History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.t2.94

v5.c74.t2.94

The Harivaṁśa (I. chap. 29) has a long but rather confused story about Divodāsa and Vārānasī¹⁴¹¹ It deals with the dynasty of Āyus, one of the sons of Aila. One of the descendants of Āyus was Śunahotra who had three sons, Kāśa, Śala and Gṛtsamada From Kāśa arose a branch called Kāśayaḥ. Dhanvantari, a descendant of Kāsa, was king of the Kāśis (verse 22). Divodāsa was great-grandson of Dhanvantari. He killed 100 sons of Bhadraśrenya, who first was Lord of Vārānasī. Then Śiva sent his gana Nikumbha to destroy Vārānasī which had been occupied by Divodāsa. Nikumbha cursed it to be devastated for a thousand years When it became devastated it came to be called Avimukta and Śiva resided there It was again re-established (verse 68) by Durdama, a son of Bhadrasrenya, whom, because he was a child, Divodāsa had not killed Then Pratardana, son of Divodāsa, took it from Durdama Alarka, grandson of Divodāsa and king of Kāśis, again established Vārānasī This legend may contain some germs of truth, viz. that Vārānasī had become devastated several times and had often changed hands. The Vāyupurāna (chap. 92) and the Brahmapurāna (chap. 11) also contain the same legends of Dhanvantari, Divodāsa, and Alarka and the vicissitudes of Vārānasī In the Mahābhāṣya Patañjali states (vol. I. p. 380,) that Vārāṇasī is alongside of Gaṅgā and on Pāṇ. IV. 3. 84 (vol. II. p. 313) he informs us that traders call Vārāṇasī Jītvarī.