Lunar Dynasty (Chandravansha)

The Chandravansha — the Lunar Dynasty — traces its origin to Chandra (the Moon) through a lineage that converges with the Solar Dynasty at a critical juncture. Chandra's son Budha married Ila, daughter of Vaivasvata Manu, creating a bridge between the solar and lunar lines. Their son Pururavas is the effective founder of the Lunar Dynasty as a distinct political entity. Pururavas is famous in Sanskrit literature for his love affair with the apsara Urvashi — a story dramatized by Kalidasa in Vikramorvashiyam. The dynasty's capital was Pratishthana, near modern Prayagraj (Allahabad), at the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the subterranean Saraswati. The lineage from Pururavas to Yayati spans several generations of rulers who expanded Chandravansha power across northern India. Nahusha, Yayati's father, briefly held the throne of Indra in heaven before being cast down for arrogance — a Puranic narrative encoding the dangers of unchecked royal power. Yayati himself is the pivotal figure: his five sons — Yadu, Turvasu, Druhyu, Anu, and Puru — founded the five great lineages of the Lunar Dynasty. Yayati cursed four of his sons with premature old age when they refused to take his aging upon themselves; only Puru accepted, and was rewarded with the kingdom. The Yadava and Kuru dynasties, which dominate the Mahabharata, both descend from Yayati's branching — Yadu founding the Yadava line and Puru the Kuru line. This branching point is the single most important genealogical event in the Mahabharata tradition.