Yadu ( Skt. यदु , yadu IAST ) is an ancient Indian king mentioned in the Mahabharata , Harivansha , and Puranas . Yadu was the eldest son of King Yayati and his wife Devayani . According to Vishnu Purana , Bhagavata Purana and Garuda Purana , Yadu had four sons (according to other Puranas, there were five sons): Sahasrajit (Sahasrada), Kroshta (Kroshta), [1] [2] Nile, Antica and Laghu. [3] When the wife of Yayati Devayani found out that he was cheating on her with her servant Sharmistha, she complained about the husband to her father Shukra , who cursed Yayati. As a result of the curse, the king turned into a decrepit old man. Sukra, however, allowed Yayati to give his old age to one of his sons. Of the five sons, only the youngest, Puru , agreed to give his youth to his father. It is described that Yayati, having enjoyed the youth of his youngest son for 1000 years, returned her back, passing with her Puru his kingdom. Thus, Yadu and his descendants lost the right to be continuers of the Lunar Dynasty, and only the descendants of Puru, the power , could be considered as such. The descendants of the Yadu became known as the Yadavas , and the dynasty as the Yadu-vamsa (Yadu dynasty). Krishna was also born in the Yadu clan.
Yadu is also the name of one of the five Aryan tribes mentioned in the Rig Veda (I.54.6, I.108.7, X.62.10).
Notes
- ↑ Pargiter, FE (1972). Ancient Indian Historical Tradition , Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, p. 87.
- ↑ Misra, VS (2007). Ancient Indian Dynasties , Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, ISBN 81-7276-413-8 , pp. 162-3
- ↑ Matsya Purana , 43.6-7
Literature
- Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend ( ISBN 0-500-51088-1 ) by Anna Dhallapiccola
- Frawley David : The Rig Veda and the History of India, 2001. (Aditya Prakashan), ISBN 81-7742-039-9