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Susarman shall be killed by his servant Balin, a Sudra of the Andhra clan, who shall himself usurp the throne. Balin shall be succeeded by his brother. Balin Krista Anishta Karman Gomati SrisAntakarna Haleya Purimat Pournamasa Talaka Medasiras Waters Purishabhiru Shesstunde Chivilaka Sunandana Yajnasri Meghasvati Chakbea Vijaya Atam4na 8 Bahus Chandravijna ending in Sivasvati Anishta Karman Salomadhi . Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 249 With the birth of Sri Krishna, we come to the end of the Ninth Skandha of the Bhagavata Purana. But for the completion of the racial account, we give here only the 1st. Chapter of the 12th. Skandha. SKANDHA XII. CHAP. 1. We have seen Ripunjaya to be the last of the Magadha kings. He will be also called Puranjaya (The future tense, it must be remem- bered, is used solely with reference to the time of Parikshit). His minister Sunaka shall kill him and place his own son Pradyota on the throne. These 5 kings of the line of Pradyota shall reign for 138 years. These ten shall reign for 360 years--Mahanandi shall have a son, Nanda, by a Sidra woman. He shall be the next king. One Brahmana Chanakya shall kill Nanda and his eight sons and shall place Chandra Gupta on the throne. These ten kings called Mauryas shall reign for 137 years. Push- pamitra, Commander of Brihadratha’s forces, shall kill his master and be king himself. He shall be the founder of the Sunga dynasty. These (10) ten kings of the Sunga dynasty shall reign for 112 years. Vasudeva, the minister of Devabhuti, shall kill his master and become himself the king. These four kings shall be called Kanvas. They shall reign for 345 years. Susarman shall be killed by his servant Balin, a Sidra of the Andhra clan, who shall himself usurp the throne. Balin shall be suc- ceeded by his brother. These thirty kings of the Andhra dynasty shall rule the earth for 456 years. Seven Abhiras, kings of Avabhriti, ten Gardabhins (men of Gardabha) and sixteen Kankas shall then be the rulers. They shall be followed by 8 Yavanas, 14 Turushkas and ten Surundas. These 65 kings shall reign for one thousand and ninety nine years. Eleven Moulas shall then be the kings for 300 years. Bhuta-Nanda, Bangiri, Sisunandi and Yaso-Nandi shall then be- come kings. Their sons, all known as Bahlikas, shall succeed them. Then Pushpamitra shall be the king, then his son Durmitra. Seven Andhras, seven Kosalas, Vidurapatis and Nishadhas shall then be- come kings, at one and the same time, over the lands of these names. They shall be the descendants of the Bahlikas. 250 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana Visvasphirji, otherwise called Puranjaya, shall be the king of the Magadhas. He shall make havoc of the caste system. His chief town shall be Padmavati (Modern Patna) but his kingdom shall extend from Hardwar to Pryag. Then there shall be Sidra and Mlechcha kings. THOUGHTS ON THE VAIVASVATA MANVANTARA. The study of the Vaivasvata Manvantara can be pursued, as to minor details, from more than one stand-point. But I am at present con- cerned with only the broad outlines of its esoteric aspect. We are to understand, in the first place, that there are certain types of human races in this as in other Manvantaras. Each of these types has a history of its own. Each has its stages of growth, rise and decline, and some have their periods of revival in this Manvantara as well. Each racial type has to be studied separately. The connection of the races with the Sun and the Moon requires a little consideration. Those who are acquainted with Hindu astrology know that the life time of a man is divided into certain divisions, each division being under the influence of one planet. Each planetary period again has its sub-divisions, in each of which there is a secondary run of the planets. According to the Bengal School, the main planetary run takes 108 years for its completion, and according to another school, it takes 120 years. The following is the order of planetary succession according to the second school, which prevails all over India, except in Bengal:— Sun 6 years, Moon 10, Mars 7, Rahu 18, Brihaspati 16, Saturn 19, Mercury 17, Ketu 7 and Venus 20. Thus if a man lives for 120 years, all the planets will in turn have influenced his life in the above order, commencing from the planet of his birth. Again there will be corre- sponding sub-runs of all the planets during each planetary run. The races are also governed by such planetary influences. The Solar Dynasty means that the particular type of humanity so denoted was born under the influence of the solar planet. When all Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 251 the planets have in turn exercised their influence over this Dynasty, it disappears for a time and is re-born under the influence of the Sun. Similarly there will be a revival of the Lunar dynasty—that which commenced under the influence of the Moon. The law of planetary influence over the human races is not as clearly known as that over individual men. Otherwise the future his- tory of each race would not be the sealed book to us which it is. The humanity of the present Manvantara was first born under the influence of the Solar Planet. Our Moon is the son of the Sun-God. The races that first appeared were called Solar races. Other races appeared under the influence of the Moon. In these races we find first the influence of Brihaspati or Jupiter, through his wife Tara, then of Budha or Mercury, and lastly of Sukra or Venus, through his daughter Devayani. This planetary succession may be only a Sub-run of the planets. We read, in the account of the previous Manvantaras, of the appear- ance of Sukra as the guide of the Daityas, and of Brihaspati as the guide of the Devas. We have also read of the appearance of Rahu in the sixth Manvantara. This shews that the main planetary round has to be found in the Kalpa itself. Our knowledge on the whole subject is however so poor that it is unsafe to make any distinct suggestion. Now we shall take the Solar Races, or the sons of Vaivasvat Manu, in order of their treatment in the text. Prishadhta and Kavi were the first spiritual races. They did not marry ie. there was no sexual re- production among them. Next in order was the Kdarusha race inhabiting the north. The Dhdrshtas were also a spiritual race (Brahmanas). The descent towards Materiality commenced with Nriga. He is said to have been transformed into a lizard. His grandson was Bhi- tajyoti, Bhitas being different forms of matter. Vasu is a God of Ma- terial wealth. Pratika means the reverse or opposite (i.e. the reverse of spirit.) Ogha means a current. The current of materialism set in with the line of Nriga. The next line, that of Narishyanta, shews further materiality. Midhvat is that which wets (the root mih means to pass water). Viti is production, enjoyments. Vitihotra is the name of a sacrificial fire. 252 A Study of the Bhagavata Purana Agnivesya is an incarnation of Agni or the Fire-God, but he is nick- named Kanina or son of an unmarried woman and also Jatukarna (the name of a Vedic Rishi). There seems to have been sexual pro- creation in this line. The incarnation of Agni further indicates that the present human form was complete, for Agni is the form-giving energy in Nature. In the next line of Dishta we have Vatsapriti or affection for chil- dren, Pransu or tall, Pramati or full-grown intellect, Khanitra or dig- ger, Chakshusha or the eyed, and Khaninetra or the hollow-eyed. This line represents the race of the earliest diggers, very tall, with the hol- low eye predominant in them as a characteristic feature; this race was very powerful and capable of direct communion with the Devas, and the gods acted as waiters in the Yajna of Marutta. The line of Saryati refers to Anarta and a town named Kusasthali, built in the midst of the Sea. Evidently the continent on which the race flourished is now under water. Anarta is supposed to be Sourashtra (modern Surat.) But the site of Kusasthali cannot be ascer- tained. There were remnants of this race till the time of Krishna, for Balaram married Revati, the daughter of Kakudmin (hump-backed). The line of Nabhaga is a short one and it merged itself into that of Angiras who was the father of Brihaspati or Jupiter. Ambarisha is the prominent figure of this period. Then we come to the line of Ikshvaku. This is the best known line of the Solar races. It flourished during the last Tretayuga. Ikshvaku is called the eldest son of Manu. Perhaps this has reference to the appearance of the Race in the previous Manvantaras. The eldest son of Ikshvaku is Vikukshi (Kukshi is womb.) He is also called Sasada or the Rabbit-eater. The Moon is called Rabbit- marked. Puranjaya is the son of Vikukshi. He is called Indra-Vaha or Indra-Vehicled. Several of the kings of this dynasty befriended the Devas of Svar Loka. Further down we find King Purukutsa forming an alliance with the elemental serpents, and holding communion with the dwellers of Rasatala. The river Narvada is mentioned in connection with Rasa- tala. Mandhata is a traditional name that has been preserved upto Purnendu Narayana Sinha, M. A., B. L. 253 this time in common parlance in the saying "As old as king Mand- hata." The line of Mandhata was divided into three different branches. Muchukunda represented a branch of Yogins. The long, unbroken sleep of Muchukunda is traditional and he is credited also with Yogic powers. Another branch that of Ambarisha, Youvanasva and Harita represented a spiritual sub-race. But we have to follow the history of the Atlanteans through Purukutsa. The connection with Rasatala, or the plane of Material ascendancy, affected the destiny of this line. In Trisanku, the aspiration ran very high.