I take pride to write the story of Lord Rama and his Vansh (Clan). With this, I want to reveal that I shall add a new category called Mythology to my writings. Will bring all the important lessons and morals from Indian mythology to you all.
“Raghu Kula Vansh is the most respected clan in Indian History”.
Let me tell you why in a few words:
As per the beliefs, Manu is the first man on this earth. He is the first Son of Sun god. Of course, there is Karna, Sugriva who are all also children of Sun God. Coming back to Manu, Manu had two sons. First one is called as Ikshvaku and second one is Ila. Being born to Sun God both are from the Sun’s Clan which in Sanskrit is known as ‘Suryavansh’. This was true until Ila got married.
One fine day, Ila watches Lord Shiva making love with Parvati and he gets mesmerised with Shiva’s Muscular Body. He starts to look at Shiva’s body with admiration and that changes his gender to female.
Realizing that he turned into a female, he prays to Lord Shiva who tells him that he can’t reverse what happened but he can bestow him manhood for 15 days from New moon to full moon and womanhood from full moon to new moon. Thus Ila turns into a female and gets married to Budha or Mercury, who is a eunuch.
The birth of Mercury is also interesting. Brihaspathi or Jupiter is a sage and he had a beautiful wife called Tara. Tara was jovial in nature while Brihaspathi was serious.
So, the incompatibility makes her to fall in love with Chandra or Moon and she elopes with Moon. Brihaspathi wages a war on Moon and gets back Tara, who was pregnant by then. Brihaspathi says Tara is carrying his child while Moon says that she was carrying his child. The child inside the womb says he is the son of Moon. Raged with anger Brihaspathi curses him to be born as Eunuch. So, Ila marries Mercury who is the son of Moon and that is how the children of Mercury and Ila are called Chandravansh.
Coming to the characteristics of both the clans. Simply put, Surya Vamshi are rules obedient, straight forward while Chandra Vanshi is very opposite. Chandra Vanshi believes in bending rules, crooked and being diplomatic. Best examples are: Surya Vanshi is Lord Rama and Chandra Vanshi is Lord Krishna.
That’s a treat to ears, it’s like best soothing music for me. But then why Raghukul?
Just take a look at the Family Tree of Suryavansh
“Raja Dileep – Raja Raghu – Raja Aja- Raja Dasharatha – Raja Sriram”
From the right you see the list of kings ruling Ayodhya. Of course, there were many before Raja Dileep, but this is where the story of Raghu begins. Raja Dileep was a famous King who was a worshipper of Vedas and is into Yagnas. He spent his life in protecting cows or gau Raksha.
Yagna is an important ritual or activity in the Hindu Dharma. Indra the Rain God and the leader of Gods was the only one to complete 100 Yagnas. The catch comes here, Raja Dileep completed 99 Yagnas and is all ready to complete his 100th Yagna. But Indra with a fear that he would lose his power to Raja Dileep plans to destroy the Yagna process. Raja Dileep’s wife gets to know this and informs it to child Raghu.
“रघुकुल रीत सदा चल आई, प्राण जाई पर वचन न जाई”
“Raghuvansh believes in committing to the Word even if you are to Die ”
Indra uses all his forces to put hurdles in the path of 100th Yagna. He takes off the ‘Horse’ which is central to Yagna when Raghu falls asleep. Good deeds by Dileep for Cows come to Raghu’s rescue as a Cow helps Raghu find the Horse in the heaven under Indra’s control. Knowing this, Indra sends all his forces to defeat Raghu. Indra declares war but Raghu – the young warrior ruthlessly defeats most of the Indra’s army. Indra gets astonished and impressed. This lets him to compromise and explains his worry to Raghu. He then asks for an alternative.
Raghu then asks Indra that, ‘my father should be given fruits of 100 Yagnas without completing them because he never wanted power and all he wanted is the fruits of 100 Yagnas’. For which Indra obliges and gives the success of 100 yagnas to Raja Dileep.
From that time, when Raja Raghu kept his word given to his Mother this tradition continued till the time Raghu clan existed. A special thing about King Raghu was that he knew all the Vedas like his father. He was successful in going up north till the Soviet Union, West till Afghanistan, South till the Godavari and on the Eastern Side till Burma and preached the Vedic way of life to the people over there.
This wonderful story explains us and tells us how important it is for an individual to commit to the word given. On the other hand, it also asks us to think before giving any word. Because you can’t go back and that’s not what the Human being should be like.
