FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.16.37

एवं कौशिकगोत्रं तु विश्वामित्रै: पृथग्विधम् । प्रवरान्तरमापन्नं तद्धि चैवं प्रकल्पितम् ॥ ३७ ॥
evaṁ kauśika-gotraṁ tu
[evam kaushika-gotram tu]
viśvāmitraiḥ pṛthag-vidham
[vishvaamitraih prithag-vidham]
pravarāntaram āpannaṁ
[pravaraantaram aapannam]
tad dhi caivaṁ prakalpitam
[tad dhi chaivam prakalpitam]
evam — in this way (some sons having been cursed and some blessed) kauśika-gotram — the dynasty of Kauśika tu — indeed viśvāmitraiḥ — by the sons of Viśvāmitra pṛthak-vidham — in different varieties pravara-antaram — differences between one another āpannam — obtained tat — that hi — indeed ca — also evam — thus prakalpitam — ascertained.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
evaṁ kauśika-gotraṁ tu
evam
in this way (some sons having been cursed and some blessed)
kauśika-gotram
the dynasty of Kauśika
tu
indeed
viśvāmitraiḥ pṛthag-vidham
viśvāmitraiḥ
by the sons of Viśvāmitra
pṛthak-vidham
in different varieties
pravarāntaram āpannaṁ
pravara-antaram
differences between one another
āpannam
obtained
tad dhi caivaṁ prakalpitam
tat
that
hi
indeed
ca
also
evam
thus
prakalpitam
ascertained.
Viśvāmitra cursed some of his sons and blessed the others, and he also adopted a son. Thus there were varieties in the Kauśika dynasty, but among all the sons, Devarāta was considered the eldest.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Ninth Canto, Sixteenth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Lord Paraśurāma Destroys the World’s Ruling Class.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Thus there were varieties and a new excellence in the Kauśika dynasty because of Viśvāmitra, since Devarāta (Śunaḥśepha) was made the eldest son. This verse summarizes the story. Some were cursed and some were blessed. And another was accepted as a son. Thus the dynasty of Kauśika became various, and had a different excellence (pravarāntaram) because of Viśvāmitra (viśvamitraiḥ), since (hi) it reached excellence through Devarāta, when he was accepted as the eldest son. Thus ends the commentary on the Sixteenth Chapter of the Ninth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas. Chapter Seventeen The Descendents of Āyu 9.17: The Dynasties of the Sons of Purūravā 17. The Dynasties of the Sons of Purūravā 9.17 Summary Āyu, the eldest son of Purūravā, had five sons. This chapter describes the dynasties of four of them, beginning with Kṣatravṛddha. Āyu, the son of Purūravā, had five sons—Nahuṣa, Kṣatravṛddha, Rajī, Rābha and Anenā. The son of Kṣatravṛddha was Suhotra, who had three sons, named Kāśya, Kuśa and Gṛtsamada. The son of Gṛtsamada was Śunaka, and his son was Śaunaka. The son of Kāśya was Kāśi. From Kāśi came the sons and grandsons known as Rāṣṭra, Dīrghatama and then Dhanvantari, who was the inaugurator of medical science and was a śaktyāveśa incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. The descendants of Dhanvantari were Ketumān, Bhīmaratha, Divodāsa and Dyumān, who was also known as Pratardana, Śatrujit, Vatsa, Ṛtadhvaja and Kuvalayāśva. The son of Dyumān was Alarka, who reigned over the kingdom for many, many years. Following in the dynasty of Alarka were Santati, Sunītha, Niketana, Dharmaketu, Satyaketu, Dhṛṣṭaketu, Sukumāra, Vītihotra, Bharga and Bhārgabhūmi. All of them belonged to the dynasty of Kāśi, the descendant of Kṣatravṛddha. The son of Rābha was Rabhasa, and his son was Gambhīra. Gambhīra's son was Akriya, and from Akriya came Brahmavit. The son of Anenā was Śuddha, and his son was Śuci. The son of Śuci was Citrakṛt, whose son was Śāntaraja. Rajī had five hundred sons, all of extraordinary strength. Rajī was personally very powerful and was given the kingdom of heaven by Lord Indra. Later, after Rajī's death, when the sons of Rajī refused to return the kingdom to Indra, by Bṛhaspati's arrangement they became unintelligent, and Lord Indra conquered them. The grandson of Kṣatravṛddha named Kuśa gave birth to a son named Prati. From Prati came Sañjaya; from Sañjaya, Jaya; from Jaya, Kṛta; and from Kṛta, Haryabala. The son of Haryabala was Sahadeva; the son of Sahadeva, Hīna; the son of Hīna, Jayasena; the son of Jayasena, Saṅkṛti; and the son of Saṅkṛti, Jaya.
Some sons were cursed, some blessed, one adopted — yet Devarāta is reckoned the eldest. Mixed families with mixed reactions are normal in scripture; what matters is who is finally recognized at the head.
Reflection Questions
  • Who in my family is recognized as 'eldest' — by what criteria, and is it the right one?
  • Where am I letting historical mess obscure the present-day order the Lord has actually established?
📝 My note

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