Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c14.s3.62

c14.s3.62

The second portion from Ajamīḍha to Kuru is given by the same eight Puranas⁴ and the two Mahābhārata accounts.⁵ Ajamīḍha had three sons, and they originated separate dynasties. The eldest line from Ṛkṣa I continued the main line at Hastināpura, and here the lists agree down to Kuru, inserting only Saṃvaraṇa between them; but it will appear from the synchronisms and the Table of genealogies in chapters XIV and XII that there must have been more generations, and that not a few names have been lost here, probably both before and after Ṛkṣa. The two other sons, Nīla and Bṛhadvasu,¹ founded the dynasties of North and South Pañcāla respectively, which will be noticed separately. The Mahābhārata does not say anything about the origin of these two dynasties, except that its first account baldly declares that Ajamīḍha had two sons Duṣyanta and Parameṣṭhin, and from them came all the Pañcālas, which except in the names agrees with the Puranas. South Pañcāla was approximately the portion of Pañcāla south of the Ganges as far as the R. Carmanvatī (Chambal), and its capitals were Kāmpilya² and Mākandī. North Pañcāla was the portion north of the Ganges, with its capital at Ahicchatrā,³ whence it was called the Ahicchatra country.⁴