Genealogies from Yayāti’s Sons to the Yadu Dynasty; Romapāda–Ṛṣyaśṛṅga; Kārtavīryārjuna; and the Rise of Yādava Branches
दुष्मन्त: स पुनर्भेजे स्ववंशं राज्यकामुक: । ययातेर्ज्येष्ठपुत्रस्य यदोर्वंशं नरर्षभ ॥ १८ ॥ वर्णयामि महापुण्यं सर्वपापहरं नृणाम् । यदोर्वंशं नर: श्रुत्वा सर्वपापै: प्रमुच्यते ॥ १९ ॥
duṣmantaḥ sa punar bheje sva-vaṁśaṁ rājya-kāmukaḥ yayāter jyeṣṭha-putrasya yador vaṁśaṁ nararṣabha
Mahārāja Duṣmanta, desiring to occupy the throne, returned to his original dynasty [the Pūru dynasty], even though he had accepted Maruta as his father. O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, let me now describe the dynasty of Yadu, the eldest son of Mahārāja Yayāti. This description is supremely pious, and it vanquishes the reactions of sinful activities in human society. Simply by hearing this description, one is freed from all sinful reactions.
In this verse, Śukadeva announces he will narrate the lineage of Yadu, the eldest son of King Yayāti—an important dynasty later connected with the Yādavas.
He is concluding the prior dynastic thread and indicating a transition—Duṣmanta returns to his own line, and the narration now turns to Yadu’s dynasty.
The Bhagavatam’s genealogies show how desire for power and duty shape history, reminding one to align ambition with dharma and to seek lasting spiritual purpose beyond rulership.