Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c29.271

c29.271

covers a long gap. Sudās drove the Paurava king Saṃvaraṇa of Hastināpura out, defeating him on the Jumna. His conquests stirred up a confederacy of the neighbouring kings to resist him—Pūru (Saṃvaraṇa), the Yādva (the Yādava king of Mathurā), the Śivas (Śivis, who were Ānavas, p. 109), Druhyus (of Gāndhāra, ante), Matsyas (west of Śūrasena), Turvaśa (the Turvasu prince, apparently in Rewa) and other smaller states.¹ Sudās defeated them in a great battle near the R. Paruṣṇī (Ravi), and Pūru, Saṃvaraṇa, took refuge in a fortress near the R. Sindhu (Indus) many years. Sudās was succeeded by his son Sahadeva and grandson Somaka, and the kingdom declined.² Saṃvaraṇa recovered his kingdom of Hastināpura with ‘Vasiṣṭha’s’ aid (p. 210) probably from Somaka,³ and so conquered North Pañcāla. His son Kuru raised the Paurava realm to eminence and extended his sway beyond Prayāga, which means that he subdued South Pañcāla which intervened. He gave his name to Kurukṣetra and to Kurujāṅgala, which adjoined it on the east and in which Hastināpura lay (p. 76).⁴ His successors were called the Kurus or Kauravas, a name that was extended also to the people.⁵