The following is the list, in chronological order, of the monarchs of the solar dynasty according to the Puranas.
Brahma created 10 Prajapatis , one of whom was Marichi.
Kashyapa is the son of Marichi and Kala. Kashyapa is regarded as the father of humanity. His sons from Aditi, the sky goddess, and the daughter of Daksha Prajapati are called Adityas (Sons of Aditi), they were, Aṃśa, Aryaman, Bhaga, Dhūti, Mitra, Pūṣan, Śakra, Savitṛ, Tvaṣṭṛ, Varuṇa, Viṣṇu, and Vivasvat or Vivasvan .
Vivasvan or Vaivasvata (one of the sons of Lord Sun) – the Sun God, progenitor of the clan. His parents were the sage Kashyapa, father of all beings, and Aditi, Aditi’s 12 sons, the Adityas, are the sun deities, and both Vivaswan and Aditya mean sun. Therefore another name for Vivaswan is Surya or the Sun, hence the name, Suryavansha. Vivaswan’s sons include Shrraaddev and Shanishchar.
Manu or Vaivasvata Manu – the King of all mankind and the first human being. (According to Hindu belief there are 14 Manvantaras; in each, Manu rules. Vaivasvata Manu was the seventh Manu . Manu is referred to as a Rajan (King) in the Shatapatha Brahmana scripture. He had nine sons, Vena, Dhrishnu, Narishyan, Nabhaga, Ikshvaku, Karusha, Saryati, Prishadhru, Nabhagarishta and one daughter, Ila, who was married to Budha of the Lunar Dynasty). He left the kingdom to the eldest male of the next generation, Ikshvaku, who was actually the son of Manu’s brother Shraaddev.
Ikshvaku – the first prominent monarch of this dynasty, giving the dynasty its another name the Ikshvaku dynasty.
Vikukshi – He is said to have eaten the meat of a rabbit at the time of Shraddha and was known as Shasad. (Some records claim him to be grandson of Ikshvaku.) His son was Kakuthsa or Puranjay.
Kakutstha or Puranjaya – He was a brave king and fought in the Devasur Sangram. His original name was Puranjaya. But after he annihilated Asuras (demons) (or “Ahuras” ie Persians)while sitting on the hump (Kukud) of a bull, he was known as Kakuthstha, which means seated on the hump. His dynasty was also known as Kakuthstha after him.
Anena or Anaranya
Prithu
Vishvagashva
Ardra or Chandra
Yuvanashva I
Shravast – He founded the town of Shravasti near Kosala.
Vrihadashva
Kuvalashva – He killed a Rakshasa named Dhundh. It is said that Dhundhar region and the Dhund river are named after Dhund. Eighteen of Kuvalashva’s sons died in the battle with Dhund. Thereafter, Kuvalashva was called “Dhundhumara”.
Dridhashva
Pramod
Haryashva I
Nikumbh
Santashva
Krishasva
Prasenjit I – His daughter Renuka was married to sage Jamdgni. She was mother of Parashurama.
Yuvanashva II – He was married to Gori, daughter of the Chandravanshi king Matinaar.
Mandhata – He became a famous and Chakravarti (ideal universal ruler) king. He defeated most of the other kings of his time. He married Bindumati, a daughter of the Chandravanshi king.
Ambarisha – Great devotee of Vishnu.
Purukutsa & Harita – Purukutsa performed the Ashwamedha Yajna (horse sacrifice). He married Nagkanya “Narmada”. He helped Nagas in their war against the Gandharvas. Harithasa gotra linage starts from here.
Traddasyu
Sambhoot
Anaranya II
Trashdashva
Haryashva II
Vasuman
Tridhanva
Tryyaruna
Satyavrata or Trishanku – His original name was Satyavrata, but he committed three (tri) sins, and hence got the name Trishanku. First, while he was a prince, he misbehaved and was temporarily exiled from the kingdom. Next, he killed the milch cow of his preceptor Vasishta. His third sin was that he used the unsanctified meat of his kill as food. Trishanku also had a desire to ascend to heaven in his mortal body. After Vashistha refused him this boon, since it is against nature to ascend into heaven as a mortal, the sage Vishwamitra, Vashistha’s rival, created another heaven for him, called “Trishanku’s Heaven”, and located in mid-air. His sons were Dhundumara, and Harishchandra, who was borh of the princess of “Kaikaya” named “Satyaraksha”.
Harishchandra – He is known for his honesty, truth and devotion to duty or Dharma.
Rohitashva – He was the son of Harishchandra. He founded town of Rohtas Garh in Rohtas district, Bihar and Rohtak, originally Rohitakaul, meaning from the Kul (family) of Rohit
Harit
Chanchu
Vijay
Ruruk
Vrika
Bahu or Asit – He was attacked and defeated by another clan of Kshatriyas. After this, he left Ayodhya and went to the Himalaya mountains to live as an ascetic with his queens. At that time Yadavi queen was pregnant with Sagara.
Sagara – He recaptured Ayodhya from the “Haihaya” and “Taljanghi” Kshtriyas. He then attempted to perform the horse sacrifice, Ashwamedha Yajna. However, the sacrificial horse was stolen by the god Indra on the south eastern shores of the ocean, which was at that time an empty bed with no water in it. At least sixty of Sagara’s sons died attempting to recover the horse, also causing great destruction by their reckless search. Puranic legends say the number of his sons was 60 thousand.
Asmanja – Sagara’s surviving son was not made king due to his bad conduct.
Anshuman – He was the grandson of Sagara, and his successor as king. He did penance in an attempt to bring the holy river Ganges to earth, that she might wash away the sins of his ancestors.
Dileepa I – He also tried to bring Ganges to earth, but also failed.
Bhagiratha – Sagara’s great-grandson, after strenuous penances, at last succeeded in bringing Ganga down from heaven. When she flowed over the remains of his ancestors, their souls were redeemed, and the ocean was refilled. Ganga also bears the name “Bhagirathi”, in honour of his deed.
Shrut
Nabhag
Ambarish – According to Buddhist legends, he went to Tapovana to be a renunciant but after a public outcry returned and ruled for some time.
Sindhu Dweep
Pratayu
Shrutuparna
Sarvakama
Sudaas
Saudas or Mitrasah – He performed the Ashwamedha Yajna, but as the rituals were concluding a Rakshasa tricked him into serving human meat to Brahmin,s including Rishi Vashishta. He was then cursed by the Brahmins. He wanted to curse them back, but his wife prevented him. He spent twelve years in exile in the forest.
Sarvakama II
Ananaranya III
Nighna
Raghu I
Duliduh
Khatwang Dileepa
Raghu II or Dirghbahu – He was a famous king, who conquered most of India. The great epic Raghuvamsa describes his victories. After him the Sun dynasty was also known as the dynasty of Raghu as Raghav (Raghuvanshi).
Aja
Dasaratha
Rama – He is considered the seventh Avatar of the god Vishnu. He is worshiped by every Hindu. Many Hindus include his name in either their first or last name. Rama’s story before he became king of Ayodhya is recounted in the Ramayana. After he ascended the throne, he performed the Ashwamedha Yajna. Bharata, his younger brother, won the country of Gandhara and settled there.
Lava and Kusha – They were the twin sons of Rama and his wife Sita. Lava ruled south Kosala while Kusha ruled north Kosala, including Ayodhya. Kusha married “Nagkanya” “Kumuddhati”, sister of Kumuda. After Kusha the following kings of the solar dynasty ruled Ayodhya:
Atithi
Nishadh
Nal
Nabha
Pundarika
Kshemandhava
Dewaneek
Ahinagu, Roop and Rooru
Paripatra
–(unknown name)
Bala
Ukta
Vajranabh
Shankh
Vishvashaha
Hiranyanabha
Pusya
Dhruvsandhi
Sudarshan
Agnivarna
Shighraga
Maru
Prasut
Susandhi
Amarsha
Vishrutwan
Vishravbahu
Prasenjit I
Takshaka – Laid the foundation of Nagavansh
Brihadbal – He fought in Battle of Kurukshetra on the Kaurava side and was killed in battle.
Brahatkshtra
Arukshay
Vatsavyuha
Prativyom
Diwakar
Sahdeva
Vrihadashwa
Bhanuratha
Pratitashwa
Supratika
Marudeva
Sunakshtra
Antariksha
Sushena
Anibhajit
Vrihadbhanu
Rawats
Dharmi
Kritanjaya
Rananjaya
Sanjay
Prasenjit II – He was a contemporary of Gautama Buddha and King Bimbisara of Magadha. His sister, Koushala Devi, was married to Bimbisara. The city of Kashi (Varanasi) was given as a dowry to her. After Bimbisara was murdered by his own son Ajatshatru, Prasenjit undertook a long series of wars with Ajatshatru. He also respected Buddha, who was also a Kshatriya from solar dynasty. In Buddhist literature he is addressed as “Pasenadi”.
Kshudrak
Kulak
Surath
Sumitra – He was the last king of Ayodhya from solar dynasty. In the fourth century BC, emperor Mahapadma Nanda of the Nanda Dynasty forced Sumitra to leave Ayodhya. He went to Rohtas with his sons. His son Kurma established his rule over Rohtas.
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