Lunar dynasty

Lunar dynasty also known as Chandravanshi, Somavanshi or Chandravamsa was a mythological dynasty in ancient Indian texts. They are said to be descendants from the moon god Chandra. The Lunar dynasty was established by the Pururavas, who was the first ruler of the lunar dynasty, and he was a common ancestor of both the Kauravas and Pandavas. 

According to the Shatapatha Brahmana, Pururavas was the son of Budha (himself often described as the son of Soma) and the gender-switching deity Ila (born as the daughter of Manu). Pururavas's great-grandson was Yayati, who had five sons named Yadu, Turvasu, Druhyu, Anu, and Puru. These seem to be the names of five Vedic tribes as described in the Vedas. According to the Mahabharata, the dynasty's progenitor Ila ruled from Prayag, and had a son Shashabindu who ruled in the country of Bahli. The son of Ila and Budha was Pururavas who became the first Chandravanshi emperor of the planet.

Ila's descendants were also known as the Ailas In Hindu texts, the Kurukshetra war that forms the subject of the Indian epic Mahabharata, was largely fought between rival branches of the Lunar dynasty, famously resulting in the hesitation of Arjuna away from war and the reprimand of his mentor Krishna. Krishna reminds Arjuna that dharma stands above everything and the text forms an integral cultural cornerstone for all four Kshatriya houses.

By the conclusion of the Kurukshetra war most of the Yadhuvanshi lineage is in peril. The sinking of Dwarka sees the destruction of the entire Yaduvanshi lineage with the exception of Vajranabh who was saved by Arjuna and later becomes the king of Mathura.

References

Category:Hinduism
Category:Hindu mythology