Tribes in Ancient India c73.11

c73.11

Though the Bhojas are condemned in the above passage, yet there appear to have been very cordial relations between them and the Pauravas, the children of Puru, Yayāti’s favourite son, from whom the Kurus and Pāṇḍavas traced their descent. Thus we find that when Arjuna in the course of his expedition of pilgrimage went to Dvārakā, the Bhojas and their allied tribes, the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas, hurried to have a look at the great Pāṇḍava hero as he marched along the road. Arjuna was welcomed and honoured by the young men of his own age among the Bhojas, Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas, and went to take up his residence in the house of Kṛṣṇa, who evidently belonged to these people.¹ We then meet with an account of festivities celebrated by the Bhoja-Vṛṣṇi-Andhakas on the hill of Mahendra.² When the report of the abduction of Subhadrā, Kṛṣṇa’s sister, was proclaimed at the assembly of the allied tribes, then the Bhojas along with the Vṛṣṇis and Andhakas took up arms to recover the princess from the clutches of her abductor.³ Again we read that Kṛṣṇa, accompanied by a host of Bhoja-Vṛṣṇi-Andhakas, paid a visit to Indraprastha when Arjuna returned there after his exile; and we are further told that Kṛṣṇa paid a formal visit to the Pāṇḍava king, attended by Vṛṣṇis, Andhakas and Bhojas.⁴