Yadu () is the founder of the

Yadu dynasty Yaduvamsha () or Yādava Vaṃśa is a legendary dynasty featured in Hinduism, a cadet branch of the Chandravamsha dynasty. The dynasty's progenitor was Yadu, the eldest son of Emperor Yayati. Legend Origin In Hindu texts, the king Yaya ...

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

. He is described to be the eldest son of King

Yayati Yayāti ( sa, ययाति, translit=Yayāti), is a king in Hindu tradition. He is described to be a Chandravamsha king. He is regarded to be the progenitor of the races of the Yadavas and the Pandavas. He is considered in some texts t ...

, and his queen, Devayani.

Legend

According to a narrative found in the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...

, and the

Vishnu Purana The Vishnu Purana (IAST:, sa, विष्णुपुराण) is one of the eighteen Puranas#Mahapuranas, Mahapuranas, a genre of ancient and medieval texts of Hinduism. It is an important Pancharatra text in the Vaishnavism literature c ...

, Yadu refused to exchange his years of youth with his father, Yayati, when the latter was cursed with senility by his father-in-law,

Shukra Shukra (Sanskrit: शुक्र, IAST: ) is a Sanskrit word that means "clear" or "bright". It also has other meanings, such as the name of an ancient lineage of sages who counselled Asuras in Vedic history. In medieval mythology and Hindu as ...

. Thus, he was cursed by Yayati to have his progeny disinherited of the dominion. Due to this proclamation, Yadu was replaced by his step-brother,

Puru Puru refer to: *Puru (Vedic tribe), a tribe, or a confederation of tribes, mentioned many times in the Rigveda *King Puru, a Hindu king in the Rigveda and Mahabharata *King Porus, a king of northwest India in the time of Alexander the Great *Puru ( ...

, as the heir to the throne of the Chandravamsha dynasty. Yadu founded his own cadet branch of the dynasty, called the Yaduvamsha.

Descendants

The

Agni Purana The ''Agni Purana'', ( sa, अग्नि पुराण, ) is a Sanskrit text and one of the eighteen major Puranas of Hinduism. The text is variously classified as a Purana related to Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Smartism, but also co ...

states that Yadu's lineage was continued by his eldest son, Sahasrajit. Sahasrajit had three sons: Haihaya, Reṇuhaya, and Haya. A historical dynasty called the

Haihayas The Heheya Kingdom (also known as Haihaya, Haiheya, Heiheya _sa.html" ;"title="nowiki/> sa">हैहय was a kingdom ruled by the Yadava people, who claimed to be descended from Yadu, a legendary king of Chandravamsha lineage. One of the mo ...

claimed descent from Haihaya. Several castes and communities in modern India, such as

Ahir Ahir or Aheer are a community of traditionally non-elite pastoralists in India, most members of which identify as being of the Indian Yadav community because they consider the two terms to be synonymous. The Ahirs are variously described as a ...

Yadav Yadav refers to a grouping of traditionally non-elite, Quote: "The Yadavs were traditionally a low-to-middle-ranking cluster of pastoral-peasant castes that have become a significant political force in Uttar Pradesh (and other northern state ...

Chudasama The Chudasama are a Rajput clan found in the state of Gujarat in India. They are offshoot of the Samma tribe of Sind. The Chudasama dynasty of Junagadh once ruled Thatta of Sind and Chudachandra laid foundation in Gujarat with Junagadh ...

, claim descent from Yadu.

References

Mahabharata Hindu mythology {{DEFAULTSORT:Yadu_(Hinduism)

Legend

Descendants

See also

References