Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c29.246

c29.246

Rāma succeeded to the throne of Ayodhyā and was its last famous sovereign. His brothers obtained kingdoms elsewhere. Bharata’s mother was a Kaikeya princess and he obtained that kingdom apparently.⁶ His two sons Takṣa and Puṣkara are said to have conquered Gāndhāra and reigned there in Takṣaśilā and Puṣkarāvatī respectively.⁷ Lakṣmaṇa had two sons, Aṅgada and Candraketu, and to them are assigned two countries near the Himalayas, with the capitals Aṅgadīyā and Candracakrā respectively, both in Kārapatha-deśa.¹ Śatrughna (marching probably round by Prayāga, for no mention is made of the Pañcālas,) attacked the Sātvata-Yādavas on the west of the Jumna, killed Mādhava Lavaṇa and built the capital Mathurā in the country thenceforward called Śūrasena, and his two sons Subāhu and Śūrasena reigned there (pp. 170–1).² Rāma ³ had two sons Kuśa and Lava.⁴ Kuśa succeeded him and is said to have founded a town Kuśasthalī on the Vindhya hills.⁵ Lava obtained the northern portion of Kosala with the city Śrāvastī. Those collateral kingdoms seem to have disappeared soon. Bhīma Sātvata expelled Śatrughna’s sons from Mathurā, and he and his descendants reigned there (p. 170). The two states in Gāndhāra receive no further notice and were probably absorbed among the Druhyus. Nothing more is said about the principalities of Lakṣmaṇa’s sons nor about Lava’s kingdom. Henceforth Ayodhyā plays no prominent part in traditional history, and the chief actors are the Pauravas and Yādavas.