Anu (Son of Yayāti)

Anu

Janamejaya has other meanings too: see all meanings of Janamejaya. Dharma has other meanings too: see all meanings of Dharma. Navā has other meanings too: see all meanings of Navā.

Anu is one of the five sons of King Yayāti, son of Nahusha, born of Śarmishṭhā, the daughter of the asura Vṛshaparvan. When Yayāti asked his sons to take his old age, Anu refused and received his father’s śāpa, from which Bhagavān Śiva later freed him at the prayer of his youngest brother Puru. His son was Dharma.

His birth

Yayāti married Devayānī, the daughter of Uśanas (Śukra), and Śarmishṭhā, the daughter of Vṛshaparvan. Devayānī bore Yadu and Turvasu; Śarmishṭhā bore Druhyu, Anu and Pūru.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 12

The old age of Yayāti

When Yayāti had divided the earth among his sons, he asked his eldest son Yadu to take his old age and give him his youth. Yadu refused, and Yayāti, overcome by anger, pronounced a śāpa on him that his progeny would have no kingdom. He asked all his sons the same, and when the four refused, he pronounced the same śāpa on them. Only the fifth, Pūru, accepted his father’s old age.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 12

Per Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Brahmā tells Nārada that the old age came on Yayāti by the śāpa of Śukra, who softened it with a vara: the old age could be passed to a son. Śarmishṭhā‘s three sons had the lustre of Indra, Agni and Varuṇa. Yayāti asked Yadu, Turvasu and Druhyu in turn, and each refused. Then he said to Anu also, “Receive this old age of mine.” Anu said “No,” and Yayāti, after pronouncing a śāpa on him, spoke to Puru, who accepted. When Yayāti, satisfied with every pleasure, asked for his old age back, Puru would not cast off what he had accepted, and went to the southern bank of the Gaṅgā to perform tapas. After a long time Bhagavān Śiva was pleased and offered him a vara, and Puru asked him to destroy the old age and to free his brothers from the śāpas their father had given them. Saying “So be it,” Bhagavān Śiva destroyed the old age and freed his brothers from their śāpas. That tīrtha is Yayātatīrtha, where Bhagavān Śiva is called Kālañjara.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 76

His line

Anu’s son was Dharma; Dharma’s son Dyūta; his son Vanadaha; his son Pracetana; and his son Sucetana.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 13

Sources

• Brahma Purāṇa, Chapters 12–13; Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 76