The lineage of Yayāti’s son Anu is being described.

“From wife Sambhūti, Jayadratha begot a son Vijaya. Vijaya’s son was Dhṛti whose son was Dṛthavrata. His son was Satkarma. Satkarma’s son was Atiratha. Atiratha was childless. In those days Kunti, who was not yet married, had given birth to a boy. Placing the boy in a box, she abandoned him. Atiratha, who was wandering on the banks of Ganga, spotted this boy. He affectionately raised this boy as his own son. This boy was Karna. King Karna had a son Vṛsasena.

Another son of Emperor Yayāti was Druhyu. His son was Babhru. Bhabru’s son was Setu whose son was Ārabdha. Ārabha begot Gāndhāra. Dharma was the son of Gāndhāra. Dharma’s son was Dṛtha. His son was Durmanasa whose son was Praceta. Praceta had a hundred sons who settled in the northern side of the country and became the kings for the Mlecchas (those who have deviated from the path of Vedic righteousness).

Another son of Emperor Yayāti was Turvasu. His son was Vahni. He begot Bharga. Bharga’s son was Bhanuman. His son was Tribhānu. Tribhānu’s son was Karandhama. Karandhama begot Marut. Marut who was childless adopted Duṣyanta, who was born in the Puru lineage, as his son.

Duṣyanta however desired to be crowned the king. As this solely rested with the members of the Puru dynasty, Duṣyanta returned back to his Puru dynasty.

I shall now describe the lineage of Yayāti’s eldest son Yadu. This Yadu dynasty is very pure and it destroys the sins of all human beings who hear about it.

yador vaṁśaṁ naraḥ śrutvā sarva-pāpaiḥ pramucyate

yatrāvatīrṇo bhagavān paramātmā narākṛtiḥ

The human being who hears of Yadu’s lineage will be freed from all sins in entirety. In this lineage, the Supreme Lord incarnated in a human form.

Yadu had four sons Sahasrajit, Kroṣṭa, Nala and Ripu. The eldest among them Sahasrajit had a son Satajit. Satajit had three sons Mahāhaya, Venuhaya and Haihaya. Among them Haihaya had a son Dharma. Dharma’s son was Netra. His son was Kunti whose son was Sohanji. Sohanji’s son was Mahiṣmanta. His son was Bhadrasena.

Bhadrasena’s son was Durmada and Dhanaka. Among them Dhanaka had Kṛtavīrya, Kṛtāgni, Kṛtavarma and Kroutājasa. Kṛtavīrya’s son was Arjuna who became the sole emperor of the seven continents.

Dattātreyād dharer aṁśātprāpta-yoga-mahāguṇaḥ

With the blessings of Dattatreya, an incarnation of the Supreme Lord Srihari, Arjuna mastered Yoga and obtained the eight supernatural powers. No other emperor in the world can match Kārtavīryarjuna in Yagna, charity (dāna), penance (tapas), Yoga, Jnana, valour, victory and in punishing the wicked. This is because Kārtavīrya was of limitless valour. For 85,000 years Kārtavīrya enjoyed all worldly sensory pleasures. At no time during this period did he face adversities or fear that his wealth had depleted. For this reason those who think of him will never have to fear material losses.

Kārtavīryarjuna had 10,000 sons. However in the battle with Paraśūrama, barring his 5 sons Jayadhwaja, Śūrasena, Rṣabha, Madhu and Urjita, all others died. Among them, Jayadhwaja had a son Tālajhanga who fathered a hundred sons. These hundred sons were renowned as Tālajhanga-kṣatriyas. Emperor Sagara received the Agneya weapon from Maharishi Aurva using which he destroyed these Tālajhangas. Among the Tālajhangas Vītihotra was the eldest.

Kārtavīrya’s son Madhu had a hundred sons among whom Vṛṣṭi was the eldest. The lineages expanded due to Yadu, Vṛṣṭi and Madhu. Their dynasties subsequently became popular as Yadavas, Vṛṣṭi and Madhavas.

Yadu’s second son was Kroṣṭa. His son was Vṛjinavan. His son was Swāhi. He begot Vṛsēka whose son was Chitraratha. Chitraratha’s son was Śasabindu. Śasabindu was a renowned emperor. He not only enjoyed the best material opulence but also was a supreme yogi. He never knew defeat. The fourteen best opulences such as horses, elephants, chariots and others were in his possession.

This great emperor Śasabindu had 10,000 wives. Through them he begot one million sons. Among these one million sons, only six sons beginning with Pṛthuśrava, Pṛthukīrti attained renown. Pṛthuśravasa begot a very noble, virtuous son called Dharma. Dharma’s son was Uśana, who performed a hundred Ashwamedha-yāgas. Rucika was the son of Uśana. Rucika had five sons viz., Purujit, Rukma, Rukmēṣu, Pṛthu and Jyāmagha.

Jyāmagha could not beget any progeny through wife Śaibya. At the same time, fearing that his wife will be angered with him, he refrained from marrying another woman. However at one time in the jubilation of having conquered his enemy, he brought with him in his chariot a damsel, who belonged to the Bhoja dynasty, from the inner apartments of the enemy king’s palace.

Seeing her husband who was arriving with another woman in the chariot, wife Śaibya was infuriated. She screamed, “O wicked man! Why is this woman sitting in the place reserved for me in your chariot? Who is she?”

Jyāmagha replied, “She is your daughter-in-law”. Hearing these words, Śaibya smilingly replied, “I do not have any children. Neither do I have any co-wife. How can she become my daughter-in-law? How can there be any truth in your words?” The king said, “My dear wife, the son who will be born to you will marry her”.

The Viśwa-devatas and fore-fathers agreed to the words uttered by the king. They showered their blessings upon the couple Jyāmagha and Śaibya. Shortly thereafter Śaibya conceived. Upon completion of her pregnancy she gave birth to a handsome boy. This boy was named Vidarbha. Vidarbha grew up and married the chaste woman Bhojya. Thus King Jyāmagha’s words turned out to be true.

With this the twenty third chapter of the ninth canto comes to an end