Middle Treta Yuga In the radiant line of the Kauśikas, descended from the noble King-Sage Kuśika , there was born a son named Gādhi. His birth fulfilled the divine promise made by Indra to Kuśika — that from his lineage would arise one who would give rise to a sage who would “bridge heaven and earth.” Gādhi was born during the Tretā Yuga , in a time when kings were expected not merely to rule but to embody dharma  itself. As a child, he was taught the Vedas and the duties of

King Kushika's kingdom was small but prosperous, blessed with fertile fields and wise ministers. Though born a Kṣatriya, Kuśika’s heart leaned toward righteousness and spiritual inquiry.

Among Ikṣvāku’s many sons was Kukshi, who later came to be known by another name — Kukshi. Though remembered in later texts primarily as a link in the royal line, his story, preserved in fragments, is one of exile, redemption, and divine approval.

As a prince, Viśvāmitra was trained in all the royal sciences — archery, the Vedas, governance, statecraft, and the arts of war. He became a protector of his people, a conqueror of lands, and a patron of the learned.

Sage Vasishtha is one of the most respected and ancient sages in Indian tradition. He is counted among the Saptarṣis — the seven seers who preserve divine knowledge through the ages.

Bhagiratha was born in the royal line of Ikṣvāku, son of King Dilīpa of Ayodhyā. From childhood, he was unlike other princes — contemplative, steadfast, and guided by a sense of divine purpose.

From birth, Saudāsa was strong, noble, and fair-minded. Yet destiny had already written upon him a mark — a dark spot on his leg, resembling a burn or stain. Because of this, the people began calling him Kalmāṣapāda, “the one with the spotted foot.”

In the beginning, after the cosmic dissolution (pralaya), only the unmanifested Brahman existed — infinite, formless, and beyond time. From that stillness, the Creator, Brahmā, was born on the lotus that emerged from the navel of Viṣṇu (who is considered the manifestation of Brahman, the source of everything).

Kardama Prajāpati was one of the mind-born sons (mānasaputra) of Brahmā, the Creator, born from his shadow (chāyā), intellect, or thought — depending on the Purāṇic version.

After King Sagara’s sixty thousand sons were reduced to ashes by the fiery gaze of Sage Kapila, the once-glorious Solar Dynasty was plunged into despair.

In the cosmology of the Purāṇas, Kapila (Sanskrit: कपिल, “the Tawny One”) is no ordinary sage — he is often considered the fifth incarnation of Lord Viṣṇu, born to restore tattva-jñāna, or the true knowledge of reality.

The Ikṣvāku dynasty, descending from the first Manu, Vaivasvata Manu, was known as the Sūryavaṃśa—the Solar Dynasty—because its kings traced their lineage to Vivasvān, the Sun-god.

Vaivasvata Manu, also called Śrāddhadeva, is the seventh Manu, son of Vivasvān (Sūrya, the Sun God) and his wife Saṃjñā, daughter of Tvaṣṭṛ (the celestial craftsman). His name, Vaivasvata, literally means “son of Vivasvān.”

The Ikshvaku dynasty, known in Sanskrit as Ikṣvāku-vaṃśa or Sūrya-vaṃśa (“Lineage of the Sun”), represents the oldest and most illustrious royal family in the sacred history of Bhārata (India).