Vaṃśānukīrtanam

The Vaṃśānukīrtanam (“the recitation of the lineage”) is a protective litany that Bhīshma taught to Yudhishṭhira while lying on his bed of arrows (śara-śayyā). It is found in the Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 165. It is not the family tree of one house. It first names the daiva-vaṃśa, the lineage of devas, ṛshis (seers), rivers and tīrthas (holy places) that holds up the three worlds. Then it names the rāja-vaṃśa, the great line of righteous kings.

Bhīshma says that one who recites it at dawn and dusk is freed from pāpa (sin) done knowingly or unknowingly, and is kept safe from the common fears of life. It gives pushṭi (prosperity), āyus (long life), yaśas (fame) and, in the end, svarga.

The setting

Yudhishṭhira always wished for what brings śreyas (welfare) in this world. He asked Bhīshma two things. What deed brings a person prosperity in this life? And what removes pāpa completely, whether it was done knowingly or unknowingly?

Bhīshma answered by teaching him this daiva-vaṃśa, “the divine lineage”, together with the ṛshi-vaṃśa that goes with it.

The phalaśruti at the start

Bhīshma declares the fruit of reciting it. Whoever recites it with a pure mind in the two saṃdhyās (dawn and dusk) is freed completely from whatever pāpa he did that day, knowingly or unknowingly. One who recites it at the right hour:

  • is never made blind or deaf
  • stays ever well (svasti)
  • is never born in the womb of a beast or a bird
  • never falls into naraka (hell), and never falls into a saṃkara birth (a mixed, lowered birth)
  • is not touched by the fear of sorrow
  • does not lose clearness of mind (smṛti) even at the moment of death

Part one: the daiva-vaṃśa

The great devas

At the head of the lineage stands the one who was born from no womb (ayonisambhava). His powers are beyond thought. He cannot be pointed out as “this” or “that”. He is the prāṇa (life-breath) of all things, he receives the praṇāma (bow) of every being, and he is the guru of both the devas and the dānavas. This is Brahmā, the jagannātha (master of the world) and the Pitāmaha, together with his consort Sāvitrī.

After him comes Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa, the cause of the Vedas’ own arising and the maker (kartā) of all things, Prabhu Vishṇu.

Then follow:

  • Umāpati (Bhagavān Śiva), of the misshapen eyes
  • Kumārasvāmī (Kārttikeya), the commander (senāpati) of the devas, together with Viśākha
  • Agni
  • Vāyu
  • Candra, who ripens the light of the world
  • Sūrya
  • Indra with his queen Śacī
  • Yama, wreathed in smoke
  • Varuṇa with Gaurī
  • Dhaneśvara (Kubera), attended by Ṛddhi

Surabhi, the ṛshis and the gandharva-loka

Named next are:

  • gentle Surabhi, the divine cow of svarga
  • the great ṛshi Viśravasu
  • Saṅkalpa
  • Sāgara
  • Gaṅgā, together with the other rivers
  • the Marudgaṇa
  • the ever-austere Vālakhilyas
  • Kṛshṇadvaipāyana (Vyāsa)
  • Nārada
  • Parvata
  • Viśvāvasu
  • Hāhā and Hūhū
  • Tumburu
  • Citrasena, the famed messenger of the devas

With them come the groups of divine apsarases: Ūrvaśī, Menakā, Rambhā, Miśrakeśī, Alambusā, Viśvācī, Ghṛtācī, Pañcacūḍā and Tilottamā.

The Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras and grahas

Following them come:

  • the Ādityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the Aśvins and the pitṛdevatās (the devas of the ancestors)
  • dharma, śāstra-jñāna (knowledge of the śāstras), tapas and dīkshā (initiation) themselves
  • the Pitāmaha once more
  • night and day
  • Marīci
  • Kaśyapa
  • Śukra
  • Bṛhaspati
  • Aṅgāraka (Maṅgala)
  • Budha
  • Rāhu
  • Śani

After these come the nakshatras (the stars of the moon’s path), the ṛtus (seasons), the māsas (months), the pakshas (fortnights) and the vatsaras (years). Then come Garuḍa and the other winged children of Vinatā, the great oceans, and the serpent children of Kadrū.

The rivers and tīrthas

The litany then names a long line of holy waters:

  • Śatadru, Vipāśā, Candrabhāgā, Sarasvatī, Sindhu and Devikā
  • Prabhāsa and Pushkara
  • Gaṅgā, Mahānadī, Veṇā, Kāverī, Narmadā, Kulampunā, Viśalyā, Karatoyā and Ambuvāhinī
  • Sarayū, Gaṇḍakī, the great river Lohita, Tāmrā, Aruṇā, Vetravatī, Parṇāśā and Gautamī
  • Godāvarī, Veṇyā, Kṛshṇaveṇī (born of the mountain), Dṛshadvatī, Kāverī and Cakshu-Manākinī

Beside the rivers stand the great tīrthas:

  • Prayāga
  • Prabhāsa
  • the holy Naimisha
  • Kailāsa and its stainless Mānasa lake, the home of Viśveśvara
  • Kurukshetra, rich in water and greatly praised
  • Sindhūttama
  • Tapodāna
  • Jambūmārga
  • Hiraṇvatī, Vitastā, Prakshāvatī, Vedasmṛti, Vedavatī, Mālavā and Aśvapatī
  • the holy ground of Gaṅgādvāra and other places
  • the ṛshikulyas, fit for yajña
  • Sindhuvaha and other rivers
  • the holy Carmaṇvatī, Kauśikī, Yamunā, Bhīmarathī, Bāhudā and Mahānadī
  • Māhendravāṇī, Tridivā, Nīlikā, Sarasvatī, Nandā and Aparanandā
  • Gayā and the Phalgu tīrtha
  • Dharmāraṇya, full of devas
  • the lake made by Brahmā, which destroys pāpa and is famed in the three worlds

The mountains and all the rest

The great mountains are named too:

  • Himavat, rich in divine herbs
  • Vindhya, adorned with red ochre, many tīrthas and healing plants
  • Meru
  • Mahendra
  • Malaya
  • Śveta, clad in silver
  • Mandara of the mighty peaks
  • Nīla
  • Nishadha
  • Dardura
  • Citrakūṭa
  • Añjanābha
  • Gandhamādana
  • Somagiri
  • all the remaining hills

Then come the dik and vidik (the directions and the points between them), the earth, every kind of tree, the Viśvedevas, the sky, and the nakshatras and grahas. Bhīshma says: “every form of the divine I have named, and every one I have not.” All of them stand ready always to protect those who honour them.

The fruit of part one

  • One who recites this whole company with devotion is freed from every pāpa.
  • One who keeps it in mind while praising it is freed from fear from every side.
  • One who takes joy in this stotra of the devatās is released from every kind of pāpa born of saṃkara.

Part two: the ṛshi-vaṃśa and the rāja-vaṃśa

The ṛshis of the four directions

Having praised the devas, Bhīshma turns to the ṛshis who won siddhi through tapas, “praised of old by countless others”. They stand in the four directions.

  • In the east: Yavakrīta, Raibhya, Kakshīvanta (of Uśija’s line), Bhṛgu, Aṅgiras, Kaṇva, Medhātithi and Barshi.
  • In the south: Ulmuka, Pramuca, Mumuca, Svastyātreya and the mighty Agastya, with Dṛḍhāyu and Ūrdhvabāhu.
  • In the west: Ushaṅga, Parivyādha, Dīrghatamas, Gautama, Kaśyapa, Ekata, Dvita, Trita, the dharma-ātman Atri, and Sārasvata.
  • In the north: Atri, Vasishṭha, Śakti, Parāśara (whose son is Vyāsa), Viśvāmitra, Bharadvāja, Jamadagni (son of Ṛcīka), Paraśurāma, Śvetaketu (son of Uddālaka), Kohala, Vipula, Devala, Devaśarma, Dhaumya, Hastikāśyapa, Lomaśa, Nāciketa, Lomaharshaṇa, Ugraśravas and the Bhārgava Cyavana.

This “first assembly of ṛshis together with the devas”, Bhīshma says, frees from every pāpa whoever praises it.

The rāja-vaṃśa

The litany ends with the great line of kings:

  • Nṛga, Yayāti, Nahusha, Yadu and the mighty Puru
  • Dhundhumāra, Dilīpa, the powerful Sagara, Kṛśāśva, Yauvanāśva, Citrāśva and Satyavanta
  • Dushyanta, the cakravartī (emperor) Bharata of great fame, Pavana, Janaka and Dhṛshṭaratha
  • Raghu, the noblest of men, Daśaratha, and Rāma, the destroyer of the rākshasas
  • Śaśabindu and Bhagīratha
  • Hariścandra, Marutta, Dṛḍharatha, Mahodarya, Alarka, and Aila, ruler of men
  • Karandhama, the foremost of men, Kadmora, ruler of men, Daksha, Ambarīsha, Kukura and the greatly renowned Raivata
  • Kuru, Saṃvaraṇa, the truly brave Māndhātā, the rājarshi (royal seer) Mucukunda, and Jahnu, who served Gaṅgā
  • the first king Pṛthu, son of Vena, Mitrabhānu, Priyaṃkara, King Trasaddasyu, and the excellent rājarshi Śvetaka
  • the famed Mahābhisha, King Nimi, Ashṭaka, Āyu, the rājarshi Kshupa and King Kaksheyu
  • Pratardana, Divodāsa, Sudāsa king of Kośala, Aila, the rājarshi Nala, and Manu the Prajāpati
  • Havirdhra, Pṛshadhra, Pratīpa, Śāntanu, Aja, Prācīnabarhi and the greatly famed Ikshvāku
  • King Anaranya, Jānujaṅgha and the rājarshi Kakshasena

Other great and famed kings are named together with these.

The phalaśruti at the end

Bhīshma instructs that this litany be recited every day at dawn and at both saṃdhyās, at sunrise and at sunset, by one who is purified. Those who are thus praised, whether devas, ṛshis or rājarshis, give pushṭi, āyus, yaśas and svarga in special measure. Obstacles vanish and enemies cease to be. Victory becomes constant and sure, and the mind turns firmly toward what is good for the world beyond.

Where it comes in the Mahābhārata

The Vaṃśānukīrtanam comes just before Bhīshma gives Yudhishṭhira leave to go (Chapter 166) and before Bhīshma’s own departure from the bed of arrows (Chapters 167–168, the Bhīshma Svargārohaṇa Parva). The list of kings reaches Pratīpa and Śāntanu, who is Bhīshma’s own father.

Sources

  • Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 165