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ORIGIN AND GENEALOGY OF VARIOUS VAMSAS
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away and takes shelter under Kirtidhavala, the lord of Lankapuri and the husband of the sister of Śrīkantha. The intervention of Kirtidhavala and Padma's willingness to marry Śrīkantha halts Puspottara from waging a battle. Thereafter Kirtidhavala prevents Śrīkantha from going back to his original country and makes him the first lord of the Vānaradvipa, Śrīkantha enjoys there the company of monkeys infesting the Vanaradvipa (6.1-59) and establishes Kişkindhipura as his capital on the Kişkindhi hill.
The PCR (6.121,123) and the RPS (ch. 4) agree with the above account but name the hill as Kisku and the capital as Kişkupura. The RPS mentions Kirtidhavala as Kirtiśubhra. The TSP (IV. p. 109) agrees with the PCV and mentions Vanaradvipa along with Barbarkula and Simhala (IV. p. 108). The PCS follows the PCR, but mentions Śrīkantha as the lord of Ratnapura (6. 1. 3) and Puspottara as the lord of Meghapura (6. 2. 3).
According to the PCV, Amaraprabha, the ninth king in the line of Śrīkaṇṭha marries Gunamatī, the princess from Trikūta (Laikā). She gets terrified when she sees the pictures of monkeys which were drawn on the floor to grace the occasion of marriage. Amaraprabha gets angry with those drawings and gives orders to execute the artists. His ministers explain to him that the monkeys are being held in great esteem and their pictures are being regarded auspicious since the time of Śrīkantha. At this explanation Amaraprabha adopts the picture of monkey as the emblem of his state and his dynasty comes to be known as the Vanara Vamsa1 (6. 69-91).
The PCR (6. 163-218), the PCS (6-8-9) and the RPS (ch. 4) contain this episode as well. It mentions that the Vanara-dynasty was established by Śrīkaṇṭha and the Vanara emblem was also adopted by him (IV. p. 109).
The VR gives quite a different account about the origin of the Vanara Vamsa. Once Brahma while performing meditation on the Meru mountain threw down some of the drops of his tears on the ground. From those drops a monkey came into being. He was named Ṛkṣarāja and was made the first lord of monkey infesting Kişkindhapurī.
At another place (1. 17) the VR mentions that Brahma enjoined upon the Devas to begot monkeys on Apsaras; Gandharvis; the Yakşa, Pannaga, Ṛkṣa and the Vidyadhara women; Kinnarīs and Vanarīs (Putranvānararupiñaḥ 1. 17. 8). Then the Devas, Rsis, Siddhas, Vidyadharas, Uragas and the Caranas produced many monkeys to help Rama, the incarnation of Visņu. Here we find that the Vidyadharas are also associated with the procreation of monkeys.
1. Taha Vāṇarāṇa-vamso vāṇaracindhena nivvadḍio-6. 88. 2. VR, 7. 1st interpolated chapter after ch. 37.
