Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 3
Ikṣvāku Dynasty: Vikukṣi’s Offense, Purañjaya’s Victory, Māndhātā’s Birth, and Saubhari’s Fall and Renunciation
एते क्षेत्रप्रसूता वै पुनस्त्वाङ्गिरसा: स्मृता: । रथीतराणां प्रवरा: क्षेत्रोपेता द्विजातय: ॥ ३ ॥
ete kṣetra-prasūtā vai punas tv āṅgirasāḥ smṛtāḥ rathītarāṇāṁ pravarāḥ kṣetropetā dvi-jātayaḥ
Having been born from the womb of Rathītara’s wife, all these sons were known as the dynasty of Rathītara, but because they were born from the semen of Aṅgirā, they were also known as the dynasty of Aṅgirā. Among all the progeny of Rathītara, these sons were the most prominent because, owing to their birth, they were considered brāhmaṇas.
Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura gives the meaning of dvi-jātayaḥ as “mixed caste,” indicating a mixture of brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya.
FAQs
It refers to sons born through a sanctioned kṣetra arrangement—offspring begotten by another on behalf of a husband—yet recognized within a specific lineage according to Vedic custom.
Śukadeva explains that, despite the kṣetra circumstance, tradition remembers them as connected to Aṅgirā’s line, establishing their recognized genealogical identity.
The verse highlights that dharmic identity in Vedic culture is tied not only to biology but also to recognized duties, tradition, and lawful social order—encouraging responsibility and integrity within one’s role.