s 



JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). 



[Vol. XXI. 



Vels of the Tamil country were of the same race to which Sri 

 Krishna belonged ? We propose, therefore, to use the infor- 

 mation handed down by Nachchar as the first stepping-stone 

 in our inquiry, and investigate whether this account of the 

 Vels is so supported from any other quarter as to give it the 

 status of genuine history. 



If the Vels were, as stated by Nachchar, the kindred of 

 Sri Krishna, who ruled over Dwaraka in olden times, we may 

 safely say that they were Yadavas. For it is admitted on 

 all hands that the tribe to which Sri Krishna belonged were 

 all descendants 1 of " Yadu," and of the Lunar Vamsa, or 

 race. If, then, the Vels were Yadavas who emigrated in 



1 " Yadu " was the eldest son of " Yayati " (by " Devyani "), one of 

 the ancestors of the Pandavas. His family, increasing and multi- 

 plying, branched off into numerous separate clans, which gave birth to 

 many distinguished kings. Thus, Sahasrajit, the eldest son of Yadu, 

 was the founder of the Haihaya family, to which the great conqueror 

 Kirta Viriya Arjuna belonged. The Thalajangas were also a section 

 of this race. The most distinguished among the descendants of 

 Kuroshtaka, the second son of Yadu, were Chashibindu, Chiyamaha, 

 and Vidarba, from the last of whom the Vidarba family originated. The 

 Chedi family originated from the third son of Vidarba. From Satu- 

 wika, a descendant of the second son of Vidarba, the Bhoja, Andhaka, 

 and Vrishni families originated, and it was in the family of the Andha- 

 kas that Kannapiran (i.e., lord Krishna) incarnated. 



According to the Vishnu Parva of the " Harivamsa," Yadu was born 

 of the Solar race. It says that Harjashya, king of Ayodhya, of the Solar 

 race, married the daughter of Madhu, king of Madhuvana (i.e., 

 Mathura), and begat Yadu, from whom the Yadavas were descended. 



It is stated in the « ' Ramayana " that Lavana, son of Madhu, a relative 

 of Ravana, was ruling in Madhuvana at the time of Rama, and that 

 Satrughna, younger brother of Rama, defeated him, and built the 

 city of Mathura on the banks of the Yamuna. This story, considered 

 together with the account given in the ' * Mahabharata " that Yadu was 

 the progenitor of the Rakshasas, establishes a significant connection 

 between the Yadavas of the classics and the despised aborigines of 

 India, i.e., the Yakshas and the Rakshasas. 



The following is the genealogy of the Yadavas, as given in the 

 Puranas : — 



Chandra (Moon) begat Budha, Budha begat Ila, Ila begat Pururava, 

 Pururava begat Ayu, Ayu begat Nahusha, Nahusha begat Yayati, 

 Yayati begat Yadu, and Yadu was the progenitor of the Yadavas. 

 On reference to the genealogy of the Solar race, it will be found that 

 Nahusha " appears in it as one of the ancient kings of that line also, 



