Suhotra

THE LIVING ARCHIVE

About Suhotra

Sudhanush is his father and Kuru his grandfather. Chyavana is his son, followed by Kritaka and Uparichara Vasu. The family then reaches Brihadratha, establishing this Suhotra’s position within the ancestry of the Magadha rulers.

AT A GLANCE

Identity & Context

Identity: King
Form: Kuru Royal House
Tradition: Puranic Royal Genealogy

Family & Relationships

ParentSudhanush
Sudhanush is the parent of Suhotra.
ChildChyavana
Suhotra is the parent of Chyavana.

IN THE TRADITION

Recorded Context

From Kuru to the Regional Houses

The route through Sudhanush is separate from the route through Kuru’s son Jahnu. Jahnu’s descendants eventually reach Shantanu, while Suhotra’s descendants pass through Uparichara Vasu and his sons. The family can therefore explain related royal houses without placing all their members inside one immediate household.

The branch later reaches Brihadratha and his son Jarasandha. Jarasandha is born in two parts that the being Jara joins together; his name recalls that joining. After him the list continues through Sahadeva, Somapi and Shrutashravas, identifying these rulers with Magadha. The episode belongs to Jarasandha’s birth, not to the life of every ancestor in the branch.

ROLE & ESSENCE

Attributes & Significance

His identity is made precise by Sudhanush before him and Chyavana after him. Those names distinguish him from the earlier Paurava Suhotra who is the son of Brihatkshatra and father of Hastin.

Role

Suhotra is a Kuru descendant in the branch that reaches Uparichara Vasu and Magadha. He is a different royal namesake from the earlier father of Hastin.

TRADITION & MEANING

Traditions & Interpretations

The Bhagavata preserves Suhotra in the same immediate sequence after Sudhanu and before Chyavana. It calls the later descendant Kriti where the Vishnu Purana uses Kritaka.