History of the uninterrupted Ganges valley civilization of India

[Pankaja_Dasa]

 

 

Isvaku dasa-

History of the uninterrupted Ganges valley civilization of India for

1,900 million years according to the Bhagwatam.

 

Taking into account the formation of the ozone layer and the

development of the atmosphere on the earth planet (after the previous

pralaya), it must have been around 1,900 million years ago when the

human civilization started.

 

 

 

Shukdeo says that in this kalp (day) of Brahma, Swayambhuva etc., six

manvantars have already elapsed. The seventh one is running.

 

Swayambhuv was the first Manu of this kalp. His wife was Shatroopa.

They had two sons and three daughters. In the family succession of

the first son, Priyavrat, Rishabhdev, Bharat, Jadbharat and Prahlad

are the most important ones. Dhruv was from his other son Uttanpad,

and Bhagwan Kapil was from his daughter Deohooti who was married to

Sage Kardam.

 

Much later in the generation of Dhruv, in the sixth manvantar, the

greatness of King Prithu and Prachetas is notable. The descriptions

of these family successions and generations run from the fourth to

the ninth canto of the Bhagwatam. They describe just the important

events of that manvantar that teach a devotional moral and propound

the Gracious kindness of God that are helpful for a seeker of God's

love in strengthening his faith and improving his dedication for Him.

 

The second manu was Swarochish, the third was Uttam, the fourth was

Tamas, the fifth was Raivat and the sixth was Chakchush. The seventh

one is Vaivaswat Manu, the present one. There is also a brief

description of the future seven manus in the eighth canto of the

Bhagwatam. In all of the Puranas similar descriptions are found with

less or more reflections of these events. Sometimes certain events do

not mention the name of the manvantar in which it had happened

because it is all the happening of a single day of Brahma, and

moreover, the motive of their description is to induce faith and

dedication in a God seeker's mind, not to satisfy the intellectual

thirst of a worldly historian. However, the chronology of time since

the birth of Brahma is perfectly maintained and that very fact is

enough to believe that our scriptures are Divinely produced.

 

History of the present manvantar of Vaivaswat Manu that started about

120 million years ago and up to 3072 BC.

Vaivaswat Manu had ten sons and one daughter (Bhag. 8/13/1-3 and

9/1/11,12,16). The eldest son was Ikchvaku. Kaushal (Ayodhya) was the

kingdom of Ikchvaku dynasty. A main branch of this family succession

was called `Surya Vansh.' His daughter's name was Ela who gave birth

to a son named Pururva from the celestial god Budh, the son of Som or

Chandra Deo (Bhag. 9/1/35). Later on this family was called `Som

Vansh or Chandra Vansh.' Bhakt Ambarish was the grandson of Nabhag

who was the son of Vaivaswat Manu.

 

In the family succession of Ikchvaku, Mandhata, Satyavrat

(Trishanku), Harish Chandra and his son Rohit, Sagar, Aushuman,

Dileep and Bhagirath, who brought Ganga on the earth planet, are

notable; and also Khatwang who realized God in only 45 minutes before

his death. Khatwang's son Raghu, his son Aj and his son Dashrath; his

son Bhagwan Ram, and Lav and Kush, are the main Divine personalities

who really established the greatness of Surya Vansh in the world.

 

The family succession of Lav and Kush runs up to the Mahabharat war

when Brihadbal was killed by Abhimanyu. This family succession goes

further up to Sumitra where the Ikchvaku succession ends. (It's all

described in the ninth canto of the Bhagwatam.)

 

In the distant family succession of Pururva, there is a description

of Maharishi Jamdagni whose son Parashuram killed Sahasrabahu Arjun

of Haihai family. There is also an account of Sage Shaunak and Yayati

of Nahush family.

 

In the Chandra Vansh family succession, the important personalities

are, Dushyant, his son Bharat, and Bharadwaj. In the lineage of

Bharadwaj, King Hasti established Hastinapur. His son Ajmeedh had

many sons. In one of his son's family succession were Drupad, Dropadi

and Dhristdyumn; and in the other son's family succession Kuru was

important who lived in Kurukchetra. Kuru had four sons.

 

From here, the family succession of Kuru branches out in two very

important sections. In the fifth generation of his son Sudhanva was

Brihadrath who established the kingdom of Magadh. His son Jarasandh

was killed in Mahabharat war by Bheemsen. In the twelfth generation

of his other son Jahnu was Shantanu who was the King of Hastinapur.

 

Shantanu had three sons. Bhishm from Ganga (he always remained

single) and Chitrangad and Vichitravirya from Satyavati, who was also

the godmother of Bhagwan Ved Vyas. Chitrangad had no child and

Vichitravirya died at an early age. So, on the request of Queen

Satyavati, Ved Vyas Divinely caused both wives to conceive just by

sight. They gave birth to Pandu who had five sons called the

Pandavas, and Dhritrashtra who had hundred sons called the Kauravas

(the eldest of whom was Duryodhan). They fought the Mahabharat war.

 

After winning the Mahabharat war, Yudhishthir, the elder brother of

the Pandavas, ruled Hastinapur for 36 years and 8 months, and after

the ascension of Bhagwan Krishn to His Divine abode, the Pandavas

also travelled to the north and left their body in the Himalayas.

Kaliyug started immediately after the ascension of Krishn (Bhag.

12/2/33) in 3102 BC.

 

Parikchit the grandson of Arjun became the king, who, after the 30th

year of his reign (in 3072 BC), left this world after listening to

the Bhagwatam. His son was Janmejaya. The dynasty of Chandra Vansh

ended with Chemak and then other dynasties ruled Hastinapur.

 

The kingdom of Magadh remained in power up to the end of Gupt dynasty

(83 BC). In the family succession of Brihadrath, Marjari (the

grandson of Jarasandh) became the king of Magadh after the Mahabharat

war in 3139 BC.