Shloka 1.70.20

वंशवर्णनम् तथा विवाहप्रार्थना — Genealogy of the Ikshvaku Line and the Proposal for Marriage

Devanagari script

अव्यक्तप्रभवो ब्रह्मा शाश्वतो नित्य अव्यय:।तस्मान्मरीचि स्संजज्ञे मरीचे: काश्यप: सुत:।।1.70.20।।

Transliteration

vivasvān kāśyapāj jajñe manur vaivasvataḥ smṛtaḥ |

manuḥ prajāpatiḥ pūrvam ikṣvākus tu manos sutaḥ || 1.70.21 ||

Translation

From Kaśyapa was born Vivasvān; from Vivasvān came Manu, remembered as Vaivasvata and formerly known as Prajāpati; and Ikṣvāku was the son of Manu.

Context

"From the unmanifest was born the eternal, the constant, the imperishable Brahma. To him was born Marichi and to Marichi, Kasyapa.

Characters & Entities

• Kaśyapa
• Vivasvān
• Manu (Vaivasvata)
• Prajāpati
• Ikṣvāku

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma is framed as inherited responsibility: a dynasty’s right to rule is tied to a remembered chain of origin, encouraging rulers to live up to ancestral standards.

What is the narrative situation?

Vasiṣṭha continues the Ikṣvāku genealogy, connecting the solar line to Manu and then to Ikṣvāku.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reverence for tradition and truthful memory (smṛti) in preserving social and moral order.