Not all people do belong to Kshetriya Dynasties: Suryabanshi, Chandrabansi, Parsu or Yadus or any. What a famed and consequential ancestry Kshetriya folks have. Me, I am a plain old, Hindu Bhraman. Have been told we descent from Acharyas and as Acharyas do: tried preparing a random catalog of some of the strangest births that took place in Hindu Pantheons of Kshetriya Dynasties . (Except for the story of Kripacharya and Dronacharya below).
“The Battle of the Ten Kings” led by King Bharata warrants a seperate research but for now enjoy this fun blog !!
Mainly copied from Fee Wikis and Google Posts ! Don’t strike / report Pls ! Contact me First !! 🙏
The Birth of Four Heroes of Treta Yug
King Dasharatha of Raghuvansi Clan generally has very good image and character in Hindu Myth. King Dasharatha is connected with many eventful incidents of the epic Ramayana:
a) His story about abandonment of his firstborn daughter Shanta with his consort Kausalya
b) The Putraprapti Yagya and birth of four heroes of Treta Yug: Ram, Bharatha, Lakshmana, Shatrughna
c) His symbolic connection with the Agni Parikshya on Sita
d) Shravan’s parents curse on King Dasarath
Abandonment of firstborn daughter Shanta
There’s a reason why Lord Rama or the other children were never told about their elder sister Shanta, and why Queen Kausalya detached emotionally from her husband. It started with Dashrath’s birth; he was just 8-months-old when he lost both his parents. He grew up under the care of great sage Marudanva, went up to learn all shastra, including archery. He went up to being a strong warrior and a wise King of southern Kosala. The King of North Kosala had a beautiful daughter, who was named Kausalya. Dashratha intended to marry Kausalya, so he asked her father for her hand in marriage. Impressed by Dashrath’s power and Kingdom ruling, Kausalya’s father agreed to marry off his daughter to Dashrath. King Dashratha and Queen Kausalya were blessed by their first born, a daughter, who they named Shanta. She was the epitome of poise, peace and harmony. She grew up to be a beautiful princess with qualities of a warrior. But, King Dashrath longed for a son, to continue his reign. He married Sumitra and Kaikeyi with an intention to bear a son, a ruling prince for Ayodhya. But, years went by and Ayodhya never received good news of their awaiting wish to see a prince. With guilt abiding within him, King Dashrath visited Sage Vashishta to seek an answer to his miseries. Vashishta told him about Sage Vibhandak, whose strict penance to achieve great power scared Lord Indra. Thus, he ordered a celestial paramour Urvashi to intervene his yogic activity. As a result of which Sage Vibhandak got distracted, and his alliance with Urvashi bore him a son Sage Rishyasringa. Vibhandak pledged to raise his son alone in an isolated society, with no mention of womenfolk or even their existence. King Dashratha was informed that if only a woman with great power could manage to bring Rishyasringa into a family world, then the Putrakameshti Yagya performed by him could bear the former sons. Dashratha, out of desperation and helplessness abandoned his daughter Shanta and asked her to bring Sage Rishyasringa. She followed her father’s order and, despite Queen Kausalya’s plea to stay back, Shanta gave up princely life and went to live with Rishyasringa. Soon after, King Dashratha asked Sage Rishyasringa to perform the Putrakameshti Yagya, after which all three Queens- Kausalya, Sumitra, and Kaikeyi, were given Rishi Prasad.
The Putraprapti Yagya and birth of four heroes of Treta Yug
The Yajña was the Putra-kameshti at the bank of Manorama river. As the conclusion of the Yagna drew near, Agni sprang out from the Yagnakunda (sacrificial fire pit) and handed Dasharatha a pot of kheer (payasa), advising him to distribute it among his queens. Kaushalya ate half the kheer, Sumitra ate a quarter of the kheer. Kaikeyi ate some and passed the pot back to Sumitra who consumed the kheer for the second time. Thus the queens conceived after the consumption of the kheer. Since Kaushalya had consumed the largest portion she gave birth to Rama. Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharata. Sumitra, who had consumed the kheer twice, gave birth to Lakshmana and Shatrughna.The part Sumitra took from Rani Kaushalya resulted in birth of Lakshmana who grew close to Rama, similarly Kaikeyi’s share resulted in Shatrughna’s birth who was close to Bharata.
The curse of Shravan's Parents
Dasharatha was the son of King Aja of Ayodhya and Princess Indumati of Vidarbha. His birth name was Nemi, but he acquired the name Dasharatha as his chariot could move in all ten directions, fly as well as come down on earth and he could fight with ease in all these directions. Dasharatha became the King after his parents died. He was a great warrior who single-handedly conquered the whole earth with his prowess and defeated and slew many Asuras in war. Dasharath had three queen consorts, namely, Kaushalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi. Kaushalya was from the Kingdom of Magadha. Sumitra was from Kashi. Kaikeyi was from Kekeya Kingdom. Having an immense desire to beget a son, Dasharath promised Kaikeyi that the son she bore would succeed him as King of Ayodhya after she pleaded with him in the Kop Bhavan. This promise that Dasharath made to Kaikeyi later became the crucial plot to drive the epic Ramayana and no thanks to hunched back Mathara who manipulated Kaikeyi to put King Dasharath in a grave Dilemma, that eventually cost his life.
After Rama’s departure to the forest, Dasharatha lies in his bed with a wailing Kaushalya. He suddenly remembers an incident which had occurred in the past. He narrates to Kaushalya about how, by accident, he had killed a young boy named Shravana mistaking him to be an elephant. Dasharatha who was then a crown prince had gone hunting on the banks of River Saryu. He was an expert in hunting by determining the direction of sound and heard the gurgle of an animal drinking water. Mistaking it to be water flowing through the trunk of an elephant, Dasharatha shot an arrow. He became mortified when he heard a human cry as the arrow found its target. Dasharatha hurried there to find a boy lying sprawled on the banks of the river with an arrow lodged in his chest. The boy forgives Dasharatha for his unintentional unrighteous act and demands that he pull the arrow out of his chest. He also tells him to take the pitcher of water to his blind parents who must be waiting for him. The boy dies. Dasharatha approaches the blind couple and tells them about their son’s unfortunate death. The parents, grief-stricken curse the prince: “Just as we are dying due to the separation from our beloved son, you too shall have the same fate.” Dasharatha concludes the chapter by saying that his end is near and the curse has taken effect. The place where Dasharatha killed Shravana is now known as Shravan Kshetra.
Agni Parikshya on Sita, Daughter of Mother Earth
Even after the death of King Dasarath, Dasarath has continuous divine presence with Ram in form of Agnidev. Agnidev was the one who blessed Dasaratha for borth of his four sons. During the abduction of Sita, Ram asks Agnidev (who appeared in the image of his father Dasarath) to protect Sita at any cost as a repentance for abandoning his firstborn daughter Shanta. Just before the abduction Agnidev, the fire-god Agni creates Divine Image of Sita, who takes Sita’s place and is abducted by Ravana and suffers his captivity, while the real Sita hides in the fire. During the Agni Pariksha, Maya Sita and the real Sita exchange places again. Sita’s Agni Parikshya is more like being blessed and reborn from the protection of Agnidev, similar to stories of Draupadi and Padmavati rather than test of purity that Ram demanded. However it is true that after returning to Aayodhya, people questioned the purity of Sita and in order to prove her purity and maintain the unquestionable dignity of Ayodhya kingdom and King Rama. Sita then decided to leave the kingdom and sacrifice her place. Rama understood that she is born from Mother Earth and her divine will could not be stopped so gave order to Lakshman to drop Sita in the forest near sage Valmiki’s ashram. Years later, Sita returns to the womb of her mother, the Earth, for release from a cruel world. This is a tragic story but Lord Ram is not to be blamed, I think.
The Birth of Bramha, Bishnu and Maheshwor
The story of Trimurti/Trideva varies on accounts of “Shaiva Agama” and “Vishnu Purana”.
According to Shaivisim: Shaivites hold that, according to Shaiva Agama, Shiva performs five actions – creation, preservation, dissolution, concealing grace, and revealing grace. Respectively, these first three actions are associated with Shiva as Sadyojata (akin to Brahma), Vamadeva (akin to Vishnu) and Aghora (akin to Rudra). Thus, Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra are not deities different from Shiva, but rather are forms of Shiva.
According to Vaishnavism: The fact that the Vishnu Purana describes that Vishnu manifests as Brahma in order to create and as Rudra (Shiva) in order to destroy, Vaishnavism generally does not acknowledge the Trimurti concept; instead, they believe in the avataras of Vishnu like Buddha, Rama, Krishna, etc. They also believe that Shiva and Brahma both are forms of Vishnu.
Thusly, Vedanta Schooling differs in interpretations. Sometimes, this almost seems like a fanclub: like Batman v. Superman.
I personally beleive in Shaktidharma and Tridevi avatars in Srimad Devi Bhagwat Purana’s 1st book and 4th chapter, where Parashakti (the divine mother of all energies). The Female-Centric Shaktidharma denomination assigns the eminent roles of the three forms (Trimurti) of Supreme Divinity not to masculine gods but instead to feminine goddesses: Mahasarasvati (Creatrix), Mahalaxmi (Preservatrix), and Mahakali (Destructrix). This feminine version of the Trimurti is called Tridevi (“three goddesses”). The masculine gods (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) are then relegated as auxiliary agents of the supreme feminine Tridevi. This makes sense, femininity and creation.
Paramdevi (Jagadamba Mata) claims as follows: “I am Adi Parashakti. I am the owner of this universe. I am the Absolute Reality. I am dynamic in feminine form and static in masculine form. You have appeared to govern the universe through my energy. You are the masculine form of Absolute Reality, while I am the feminine form of that Reality. I am beyond form, beyond everything, and all the powers of God are contained within me. You must know that I am the Eternal limitless energy.”
Brahma
She then said: Brahma! You will be generator of the universe; the Goddess Sharada (Saraswati) is your consort, she will be recognized as the goddess of wisdom and the primeval sound. Lord Brahma, this goddess will be with you when you create the universe.
Bishnu
She continued: Lord Narayana! You are formless, yet you take form. I assign you to be the preserver of the universe. You will take a different incarnations in order to save this universe’s inhabitants. Oh Narayana! You have created Lord Brahma, and Brahma will further create thirty three kinds of gods and goddesses. I am goddess Mahamaya, who has made you reappear from your mystic sleep. Your consort will be goddess Lakshmi. Lord Vishnu, this goddess will be with you when you rule/maintain the universe. When life evolves, you will take the form of Vishnu, the one who will perform the task of observing and preserving this universe.
Maheshwor
At Last she instructed: “Oh Lord Rudra Shiv, the Great God, you are the personification of time, which is above all. You will perform the task of destroying and regenerating this universe. When you are formless, time stands still. It is due to my power that you become dynamic and are capable of bringing about the destruction and regeneration of this universe. Mahakali is myself, my full form, whereas Laxmi and Saraswati are just my clones, my partial forms but due to meditation, you will surpass all my forms. It is then that I will incarnate from your left half in my manifested form. This form will be my truest manifested form. Lord Shiva, She will perform the task of destroying evil and will be your consort.
The Birth of Balarama: Seshavatara
Balarama is a Hindu god and the elder brother of Krishna. Balarama is described as an avatar of Shesha (Seshnagha), the serpent associated with the god Vishnu; Krishna is regarded as an avatar of Vishnu. Vishnu’s resting serpent, the Seshnagha, is described to follow the avatars of Vishnu (both Rama and Krishna) in avatar of Laxmana and Balarama.
The birth of Balarama is a story of tragedy. Balarama was the son of Vasudeva and Devaki. The evil king Kansa, Vasudeva’s brother-in-law, was intent upon killing the children of his sister Devaki because of a prediction that he would die at the hands of her eighth child. Evil demon king Kansa had already killed the first six children of Devaki by smashing the newborns on a stone. Vishnu intervened and when Balarama was conceived, state the Hindu legends, his embryo was moved from Devaki’s womb into the womb of Rohini, Vasudeva’s first wife. Because Kansa has been killing all child born from Devaki, Rohini Devi (Vasudev’s First Wife), with intervention from Vishnu, captured the fetus in a lamp and she took the child in her womb. Balaram was born thusly. In some texts, this movement gives Balarama the epithet Sankarshana (one who was dragged away). Balarama grew up with his younger brother Krishna with foster parents, in the household of the head of cowherds Nanda and his wife Yashoda.
From Bhagavata Purana: The Bhagavan as the aatma of everything tells the creative power of His unified consciousness about His plan for his own birth as Balarama and Krishna. He begins with Balarama. The whole of Shesha, which is my abode, will become an embryo in Devaki’s womb which you shall transplant to Rohini’s womb.
The Birth of Rishi Chiranjivi: Veda Vyasa
Veda Vyasa is known for being author of Mahabharata. But he is the main force to drive the story of Kuru Kshetra. Vyasa has more to do with the the great Mahabharata War, probably even more role than that Krishna played. The birth of Dhirtarashtra was the result of Niyog between Vyasa and Ambika. The birth of Pandu was the result of Niyog between Vyasa and Ambalika. Vichitravirya died before the conception of his children: Dhirtarashtra and Pandu. One could say Vyasa compiled his own story in the form of Mahabharata. He had a lot more to do with the dynasty of Kuru than little. Queen Satyavati compeled her eldest son, sage Vyasa to perform niyoga with both the widows of her youner son Vichitravirya. The widows, sisters Ambika and Ambalika and one of their maids, bear Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura, respectively.
But what is the story of Rishi Vyasa himself?
Vyas’s father, Rishi Parashara asked boon with Lord Shiva for a birth of huge Bramharishi in his family. Parashara also asked that the birth of maharsi in his family should not cause any pain to the mother. The story of birth of Vyas Rishi goes:
During her youth, and before her marriage to Shantanu, Satyavati was a fisherwoman who used to drive a boat. One day, she helped Rishi Parashara to cross the river Yamuna. He was enchanted by her beauty and wanted an heir from her. Initially, Satyavati did not agree, telling that if others would see them, then her purity would be questioned. Parashara created a secret place in bushes of a nearby island and a blanket of thick fog. She conceived and immediately gave birth to a son (Vyas rishi was born just immediately after the conception as per the boon Shiva has given Rishi Parashara). Parashara named him Krishna Dvaipayana, referring to his dark complexion and birthplace. Dvaipayana became an adult and promised his mother that he would come to her when needed. Parashara restored Satyavati’s virginity, gifted her an enchanting smell and left with his son. Satyavati kept this incident a secret, not telling even King Shantanu whom she was married to later.
The Birth of Vichitravirya's Sons: Dhritarashtra and Pandu (and Vidur)
First a little background on the Chandravansi Dyansti before the niyoga birth stories of Dhirtarashtra and Pandu. Let’s start with Shantanu from Chandravansi dynasty.
Bramha>Atri>Chandra>Budha>Pururava>Ayussu>Nahusha>Yayati>Puru>Manasyu>Nileel>Dushyanta>Bharata>Bhumanyu>Suhotra>Hasti>Vikanja>Ajameedh>Irusha>Samvarana>Kuru>Vidurnath>Amurt>Pratipa>Shantanu
(The Great Chandravansi Dynasty’s lineage till Shantanu)
- Shantanu’s issue with Ganga: Bhisma | Shantanu’s issue with Satyavati: Vichitravirya and Chitrangada (Bhisma and Chitrangada has no issue)
- Vichitrvirya’s issue with Ambika (Vyasha’s Niyog): Dhirtarashtra | Vichitrvirya’s issue with Ambalika (Vyasha’s Niyog): Pandu
- ..
- Dhirtarashtra’s issue with Gandhari: 100 Sons (incl. Duryodhan and Dussasan) and daughter Dushala | Dhirtarashtra’s issue with Sughada: Yuyutsu
- Pandu’s issue with Kunti: Yudhistir, Bhim, Arjun | Pandu’s issue with Madri: Nakul, Sahadev | Kunti’s issue (out of wedlock): Karna
The family tree goes on and on. So, lets jump into the birth story of Vichitravirya’s sons. Vichitravirya had an elder brother named Chitrāngada, whom his half-brother Bhishma placed on the throne of the kingdom of the Kurus after Shantanu’s death; he was a mighty warrior but the king of the Gandharvas defeated and killed him at the end of a long battle. Thereafter, Bhishma consecrated Vichitravirya, who was still a child, to the kingdom. When he had reached manhood, Bhishma married him to Ambika and Ambalika, beautiful daughters of the king of Kasi Kashya. Vichitravirya loved his wives very much and was adored by them. But after seven years he fell ill of consumption and could not be healed despite the efforts of his friends and physicians.[5] Like his brother Chitrangada, he died childless. Subsequently, through a Niyoga relationship with his half-brother sage Vyasa, his wives and a maid gave birth to three children, namely Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura.
The Birth of Karna: Kunti's Son out of Wedlock
Karna’s story is the story of strength, honor, friendship and valor. Karna is aslo known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya.
According to the legend, there was a king of the Yadava dynasty named Shurasena who had a beautiful young daughter named Pritha (later known as Kunti: Pandu’s Wife). A rishi named Durvasa visited the king for a lengthy stay and was housed as his palace guest. Shurasena asked Kunti to ensure that Durvasa’s stay was comfortable. On leaving, having been delighted with his stay and her diligent services, Durvasa thanked her and gave her the Siddha mantra, telling her that if she ever wants, she can invoke any deity to give her a child.
Teenage Kunti became curious, wondered if the mantra would really work and, as the sun rose one morning, she initiated the mantra through which she could invoke any divine God being to provide her a son. She called the sun god Surya. He came with a golden glow, dressed up in jewelry and breastplate, and provided her with her first son. Kunti felt confused and ashamed, worried what everyone will think and how she will embarrass her family. At that time, according to Vedic civilization, if a girl gives birth to a child before married are less likely to marry. So, she put the newborn baby in a padded basket, and set it adrift in the small river Ashvanadi by the palace. Later Kunti got blessed with children Yudhishtra, Bhima, and Arjuna, using this mantra. The same mantra was used by Kunti to allow her co-wife, Madri, to conceive Nakula and Sahdeva. The Spiritual “fathers” of the five Pandavas were Yama, Vayu, Indra and the twin Ashwini Kumaras.
As the adolescent mother abandons her unwanted child on the river, she laments and the epic verses describe her emotions with heartbreak. The basket floats, reaches the river Charmanavati, which carries it to the Yamuna River. The basket floats on and reaches the Ganges River and on it into the kingdom of Anga (ancient Bengal). There, it is found by a charioteer’s wife Radha, who takes the baby Karna to her husband Adhiratha Nandana. They adopt him right away and name him Vasushena. They love him and raise him just like their own son. While he was growing up, his adopting parents let Karna know that they had found and adopted him. This knowledge affects Karna, he feels ashamed that he was abandoned, and this frames his sense of self-identity through the epic. The boy goes to school in Hastinapura, and studies martial arts under the sages Drona, Kripa and the Vishnu avatar Parashurama. Parashurama also gifted him a bow named Vijaya due to his impressive skills. At school and in episodes where his character appears, he is repeatedly rejected, subjected to ridicule and bullied for being the son of a poor family, and particularly for his low birth. The boy Karna came to be known for his solitary habits, hard work, pious yoga before Surya every day, compassion and eager generosity to help anyone in need particularly Brahmins, his gift of speech, and for the pursuit of excellence in whatever he did. Karna is also known as someone who craves for respect, love and attention, who is overly sensitive to criticism, who habitually brags about his skills and martial capabilities, yet is deeply thoughtful and dharmic in critical moments of the epic.
The Birth of Rishi Dronacharya
Rishi Bhardwaj’s story is a shot and funny one. Bharadwaja rishi goes to Ganga River to take bath.There, he spots a beautiful apsara named Ghritachi, who has come to bathe.The sage is overcome by desire, causing him to involuntarily seed out of excitement. Bharadwaja Rishi captures the semen in a vessel called a Đroņa. Inside it, a baby boy developed who was named Drona as he was born in a pot.
The Birth of Pandavas
The story begins with the introduction of the brothers’ parents. The primary antagonist of the saga was Duryodhana (the meaning of the name is “unconquerable”), cousin to the Pandavas. He was the eldest of 100 brothers known as the Kauravas, who were born to Dhritarashtra, the king of Hastinapura, and his queen Gandhari, princess of Gandhara.
The Pandavas were born to Pandu and his wives, Kunti and Madri by the boon given to Kunti by Durvasa, that she could have a son by any god whom she respects without having any marital affair. After Madri’s marriage, Pandu voluntarily renounced royal life as penance for having accidentally killed the sage Rishi Kindama and his wife. At his death, Rishi Kindama cursed Pandu that he would surely die if he attempted to have sexual relationships with his wives. Because of this curse, Kunti had to use her boon to get sons. She bore him three sons: Yudhishthira by the god of Dharma, Bhima by the god of Wind, and Arjuna by Indra. At the request of Pandu, she shared this boon with Madri to get her sons, the twins Nakula and Sahadeva from the divine Ashvini twins.
The Birth of Brahmaavatar: Kripacharya
Guru Kripa, also known as Kripacharya is fourth Avatar of Brahma and is an important character in the Mahābhārata, one of the Chiranjivi. He is the son of Śaradvān and Jānapadī, born in a particularly extraordinary manner.
Gautama Maharishi had a grandson called Śaradvān. Śaradvān was born with arrows, making clear he was a born archer. As he matured, he became such a great archer and began doing penance to become an unbeatable one. This threatened the gods, especially Indra. He then sent a beautiful Apsara, Janapadi, from heaven to distract the celibate saint. Śaradvān was distracted by the sight of such a beautiful woman and lost some control, dropping his weapons and retreating into the forest to undergo more penance. His seed fell on some weeds by the wayside, dividing the weeds into two – from which a boy and a girl were born. The king of Hastinapura, Shantanu was out for hunting. A soldier of Shantanu saw the twins and brought them to the king. Shantanu became so compassionate towards them that he adopted them and named them Kripa and Kripi, “Kripa” meaning pity. As he adopted them out of pity. He decided to take them back with him to his palace.
Later on Kripa became an acharya, teacher of the royal children, giving him the name Kripacharya. His twin sister Kripi married Drona. Kripa was among the Maharathis who fought on the Kauravas’s side against the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra war in the Hindu epic of the Mahabharata.
The Birth of Kauravas
Both Pandavas and Kauravas were the heir of Kuru. But why were Dhirtarashtra’s sons called Kauravas but not Pandu’s sons?
I think the answer could be that Kauravas was meant to represent the elder line of the descendants of Kuru. This restricts it to the children of King Dhritarashtra, excluding the children of his younger brother, Pandu, whose children form the Pandava line. Maybe true, maybe not.
After Gandhari was married to Dhritarashtra, she wrapped cloth over her eyes and vowed to share the darkness that her husband lived in. Gandhari’s brother Shakuni came to live with them to look after the interests of Gandhari. Once Sage Dwaipayan Vyasa came to visit Gandhari in Hastinapur. She took great care of the comforts of the great saint and saw that he had a pleasant stay in Hastinapur. The saint was pleased with Gandhari and granted her a boon. Gandhari wished for one hundred sons who would be as powerful as her husband. Dwaipayan Vyasa granted her the boon and in due course of time, Gandhari found herself to be pregnant. But two years passed and still, the baby was not born. Meanwhile, Kunti received a son from god Dharma whom she called Yudhishthira. After two years of pregnancy, Gandhari gave birth to a hard piece of lifeless flesh that was not a baby at all. Gandhari was devastated as she had expected a hundred sons according to the blessing of Rishi Vyasa. She was about to throw away the piece of flesh while Rishi Vyasa appeared and told her that his blessings could not have been in vain and asked Gandhari to arrange for one hundred jars to be filled with ghee. He told Gandhari that he would cut the piece of flesh into a hundred pieces and place them in the jars, which would then develop into the one hundred sons that she so desired. Gandhari told Vyasa then that she also wanted to have a daughter. Vyasa agreed, cut the piece of flesh into one hundred and one-pieces, and placed them each into a jar. After two more years of patient waiting the jars were ready to be opened and were kept in a cave. Bhima was born a day after Duryodhana was born thus making him younger than him. Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva were born after Duryodhana was born.
Dhirtarastra’s Issue:
- With Gandhari (100 Sons): Duryodhana, Dushasana, Duhsaha, Duhshal, Durmukha, Vivinsati, Vikarna, Jalasandha, Sulochna, Vinda, Anuvinda, Durdharsha, Suvahu, Dushpradharshana, Durmarshana, Dushkarna, Karna, Chitra, Vipachitra, Chitraksha, Charuchitra, Angada, Durmada, Dushpradharsha, Vivitsu, Vikata, Sama, Urananabha, Padmanabha, Nanda, Upanandaka, Sanapati, Sushena, Kundodara, Mahodara, Chitravahu, Chitravarman, Suvarman, Durvirochana, Ayovahu, Mahavahu, Chitrachapa, Sukundala, Bhimavega, Bhimavala, Valaki, Bhimavikrama, Ugrayudha, Bhimaeara, Kanakayu, Dridhayudha, Dridhavarman, Dridhakshatra, Somakirti, Anadara, Jarasandha, Dridhasandha, Satyasandha, Sahasravaeh, Ugrasravas, Ugrasena, Kshemamurti, Aprajita, Panditaka, Visalaksha, Duradhara, Dridhahasta, Suhasta, Vatavega, Suvarchasa, Adityaketu, Kundhaya, Vahvasin, Nagadatta, Anuyaina, Nishangi, Kuvachi, Dandi, Dandadhara, Dhanugraha, Ugra, Bhimaratha, Vira, Viravahu, Alolupa, Abhaya, Raudrakarman, Dridharatha, Anadhrishya, Kundaveda, Viravi, Dhirghalochana, Dirghavahu, Mahavahu, Vyudhoru, Kanakangana, Kundaja, Chitraka
- With Gandhari (1 Daughter): Dushala
- With Sugadha: Yuyutsu
Some of the Kauravas had children – Duryodhana has married a Kalinga princess, named in folklores as Bhanumati. They had 2 children – a son Laxman Kumara and a daughter Lakshmana. Lakshman Kumar participated in the Kurukshetra War and killed Shikhandi’s son Kshatradeva. He is killed by Abhimanyu on the 13th day of the War. Lakshmana was said to have married Krishna’s son Samba, and they had a son Ushneek.
Dushasana was also said to have a son, who killed Abhimanyu in the war. Dushasana’s son was ultimately killed by Shrutasena in the War. Chitrasena’s son was said to have been killed by Shrutakarma in the Kurukshetra War. All the sons of the Kauravas were killed by the sons of the Pandavas.
The Birth of King Parikshit: The Last King of Dwapar Yuga
The Bhagavata Purana states that the son of Drona, Ashwatthama had prepared a Brahmastra (a powerful weapon summoned to Brahma) to kill the Pandavas heir (King Parikshit), while he was in his mother’s (Uttarā) womb, as a revenge against the Pandavas for killing his relatives (especially his father and best friend Duryodhan) in the Kurukshetra war. Uttara was Abhimanyu’s wife. Abhimanyu was son of Arjun.
Uttarā was terrified by the powerful rays of the weapon and worried about her child, then her mothers-in-law Draupadi and Subhadra prayed to Krishna for help to save their heir. Krishna pacified her and protected the child in the womb from the deadly weapon and thus saved his life. Parikshit was thus born to Uttara. He was named Vişņurāta, because Lord Visnu had given him to the Pandavas when their race was about to be extinct. Later he was throned as the heir to the Pandavas at Hastinapura.
After he was installed on the throne of Hastinapur, he performed three horse sacrifices. While performing the sacrifices he traveled throughout the country. Once he saw a low caste man beating a one-legged bull with a rod, and kicking a cow. He became angry at this sight and arrested the man. Parikshit was about to kill him when the man revealed his true identity as Kali. Kali begged pardon from Parikshit, so the king forgave him and ordered him to leave his kingdom. Kali obeyed his order and left Parikshit’s kingdom. Satisfied the cow revealed herself as the mother earth who was grief-stricken for Krishna had returned to his abode (Vaikuntha) leaving earth. The bull was Dharma whose other three legs were mutilated and he now only stood one leg in the Kali Yuga.
This marked the begning of the Kali-Yuga. And these days we are in the midst of it. Phew !!