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CHAPTER V
THE IKSVĀKU RACE AND ITS VARIOUS
BRANCHES
As is evident from the foregoing study, the Purūnas under investigation set forth the Ihşvahu dynasty as a sovereign ruling family with Ikşoāhu Rṣabha as its founder The dynasty proper is represented by the Adityavamia said to have derived its name from Aditya, asas, the eldest son of Bharata But, as we have already seen, the Purānas show great disagreement with regard to the dynastic affiliation of the Somavamsa as well as the Kuruvamsa 2 However, we have not treated these vamsas independently for the obvious reason that these lines in the Jaina versions eventually lose their status as independent royal dynasties and receive the rank of collateral lines sprung from the Iksvākus race
To begin with, the pedigree of the Adityavamsa consists of mainly two parts and, according to the Jaina versions, the last king of the first part is separated from the first king of the second list by an incredible number of years 5 Some of the Puranas, however, give accounts of some of the Ihsuahu kings reportedly born in the intervening period But these personages in no way supply any connecting link between the two parts
Under the circumstances, it is impossible to join those detached lists and notices of kings into a workable pedigree of
1 VPC, 53-9a, RPC 5 4-10a, 260-61, VH, p 301, JHV, 131 13a, MP. 47 393, GMC, p 50, TSPC, 1 6 251-52, 2 6 127-34
2 As discussed in the preceding chapter.
3 TSPC, 1 5754-756, Vol V p 197 Also see chap IV (ante) notes 98, 99, 102-105, 108-109, 112-17
4 He is placed in the fabulous period of the twentieth Tirthankara, Suoratanatha,-VPC 21 41, RPG, 22 73-74
5
The life span of the persons said to have been born in the intervening period is counted in lacs and crores of years
