Suhotra

THE LIVING ARCHIVE

About Suhotra

Brihatkshatra is his father, and Bhavanmanyu is his grandfather. Suhotra’s son Hastin is credited with founding the city of Hastinapura. Hastin’s sons include Ajamidha, Dvimidha and Purumidha, so several later branches share this earlier ancestry.

AT A GLANCE

Identity & Context

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

Family & Relationships

ParentBrihatkshatra
Brihatkshatra is the parent of Suhotra.
ChildHastin
Suhotra is the parent of Hastin.

IN THE TRADITION

Recorded Context

The Generation Before Hastinapura

The city’s foundation occurs in the next generation rather than being attributed to Suhotra himself. Through Hastin and Ajamidha, the family later separates into lines associated with Riksha and Samvarana, and with Nila’s Panchala descendants. Suhotra belongs before those branches divide and before Kuru gives his name to the sacred district of Kurukshetra.

ROLE & ESSENCE

Attributes & Significance

This Suhotra preserves an intermediate generation between Brihatkshatra and the founder of Hastinapura. His position allows the later Kuru and Panchala houses to be traced to a common Paurava background without making them the same immediate household.

Role

Suhotra is the Paurava ancestor who becomes the father of Hastin in the Vishnu Purana. His family belongs to the royal branch leading toward Hastinapura.

TRADITION & MEANING

Traditions & Interpretations

Another Suhotra descends from Kuru’s son Sudhanush and fathers Chyavana. That royal namesake belongs to a later branch leading toward Uparichara Vasu. The father of Hastin belongs earlier in the family and has Brihatkshatra as his own father.