How was the end of Lord Rama of Ayodhya and his dynasty?
Shri Kusha inherited the Throne of Ayodhya, subjugated a Naga King and married his daughter, and lived a long and happy life amidst prosperous citizenry before sacrificing his life to kill the demon Durjaya. His brother, Luva established and ruled over the city now known as Lahore, now lost to Hindus.
Kusha was succeeded as Emperor of Bharatavarsha by his son, Atithi who had a long and successful reign. Atithi married the princess of the Naishadha kingdom, and had a son named Nala who succeeded him as Emperor of the lands stretching upto the Great Sea, and was succeeded in turn by his son Nabha when he renounced the World to dwell with the gentle beasts of the woods.
From Nabha of the Raghuvamsha was born Pundarika the Archer, and from Pundarika was born Kshemadhanva, reknowned for his kindness and forbearance. When the latter renounced the World, he left the Throne to his all-subduing son, Devanika, who was fierce in War and avenged and guarded the Realms of his father and then succeeded him as Emperor of the lands between the Mountains and the Sea.
His successor was as skilled in matters of the Court as he had been in the battlefield. The Emperor Ahinagu knew the hearts of men and recognised the base nature like unto wild beast inherent within men, and thus took the necessary steps to counter threats to the Realms of the Bharatas. He was succeeded by his son Pariyatra who conquered the tribes of the mountains in the West that came to bear his august name. However this unparalleled Emperor, disliking the demands of Rule, appointed his son Shila as his Viceroy and spent his life in pleasures. Thus did Shila succeeded him, and Shila's son Unnabha succeed Shila, and Unnabha's son Vajranabha- he of the deep voice- succeed Unnabha, and Vajranabha's warlike son Shankhana succeed Vajranabha in turn.
Vyushitashva, who dispatched fierce Cavalrymen to the Shores to keep order, followed Shankana, and Vishvasaha, friend of the World, succeeded his fierce warrior father. Hiranyanabha succeeded Vishvasaha when the latter retired to the forests. Kausalya, learned and scholarly, succeeded Hiranyanabha, and Brahmishtha succeeded him in turn.
Brahmishtha was succeeded by his son Putra, who upon attaining old age himself took refuge with the sage Jaimini in the forests left the Realm to his son Pushya. Pushya, in turn, left the Empire to his son Dhruvasandhi who made peace with his foes. However he was slain by a lion while hunting, leaving but a single son aged six, of the name Sudarshana- cursing Bharatavarsha with that most portentous of calamities- an immature Lord.
However Sudarshana excelled as Emperor, keeping his vassals cowed and the citizens prosperous. But upon his taking to the forests, his heir was Agnivarna and he proved dissipative and libidinous. He played the drum and the lute, he sported with women in palace lakes, he drowned himself in wine. Thus if came to be that he contracted a venereal disease and wasted away and even though the line continued until the slaughter of their Lord by the Tyrant Ajatashatru of the Haryanka, hated by the gods, the might of the all-subduing Solar-crested Emperors was broken.
Thus was the fall of the Line of Raghu.
I still come back just to read this excellent answer.
ReplyDelete