A History of Indian Literature v1.c9.s8.7

v1.c9.s8.7

The Harivaṃśa consists of three great sections, the first of which is entitled Harivaṃśaparvan. The title "Harivaṃśa," *i.e.* "genealogy of Hari,"² which was given to the whole appendix is in reality only applicable to this first book. It begins in the manner of the Purāṇas with a rather confused account of the Creation and all sorts of mythological narratives, thus of Dhruva, who became the Pole Star (62 ff.), of Dakṣa and his daughters, the female ancestors of the gods and demons (101 ff.), and others. The story of Vena, the Titan who was opposed to the Veda and to sacrifice, and his son Pṛthu, the first king of men, is narrated in detail.³ Numerous legends, for instance those of Viśvāmitra and Vasiṣṭha (706 ff.) are worked into the genealogy of the solar dynasty (545 ff.), *i.e.* of King Ikṣvāku and his descendants, who trace their origin back to the sun-god. Regardless of any connection with this genealogy there is then inserted a ritual portion about the fathers and the sacrificial service due to them.¹ Then follows (1312 ff.) the genealogy of the lunar dynasty, which sprang from Atri, the son of the moon-god (Soma). One of Soma's grandsons was the renowned *Purūravas*, whose love adventures with *Urvaśī* are related in a very archaic form which rather closely approaches the Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa.² Among the descendants of Purūravas are Nahuṣa and Yayāti. Yadu, the son of the latter, is the ancestor of the Yādavas, to whom Vasudeva belongs, as whose son Kṛṣṇa the god Viṣṇu is born on earth. After the genealogy of the human Kṛṣṇa has thus been given, there follow a series of songs (2131 ff.) dealing entirely with the *god Viṣṇu* and thus, to a certain extent, containing the divine previous history of Kṛṣṇa.