Tribes in Ancient India c10.5

c10.5

In the *Ādiparvan* of the *Mahābhārata*,¹ we read that Vasu, the Paurava, conquered the beautiful and excellent kingdom of the Cedis on the advice of the god Indra, whose friendship he had acquired by his austerities, and who, pleased with his asceticism, presented him with a great crystal car.² Because of his riding on it and moving through the upper regions like a celestial being, he came to be known as Uparicara.³ King Uparicara Vasu had one son and one daughter by an apsarā named Adrikā. The daughter, who was named Satyavatī, became the mother of Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana and others, and was the queen of King Śāntanu. The son afterwards became a virtuous and powerful monarch named Matsya. We further read that Uparicara Vasu Caidya had a few other sons, namely, Bṛhadratha, Pratyagraha, Kuśāmba and others, who founded kingdoms and cities which were named after them.¹ The Vāyupurāṇa (Chap. 99) also confirms the story of the conquest of the Cedi country by Vasu the Paurava. We read there that Yayāti had a chariot which used to move according to his desire. This chariot came into the hands of Vasu, king of the Cedis. According to another account, Vasu, a descendant of Kuru, conquered the Yādava kingdom of Cedi, and established himself there, whence he was known as Caidya-Uparicara. His capital was Śuktimatī on the river of the same name. He extended his conquests eastwards as far as Magadha and apparently also north-west over Matsya. He divided his territories of Magadha, Cedi, Kauśāmbi, Karūṣa and apparently Matsya among his five sons. His eldest son Bṛhadratha took Magadha with Girivraja as his capital, and founded the famous Bārhadratha dynasty there.²