About
Srnjaya — Son of Kalanara, Anu Lineage
Srnjaya · Srinjaya · Sanjaya
Srnjaya is a king of the Anu lineage within the Chandravamsha, the Lunar dynasty, and the son of Kalanara. He stands third in the line of descent from Sabhanara toward Ushinara, and his position in the genealogy is consistent across all primary sources — the Bhagavata Purana (9.23.1), the Vishnu Purana (IV.18), the Brahma Purana (Chapter 11), and the Harivamsa. The Brahma Purana briefly characterises him as a king conversant with virtue. The name Srnjaya is shared by several other figures in the Mahabharata tradition and requires careful contextual identification; this Srnjaya belongs specifically to the Anu branch of the Lunar dynasty and is not to be confused with any Srnjaya of the Puru or other lines. He is the father of Puranjaya in the Vishnu Purana and Brahma Purana account, or of Janamejaya directly in the Bhagavata Purana's compressed account.
✦ The Name
The name Srnjaya (also transliterated Srinjaya) derives from the root srn or srin combined with jaya (victory), yielding a meaning connected to the cry or call of victory — associated with the resonant horn, the battle-cry, or the victorious shout. In some etymological readings it is linked to srngi (horned) and jaya, suggesting one whose victory rings like a horn. The name is attested across multiple figures in the Puranic and epic tradition, requiring lineage context for disambiguation.
✦ Lineage
- Dynasty: Chandravamsha (Lunar dynasty), Anu lineage
- Father: Kalanara — son of Sabhanara, son of Anu, son of Yayati
- Son: Puranjaya — according to the Vishnu Purana (IV.18) and Brahma Purana (11.16–17); see Variants section below
✦ Textual Variants
The most significant issue surrounding Srnjaya is the divergence between the Bhagavata Purana and the other primary sources regarding his son. The Bhagavata Purana (9.23.1–2) gives the sequence as Srnjaya → Janamejaya, with no Puranjaya intermediate. The Vishnu Purana (IV.18), the Brahma Purana (11.16–17), and the Harivamsa all give Srnjaya → Puranjaya → Janamejaya. The Bhagavata thus compresses two generations into one, omitting Puranjaya entirely. This is a genuine inter-textual discrepancy and is documented in the profile for Puranjaya.
✦ References
- Primary Sources:
- Bhagavata Purana, Skandha 9, Adhyaya 23, verses 1–2: Names Srnjaya as son of Kalanara and gives his son directly as Janamejaya, omitting Puranjaya
- Vishnu Purana, Book IV, Chapter 18 (H.H. Wilson translation): Names Srnjaya as son of Kalanara and his son as Puranjaya
- Brahma Purana, Chapter 11, verses 15–17 (Wisdomlib translation): Includes Srnjaya in the sequence and notes he was conversant with virtue; gives his son as Puranjaya
- Secondary Sources:
- Wisdomlib, vedabase.io, SB 9.23: Confirms the Bhagavata Purana sequence; the compressed form without Puranjaya is noted