Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c14.s2.1

c14.s2.1

Two origins are alleged for the Kāśi (Benares) dynasty also. It was descended from Āyu's son Kṣatravṛddha according to seven Puranas,³ which give the first four kings as Kṣatravṛddha, Sunahotra (or Suhotra), Kāśa (or Kāśya) and Dīrghatapas. But the Brahma and Harivaṃśa give another account also, identifying Sunahotra or Suhotra with Suhotra of the Paurava line, whom they place as son of Vitatha (really son of Bṛhatkṣatra and great-grandson of Vitatha), and so, deriving this dynasty from Suhotra Paurava, give the early kings thus—Vitatha, Suhotra, Kāśika and Dīrghatapas. They thus inconsistently give both origins for the dynasty. The Agni follows this version, though confusedly and faultily.⁴ Both versions agree on the whole in their lists of the kings, except that the second has various omissions. The list is not a long one and reaches down only to king Bharga, but at what stage in the chronology he is to be placed is wholly uncertain. The kings in the Pāṇḍavas' time were Subāhu and Abhibhū.⁵