Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c18.27

c18.27

There are further synchronisms of certain Kāśi kings with Bhadraśreṇya and the Tālajaṅghas, which arise out of a story told in the Kāśi genealogy.⁴ It runs thus. Divodāsa, son of Bhīmaratha, was king of Kāśi and (in consequence of a curse, it is alleged) abandoned his capital Vārāṇasī, and established himself in another city on the river Gomatī in the extreme east of his territory. Bhadraśreṇya, the Haihaya king, seized the kingdom,⁵ and a Rākṣasa named Kṣemaka occupied the city. Divodāsa recovered the kingdom from Bhadraśreṇya’s sons, but afterwards Bhadraśreṇya’s son Durdama re-established himself in it. Divodāsa was succeeded by his brother Aṣṭāratha. Pratardana was the son of Divodāsa, and he recovered the kingdom and put an end to the strife with the Haihayas. His grandson Alarka killed the Rākṣasa Kṣemaka and regained the city. All these events occupied a thousand years, that is, a very long time.