407:12 Some rather curious legends are connected with this prince in the Váyu and Bráhma Puráńas, and Hari Vanśa, and especially in the Káśí Khańd́a of the Skánda Puráńa. According to these authorities, Śiva and Párvatí, desirous of occupying Káśí, which Divodása possessed, sent Nikumbha, one of the Gańas of the former, to lead the prince to the adoption of Buddhist doctrines; in consequence of which he was expelled from the sacred city, and, according to the Váyu, founded another on the banks of the Gomatí. We have, however, also some singular, though obscure intimations of some of the political events of this and the succeeding reign. The passage of the Váyu is, 'The king Divodása, having slain the hundred sons of Bhadraśreńya, took possession of his kingdom, which was conquered by that hero. The son of Bhadraśreńya, celebrated by the name of Durdama, was spared by Divodása, as being an infant. Pratarddana was the son of Divodása by Drishadvatí; and by that great prince, desirous of destroying all enmity, (was recovered) that (territory) which had been seized by that young boy (Durdama).' This is not very explicit, and something is wanted to complete the sense. The Bráhma P. and Hari V. tell the story twice over, chiefly in the words of the Váyu, but with some additions. In ch. 29. we have, first, the first three lines of the above extract; then comes the story of Benares being deserted; we then have the two next lines; then follow, 'That prince (Durdama) invading his patrimonial possessions, the territory which Divodása had seized by force was recovered by the gallant son of Bhadhraśreńya, Durddama, a warrior desirous, mighty king, p. 408 to effect the destruction of his foes.' Here the victory is ascribed to Durddama, in opposition to what appears to be the sense of the Váyu, and what is undoubtedly that of our text, which says that he was called Pratarddana from destroying the race of Bhadraśreńya, and Śatrujit from vanquishing all his foes. By Vairasya anta, 'the end of hostility or enmity,' is obviously not to be understood here, as M. Langlois has intimated, a friendly pacification, but the end or destruction of all enemies. In the 32d chapter of the Hari Vanśa we have precisely the same lines, slightly varied as to their order; but they are preceded by this verse; 'The city (that on the Gomati), before the existence of Benares, of Bhadraśreńya, a pious prince of the Yadu race: This verse is not in the Bráhma P. After giving the rest of the above quotation, except the last line, the passage proceeds, 'The king called Asht́aratha was the son of Bhímaratha; and by him, great king, a warrior desirous of destroying his foes was (the country) recovered, the children (of Durdama) being infants.' According to the same authority, we are here to understand Bhímaratha and Asht́aratha as epithets of Divodása and Pratarddana. From these scanty and ill-digested notices it appears, that Divodása, on being expelled from Benares, took some city and district on the Gomati from the family of Bhadraśreńya; that Durdama recovered the country, and that Pratarddana again conquered it from his descendants. The alternation concerned apparently only bordering districts, for the princes of Máhíshmati and of Káśí continue, in both an earlier and a later series, in undisturbed possession of their capitals and their power.