Haihaya

THE LIVING ARCHIVE

About Haihaya

Haihaya is introduced with his brothers Venu and Haya, all sons of Shatajit. Through their father and grandfather Sahasrajit, the brothers descend from Yadu. The name Haihaya later describes an entire royal group as well as the individual placed at the beginning of this branch.

AT A GLANCE

Identity & Context

Identity: King
Form: Haihaya Dynasty
Tradition: Puranic Royal Genealogy

Family & Relationships

ParentShatajit
Shatajit is the parent of Haihaya in this account.
ChildDharmanetra
Haihaya is the parent of Dharmanetra in this account.

IN THE TRADITION

Recorded Context

Family and Wider Context

The account follows the family through Dharmanetra, Kunti, Sahanji and Mahishmat before reaching Bhadrasena, Durdama and Dhanaka. Dhanaka’s son Kritavirya is the father of Arjuna, the powerful king usually called Kartavirya Arjuna. That long succession separates the eponymous ancestor from the descendant whose exploits make the house especially prominent.

ROLE & ESSENCE

Attributes & Significance

A family name can survive long after the ancestor who first bears it. When Parashurama’s conflict is described as a conflict with the Haihayas, the reference is to Kartavirya’s house and descendants; it does not mean that the early ancestor Haihaya personally takes part in those later events.

Role

Haihaya is a son of Shatajit and the ancestor whose name identifies the Haihaya royal family. His son Dharmanetra continues the succession that eventually reaches Kritavirya and Kartavirya Arjuna.

TRADITION & MEANING

Traditions & Interpretations

Haihaya is both the personal name of Shatajit’s son and the ancestral name of a royal house. The later kings retain that family identity while having their own parents, children and individual lives.