About
Viduratha — King of Hastinapura, Son of Kuru
Viduratha · Viduratha of the Kuru line
Viduratha is a king of Hastinapura and the immediate successor of the dynasty's eponymous founder Kuru. He is the son of Kuru — the celebrated ascetic-king who sanctified the field of Kurukshetra and gave his name to the Kuru dynasty and the Kaurava-Pandava lineage — and of Shubhangi, a princess of the Dasarha kingdom. His son is Anashvan, and through Anashvan the direct line of Kuru descent passes forward to Parikshita I, Bhimasena, Pratisravas, Pratipa, and finally to Shantanu, the father of Bhishma. Viduratha appears in the Mahabharata's Adi Parva genealogical lists and in the Pranasutra's Puru Vamsha Kathana.
✦ The Name
The name Viduratha is a Sanskrit compound combining vidu (wise, skilled, or learned) with ratha (chariot), suggesting a skilled chariot-warrior or a king of great learning. It is a name borne by more than one figure across the Puranas — a king of the Vrishthi clan in the Yadava dynasty also bears this name in the Mahabharata, and the Bhagavata Purana mentions a Viduratha who is the son of Suratha, son of Jahnu. These are separate figures, unrelated to the Kuru king treated in this profile.
✦ Lineage
- Father: Kuru — the founding king of the Kuru dynasty, son of Samvarana (a descendant of Ajamidha and ultimately of Puru, son of Yayati) and Tapati (daughter of Surya, the Sun God). Kuru practiced great austerities at the field known henceforth as Kurukshetra and was installed on the throne by his people for his exceptional virtue.
- Mother: Shubhangi — princess of the Dasarha kingdom, as recorded in the Mahabharata Adi Parva and the Pranasutra.
- Spouse: Supriya (also called Sampriya) — daughter of a Madhava or Magadha king, depending on the recension consulted.
- Son: Anashvan — king of Hastinapura and father of Parikshita I.
✦ Textual Variants
The Mahabharata Adi Parva Chapter 95 records Supriya as the daughter of the Madhavas, while the Pranasutra's version of the genealogy identifies her as Sampriya, a princess of the Magadha kingdom. This difference in the mother's identity for Anashvan is the only noted variant. The Bhagavata Purana's genealogy, which inserts different kings between Kuru and Pratipa, does not include Viduratha in the same position, though it has a Viduratha as a son of Suratha (via a different branch of the Kuru tree), creating a potential for confusion.
✦ References
- Mahabharata, Adi Parva, Chapter 94–95 (Sambhava Parva): Primary source giving Kuru as Viduratha's father and Supriya (daughter of the Madhavas) as his wife.
- Pranasutra (Puru Vamsha Kathana): Sanskrit genealogical text naming Shubhangi as Kuru's wife and Viduratha as their son, and giving Sampriya of Magadha as Viduratha's wife.
- Wisdomlib, definition of Viduratha: Secondary source distinguishing multiple figures of this name across the Puranas and the Mahabharata.
- AncientVoice Wikidot, Kuru lineage article: Secondary genealogical compilation confirming Viduratha's position in the king-list.