https://www.boloji.com/articles/54983/origin-of-kurus-dynasty          September 21, 2025

 

 

Origin of Kuru's Dynasty

by P C K Prem

A Page from Ancient Literature

Tapti, the daughter of Sun God and King Samvarana

‘Sanctity and might’ of Samvarana is legendary. The ancient tale speaks of a great dynasty. Goddess as Katyani, Durga, Ambika and Sarswati took birth for the wellbeing of created beings and killed asura Sambha at a later stage. Birth of goddess carries an interesting backdrop. Ages back, lord Sankara married holy daughter of Himvana, Uma. Out of Uma’s womb, goddess Kaushiki took birth. The will of Supreme lord wished it. Kaushiki enjoyed sanctified force and energy of created beings of diverse nature as she took birth at the most auspicious moment. She went to Vindhya to undergo tapasya. At the mountain, a great battle ensued between Kaushiki and mighty demons Sumbha and Nisumbha. After a violent battle, Kaushiki eliminated dreadful demons.

Astonishing revelations…in a yajna of Daksa, Sati –Parvati feels humiliated and commits immolation that ultimately intensifies the antagonism of Shiva

Now, questions about Daksa’s daughter Kaushiki and demons -Sumbha and Nisumbha arise because ‘origin and birth’ makes interesting revelations.

Ages back, goddess Sati, a daughter of Daksa abandoned mortal frame and this singular act, distressed lord Rudra. He was shelter less and as a widower, he roamed about in agony and anguish. He was deeply repentant of his conduct that drove Sati to commit immolation. Rudra adhered to principles of celibacy -brahmcharya and wailed, bemoaned and wandered about in various regions of the world. Later on, Rudra also chief of the forces of gods, decided to undergo tapa and penance, who years back subdued, crushed and destroyed ego, arrogance and self-importance of daityas whenever required.

Now, he relinquished image of Rudra, transformed into the figure of lord Shiva. Engaged in tapa and meditation, he abandoned status of leader of the forces of gods forever, and as such, the gods of heavens did not have any army general.

Daitya Mahishasura, learnt about vulnerable statues of gods, and therefore, invaded the triple world and after a fierce war, threw out the gods, the goddesses and the celestial beings from heavens, and thus, extended unchallenged authority and put his under control all the worlds.

Thus, in ancient time, the created beings witnessed unique event when mighty people and the gods lived and confronted one another.

It is not an encouraging development for gods, who feel let down…and therefore, go to Sri Hari, and seek shelter in the grave crisis of survival…prayers of gods before Maina

Whenever daityas -demons or danavas or asuras defeated and humiliated gods and celestial beings, gods sought refuge at the feet of Sri Hari -the lord of gods, the Supreme lord of White Island. It was time for the gods to seek refuge again.

The Supreme lord envisaged agony of gods and therefore, smiled and said, “I know that a vicious spirited Mahishasura defeated you, and therefore, you came to seek guidance. O gods, I tell you a little that benefits you. If you listen to guardedly and conscientiously, you will gain definite victory over daityas.”

All the gods stood silent and listened to the words of wisdom and guidance. After a pause, lord Vishnu said, “O gods, Agniswata is a prominent pitra. He has a daughter Maina. O assembly of gods, you meditate on Maina with devotion and shradha on the occasion of amavasya and follow principles of prayer and worship, and then, request the holy woman to become wife of Himalaya.”

After a short while, he resumed, “After sometime, out of Maina’s womb, a captivating and beautiful daughter will take birth through Himalaya, who had sacrificed her life in the previous birth after she had got angry with Daksa because Daksa had not invited Shiva and Sati to the great yajna, which later became a lethal cause of enmity. With the blessings of the lord and natural radiance, Maina will give birth to a son, who would later, destroy daityas, Mahishasura and the entire army.”

He said looked around and then said again, “O gods, therefore, you go to Kurukshetra, the most precious, sacred and generous place where another tirtha Prithadaka is situated. At Prithadaka, you chant the name of pitra Agniswatas and worship. If you really wish defeat of daityas, you forget everything else, go to Prithadaka on Amavasya, and complete the sacred work as I told. Only devotion and bhakti help.”

Supreme lord counseled in simple words. Gods were curious to know about tirtha and sacred places, and therefore, asked, “O lord, please tell about the origin of Kurukshetra tirtha and tirtha at Prithadaka. Tell about the most apt time of pray and worship when one should go and pray before pitras - divine and dead souls, after one makes proper efforts?” Supreme lord did not wish to disillusion the gods in hours of crisis and was determined to annihilate evil and demoniac forces.

Vishnu visits past and reveals truths as a divine beauty captivates Samavarana…he enjoys glimpses of a godly daughter when he goes to the ashrama of sage Vasistha

Vishnu realized genuine curiosity of gods, thought deeply and said, “In the beginning of Satya Yuga -the Age of Truth, a great King Riks of Soma’s dynasty governed a vast country. He had a great son, a man of dharma Samavarana. Riks’s son Samavarana was still a child when the king praised him eloquently. Later on, the king coroneted prince Samavarana after holding consultations with the learned men of statecraft, confirmed him as the king. Samavarana was a devotee, and therefore, concentrated at my feet of the Supreme with feeling of dedication and surrender. He was a great bhakta, O gods. A son of Varuna, Vasistha was the purohit -the royal priest. Vasistha imparted knowledge of the Vedas, Upvedas and various scriptures.”

Vishnu said, “O gods, once it was a holiday. Samavarana performed essential kingly duties and obligations, and then, went to the ashrama of sage Vasistha -a storehouse of tapa, to pay obeisance at sage’s feet. He did not desire it deliberately but it was a sheer chance. Before he arrived at the hermitage, Samavarana frantically went for a chase in the forest but he did not get any prey. It disturbed the prince. He continued to wander in the forest in pursuit of a suitable kill, and after intense hunt entered a deserted forest of Vaibhraj. Excitement filled the young prince when he beheld the magic beauty of the forest, and consequently, he enjoyed its natural beauty -an embodiment of divine qualities.

Flowers of different seasons grew in the ashrama throughout the year and emitted fascinating fragrance. Lonely forest of divine virtues captivated but he was not satisfied. Out of curiosity and inquisitiveness, he went around and beheld the beauty of a strange forest in various directions. Amazing forest was full of white, red, yellow and blue lotus, kumud and divine excitement and thrills filled. He continued to enjoy its abundant loveliness and charisma.”

Vishnu said again, “O gods, many apasaras and daughters of gods used to visit the forest for joy and delight. Nymphs and daughters of gods felt delight at the charm and beauty of forest, and at the divine moment, the young king saw a good-looking girl.”

“Passion and love excited the prince as he looked at the divine girl…”

Vishnu was silent. After a moment, he resumed, “As the prince was deeply beset with the arrows of love and infatuation of Kamadeva, the lord of love, she also looked intensely at Prince Samavarana. Beauty and vigour of prince captivated and enthralled, and intensity of passions overwhelmed her. Terrible assaults of love and affection drove the young prince and the beautiful girl to a state of unconsciousness. Very soon, they were in deep love with each other. The king rode a horse at that time and when he saw a divine beauty, he slipped from the saddle and fell on the ground.”

“Prince’s mental frame and physique was wretched and nobody around looked at a lifeless king, a young prince. Gentle and kindly gandharavas, who enjoyed powers to transform ‘the selves’ into any figure and shape as desired, arrived in the forest, and therefore, saintly gandharavas took care of Samavarana and sprinkled water on the face. Soon, the prince regained consciousness and got up. At that time, apasaras the beautiful celestial beauties, also arrived and healed the young man -a love-smitten king with loving words. After sometime, they requested the prince to return and so, presented him to King Riks.”

A sense of enormous charity exhibited kindness of gandharava and nymphs.

Samavarana recovers and again goes out of the capital, Tapti expresses love for the prince…later, sage Vasistha visits the aura of Surya and requests for the hand of his daughter Tapti for prince Samavarana

Samavarana felt healthier now, without loss of time, mounted a swift horse and went to another famous city Paidan like a god, who easily goes very happily as desired to mountaintop of Meru. Samavarana noticed a daughter of Sun god Tapti in the forest of a mountain and Tapti’s incredible beauty charmed. He was unable to eat anything on that day and at night. Sleep escaped and so he was disturbed. Magic face of Tapti worried. Yogi Vasistha knew everything, and through eyes of yoga, knew everything visible and invisible. He was able to read disquieting thoughts of anyone. A man of supreme tapa Vasistha observed prince in agony and distress, whom feelings of love for the divine girl troubled deeply and so, he flew up in the sky. Situating in the middle of the sky, he entered the area and aura of Surya, and thereafter, cherished darshana of the lord of dazzling rays Surya dev -the great Sun god.

When lord Surya saw a great brahmin sage Vasistha, he bowed and saluted. Sage responded, offered respects to Sun god, climbed, and then sat on the chariot of Sun god. As he sat beside Surya, sage Vasistha’s hair shone brilliantly like blazing flames. It added beauty and brilliance to the divine powers of sage Vasistha.

Vishnu continued, “O gods, after greeting a guest sage in a royal way, Surya dev inquired about the purpose of arrival.”

After a thought, sage Vasistha said to Surya dev, “O extremely radiant lord of gods, I came to ask for the hand of Tapti for the son of Riks, king Samavarana. Please give Tapti in marriage. They would make an ideal couple of divine attributes.”

“O gods…” Vishnu said again, “After he heard from the mouth of sage Vasistha, Surya dev came home and offered the hand of daughter Tapti and so he marries off Tapti to prince Samavarana without further questions.

After lord Surya consented, sage Vasistha returned to the ashrama with Tapti. Tapti daughter of Surya arrived at the hermitage. She kept in mind Riks’s son Samavarana, and with folded hands, she said deferentially to sage Vasistha, “O holy man, when I wandered in the forest of divine beauty and charm, I saw a graceful, handsome and brave man. At that time, I enjoyed and played with maidservants, apasaras and daughters of gods. When I looked at the man closely, I realized that he was prince of a kingdom. Grand attributes of prince adorned him as I found signs of disc, mace and sword engraved on man’s feet, whose arms and legs appeared like a striking trunk of an elephant.”

She spoke eloquently of Samavarana as the sage looked on at Tapti. She said further, “O holy man, the waist of the prince is like the waist of a lion. Three great powers give strength to him. The central portion of body is quite thin and slim and neck looks like a conch. Arms are solid, strong and long. Signs of lotus flower on kartal - back of palms beautify. The forehead is like a crest. Prince’s hair is black and curly, and ears look fleshy. Nose is solid and strong and teeth look white.” She was enamoured of prince.

She described physique of prince quite warmly and eulogies confirmed her love for the prince.

Prince is a man of divine attributes Tapati tells…Tapti reveals inner feelings and tells that it is difficult for her to think of any other man…only prince Samavarana can be an ideal husband

Eloquence in portrayal of beauty and grandeur of prince captivated and after a few moments, she was silent. After a pause, she again spoke of prince’s attractive and impressive forehead, broad shoulders, cheeks, waist, breast, arms and legs. She spoke of solidity and strength of different limbs of prince. She talked about the naval of handsome man and divine features of prince’s physique in totality. She spoke of the enchanting figure of prince, who attracted so much. She talked about the arms and undkosha, and the three parts that looked long and strong.

She further told the holy man that the eyes, the lips, the hands and the feet were beautiful, and the red colour of nails appeared fascinating. Thus, charming Tapti gave in-depth sketch of each limb and organ of Samavarana. She spoke excitedly about the prince’s hair, the eyebrows, barauni, the hair of eyes and various parts of eyes, the white teeth and the mouth. Tapti sense of evaluation was genuine and marvelous. She was deeply absorbed in unfolding the beauty and charm of the prince and so, forgot everything else as sage Vasistha listened to Tapti with care, love and affection.

At last, she said, “O lord of sages, I deeply deliberated over the issue and therefore, I have already accepted the prince from the earth as husband. O great sage, please forgive. Prince is a man of virtues, tapa and penance and perfectly meets requirements of an ideal man. I want him as husband. He rightly fits into the ideals of a perfect man and virtuous husband. Great saints opined that a girl, who desires a particular man, should not see any other. I cannot dream of any other man as husband.”

Tapti made inner desires and intentions clear. That she was already in love with Samavarana was no secret. She told Vasistha that if he nursed any other desire, he must not coerce her into a relationship she would not like to establish. However, the holy man affectionately smiled, for he knew the destiny of the prince and the writ of Supreme Lord.

Wise and straightforward talk of Tapti impresses Vasistha…Samavarana arrives

Sage Vasistha listened to Tapti patiently and after she finished, he was quiet for some time and was in deep meditation as if. He knew that the beauty and grandeur of prince had mesmerized the divine beauty. Therefore, he said cheerfully, “O dear daughter, the prince you met earlier and enjoyed blissful darshana and who you desire as a husband and about whom you spoke so fervently now, he is prince Samavarana, a son of King Riks.”

After a pause, he said happily, “O Tapti, he will come to the ashrama today.”

Later on, Samavarana arrived at the hermitage of sage Vasistha. He looked at sage Vasistha, reverently bowed, saluted and sat majestically on an offered grand seat and then, looked at Tapti. She was a beautiful girl of large eyes blooming like lotus flowers. Prince thought and looked at the beautiful girl. Possibly, he recalled, he had seen Tapti somewhere earlier. He could not resist inner disturbing temptation, and therefore, asked, “O great sage, who is the beautiful woman?”

Sage Vasistha smiled and said softly, “O King, she is Tapti, a daughter of Surya. I visited Surya and begged her for you only. Surya was generous and offered Tapti to me so that I get her married to you. Therefore, O great king, get up, carry out religious ceremonies well and accept Tapti as spouse.”

Prince Samavarana heard sage Vasistha - a son of Varuna and appeared very happy and indebted. He married Tapti, returned to the capital and thus, the royal couple lived happily. He was like lord Indra for Tapti. Afterward, the young prince governed the empire for a long time with authority of truth, dharma, love, charity and justice. Blessings of the divine on a sanctified and grand relationship between a celestial beauty and earthly might brought peace, harmony and prosperity to the kingdom.

20-Sep-2025

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