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Secondary Tales of the two Great Epics
The genealogy should have naturally ended with the generation next to that of Dhstarāșțra and Pandu, since at that point we have reached upto the generation of the epic heroes. What is felt to be a lacuna should have been a natural completion. The resumption of the genealogy after the lacuna also ends rather unsatisfactorily, since Pratipa and Santanu belong to the two steps higher than that of DhrtarăstraPăndu and the line was expected to continue for three to six generations after Samtanu. Parikșit and Janamejaya are shown to be the immediate ancestores of Dhrtarästra-Pāndu instead of being their descendents in the fourth-fifth generation. Even the children of Dhịtarāștra are different from Duryodhana and his 99 brothers. Actually the names Kundika, Hastin, Kundala, Haviḥśravas of the son of Dhrtarāștra as well as other names in the genealogy like Janamejaya, Dhịtarăstra, Uccaihśravas, Kundodara, Krātha create a strong impression that this genealogy has more to do with some Nāga-tradition rather than with the Kuru-race known to us from the Purāņas. Some sort of attempt at superimposition of the Nāga-myth upon the heroic tale may well be suspected.
Janame jaya's insatiable curiosity to hear the genealogy of his ancestors once again with fuller detits occasions its second narration in Alayāya 90. This second genealogy is in Brāhmanical prose. It is also interspersed with Anuvamśa ślokas, just as Brāhmanas would be interspersed with Gāthās. Fresh names occur in the line. Their chronology is, of course, different. In this Adhyāya, the chronology of the names from Pratīpa onwards runs properly, i. e. in accordance with their mutual relations as found in the epic. A slight variation in style within the genealogy is noteworthy. The genealogy begins with Daksa Prajāpati and runs upto Pratipa for about 40 generations in a more-or-less stereotyped fashion--"So-and-so married soand-so. In her, so-and-so was born of him" - with very few negligible exceptions. From Pratipa downwards the genealogy is a little more detailed, and creates also an impression of summarising the events of Adip with the only exception of the incident of Uttarā's giving birth to a still-born child Parīkşit whom Krsna re-enlivened. The genealogy is carried down upto Aśvamedhadatta, the grandson of Janamejaya himself!
With the story-group of Bhisma's birth and youth,218 the Sambhavaparvan, trueto-its-name begins. (1) In the assembly of Brahman, the hem of Ganga's garment was blown by wind. Mahābhisa stared at her. For this shamelessness, he was punished to suffer a mortal birth. He was born as Santanu, the son of Pratipa.219 (2) The eight Vasus were cursed by Vasistha for some small fault to suffer human birth. They requested Gangā 220 who, in the form of a beautiful woman, married Santanu, (with an understanding not to be questioned why for whatever she did),221 gave 218 AdiP, 91-94. 219 AdiP. 91. 1-7. 220 Adip. 91.9-19. 221 AdiP. 92.33-35.
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