who was the contemporary of Daśaratha, king of Ayodhyā, according to the Rāmāyaṇa.² Only four lists are complete, those in the Vāyu, Viṣṇu, Garuḍa and Bhāgavata. The others show various limitations or omissions: thus the Liṅga mentions only the first four kings; the Mahābhārata list is incomplete at the beginning, goes down only to Marutta, and wrongly inserts an Ikṣvāku; the Brahmāṇḍa omits from Prajāni to Avīkṣit, though Marutta was well known as son of Avīkṣit;³ the Mārkaṇḍeya narrates the doings of these kings at great length but only down to Rājyavardhana; and the Rāmāyaṇa begins the dynasty with Viśāla, wrongly calling him ‘son of Ikṣvāku’. Subject to these shortcomings the lists are in substantial agreement.