The Lunar dynasty ( IAST: Candravaṃśa) is a legendary principal house of the Kshatriyas varna, or warrior–ruling varna (Social Class) mentioned in the ancient Indian texts. This legendary dynasty was said to be descended from moon-related deities ('' Soma'' or '' Chandra''). According to the '' Shatapatha Brahmana'', Pururavas was the son of

Budha Budha () is the Sanskrit word for the planet Mercury (planet), Mercury, personified as a god. Also a god who represented the intelligence. He is also known as Somaya, Rohinaya, and rules over the nakshatra, ''nakshatra''s (lunar mansions) of A ...

(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 FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of relig ...

. According to the ''Mahabharata'', Lunar dynasty's progenitor Ila ruled from Prayaga, and had a son Shashabindu who ruled in the country of Bahli. The son of Ila and

was Pururavas, who became the first Chandravamsha, emperor of all of the earth. Ila's descendants were also known as the Ailas.Encyclopaedia of the Hindu world, Volume 1 by Gaṅgā Rām Garg
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In Mahabharata

In Hindu texts, the Kurukshetra War, which forms the subject of the Indian epic '' Mahabharata'', was largely fought between rival branches of the Lunar dynasty, famously resulting in Arjuna's turn 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 Yaduvamsha lineage is in peril. The sinking of Dvārakā sees the destruction of the entire Yaduvamsha lineage, with the exception of

Vajra The Vajra (, , ), is a legendary and ritualistic tool, symbolizing the properties of a diamond (indestructibility) and a thunderbolt (irresistible force). It is also described as a "ritual weapon". The use of the bell and vajra together as s ...

In Mahabharata

Branches and rulers of dynasty

See also

References

Sources

External links