Shloka 18
The Kuru Line, Bhīṣma and Vyāsa; Pāṇḍavas, Parīkṣit, and Future Kings
Chandravaṁśa Continuation
सोमवंशे कलौ नष्टे कृतादौ स्थापयिष्यति । बाह्लीकात्सोमदत्तोऽभूद् भूरिर्भूरिश्रवास्तत: ॥ १८ ॥ शलश्च शान्तनोरासीद् गङ्गायां भीष्म आत्मवान् । सर्वधर्मविदां श्रेष्ठो महाभागवत: कवि: ॥ १९ ॥
soma-vaṁśe kalau naṣṭe kṛtādau sthāpayiṣyati bāhlīkāt somadatto ’bhūd bhūrir bhūriśravās tataḥ
Apabila wangsa Soma lenyap pada Zaman Kali, pada permulaan Satya-yuga yang berikutnya Devāpi akan menegakkan semula wangsa Soma di dunia ini. Daripada Bāhlīka lahir Somadatta; anak-anaknya ialah Bhūri, Bhūriśravā dan Śala. Daripada Śāntanu melalui rahim Gaṅgā lahirlah Bhīṣma—insan sedar-diri, terbaik antara para mengetahui dharma, seorang mahā-bhāgavata dan penyair.
FAQs
This verse states that the Soma-vaṁśa (Moon dynasty) becomes lost in Kali-yuga, but will be re-established at the start of the next Satya-yuga, showing the Purāṇic view of cyclical yugas and recurring royal lineages.
He is tracing the Puru/Moon-dynasty genealogy for King Parīkṣit, preserving the sacred historical lineage through which major dharmic figures appear in the Bhāgavata’s narrative.
The verse encourages patience and steadiness: social decline is described as cyclical, so one can focus on personal dharma and devotion rather than losing hope over changing times.