Viswamitra or Kausika was from Bihar/Nepal… near the Kosi river. Kosi or Kausi was said to be his sister.
Viswamitra‘s father was Gadhi. Viswamitra’s sister Satyavati was the grandmother of Parasurama परशुराम.
From the Srimad Bhagavatam 9.15.1-4, we learn that :
- Gadhi’s father was Kusambu and Kusambu’s brothers were Tanaya, Vasu and Kusanabha. (Were the Kushans descendants of this dynasty? )
- The descendants of Pururava and Urvasi were Vijaya, Bhima, Kancana, Hotraka, Jahnu (after whom Ganga is named as Jahnavi), Puru, Balaka, Ajaka, Kusa, Kusambu, Gadhi, Viswamitra (Kausika)
We know that Pururava was the son of Ila who was the daughter of Vaivaswatha Manu and Budha who was the son of Chandra who was the son of Atri, the son of Brahma, (Pratishthanapura: Capital of Satavahanas and of Sudyumna / Ila).
Thus both Viswamitra and Rama were descendants of Vaivaswatha Manu, Rama was of the Ikshvaku branch and Viswamitra was of the Ila/Sudyumna branch.
Points to Ponder :
- This lineage puts Viswamitra as the 14th generation from Indra, since Indra and Budha were cousins as per this analysis – Chandra Deva, as Atri’s son and Indra’s Uncle.
- Vasishtha who actually interacted with Vaiwaswatha Manu, was quite senior to Viswamitra as we have seen here Generations previous to Sri Rama., Generations between Rama and Krishna. Vasishta interacts both with Vaiwaswatha and Viswamitra.. there is a resurrection/ rebirth story associated with Vasishta, which does not help a lot, since it moves him down from the son of Brahma to the son of Mitravaruna and Urvasi. (I think it is an atronomical story and not meant to solve this problem).
- Balarama’s wife and Sri Krishna’s sister-in-law, Revati Devi is the 8th generation from Vaiwaswatha Manu as we have seen here : Vaivaswatha Manu to Revati Devi, wife of Balarama Deva : Srimad Bhagavatham.
- The Srimad Bhagavatham explains this difference by a time-travel incident, which I have interpreted here : Revati and 27 CaturYugas, Revathi Nakshatram,
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