Tansu

THE LIVING ARCHIVE

About Tansu

His father is Rantinara, the son of Riteyu. Apratiratha and Dhruva are Tansu’s brothers in the Vishnu Purana. His son Anila has four sons, with Dushyanta identified as the eldest. This makes Tansu the grandfather of Dushyanta in this account.

AT A GLANCE

Identity & Context

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

Family & Relationships

ParentRantinara
Rantinara is the parent of Tansu.
ChildAnila
Tansu is the parent of Anila.

IN THE TRADITION

Recorded Context

A Particular Branch of the Family

The genealogy follows Tansu’s son Anila toward the familiar story of Dushyanta and Shakuntala. A different route passes through Tansu’s brother Apratiratha to Kanva and Medhatithi. The distinction matters because the text preserves related royal and learned families without making every person the direct ancestor of every later figure.

The later branch reaches Dushyanta and Shakuntala’s son Bharata. Bharata’s succession becomes a separate turning point when the royal line continues through Vitatha, identified with Bharadvaja in this account. The genealogy then divides among several families, including the ancestors of Hastinapura and Panchala. These are later descendants, not events personally performed by the earlier ancestor.

ROLE & ESSENCE

Attributes & Significance

Tansu’s place makes the relationship between Rantinara’s branching household and Dushyanta’s family explicit. His descendants belong to the royal route that produces Bharata rather than the sibling branch associated with the Kanvayanas.

Role

Tansu is the Paurava ancestor whose branch reaches Dushyanta through Anila. He belongs to the family generation following Rantinara and before the birth of Bharata.

TRADITION & MEANING

Traditions & Interpretations

The Mahabharata names Tansu’s father Matinara and his son Ilina, describing them within its own account of Puru’s descendants. The Vishnu Purana gives Rantinara before Tansu and Anila after him, with the same broader approach toward Dushyanta’s family.