Shurasena

Shurasena
Issue	Vasudeva, Kunti
Father	Kartavirya Arjuna

Shurasena (also written as Surasena, Shoorsen, Shursen, Shoorsaini, Shoorseni)(Sanskrit: शूरसेन, Śūrasena) was an ancient Yadava ruler of Mathura^[1][2][3] after whom the Surasena Kingdom or mahajanpada and the Yadava sept of Surasenas or Shoorsainis ^[4][5][6] were named. According to a tradition, found in the Linga Purana (I.68.19), Shurasena was son of Kartavirya Arjuna. According to another tradition found in the Ramayana (VII.62.6) and the Vishnu Purana (IV.4.46), Shurasena was son of Shatrughna, brother of Rama.^[7] According to the Devibhagavata Purana (IV.1.2), Shurasena was father of Vasudeva (father of Krishna).^[8] He is extensively mentioned in both the Mahabharata and the Puranas as the father of Vasudeva (father of Krishna) and Kunti (mother of Pandava).^[9]

Several Indian tribes such as Sainis of Punjab,^[10] Bhatis, Jadejas, some Meo clans of Rajput descent, etc. trace their origin to the Yadava tribe of Shoorsainis or Surasenas named after this eponymous Yaduvanshi king.

Likely Ancestor of Porus

English historian James Tod considered Maharaja Shurasena to be an ancestor of King Porus:

"Puru became the patronymic of this branch of the Lunar race. Of this Alexander's historians made Porus. The Suraseni of Methoras (descendants of the Soor Sen of Mathura) were all Purus, the Prasioi of Megasthenes...How invaluable such remnants of ancient race of Harikula! How refreshing to the mind yet to discover, amidst the ruins on the Yamuna, Hecules (Baldeva, god of strength) retaining his club and lion's hide, standing on his pedestal at Baldeo, and yet worshipped by Suraseni! This was name given to a large tract of country round Mathura, or rather round Surpura, the ancient capital founded by Surasena, the grandfather of the Indian brother-deities, Krishna and Baldeva "

— James Tod, Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan ^[11]

This view has been treated as more than just probable by some scholars who have also linked Porus to the tribe tracing its origin from Yaduvanshi King Shurasena.^[12][13]

References

1. "During the Mahabharata age the region around Mathura was ruled by the Surasena dynasty." The Quarterly Review of Historical Studies, By Institute of Historical Studies (Calcutta, India),Published by Institute of Historical, Studies., 1983, Item notes: v.22, Original from the University of Michigan, Digitized 29 Aug 2008
2. "Surasena was a Yadava. One of his descendants could, therefore, call himself a Yadava or a Surasena as he liked..." Chauhān Dynasties: A Study of Chauhān Political History, Chauhān Political Institutions, and Life in the Chauhān Dominions, from 800 to 1316 A.D., By Dasharatha Sharma, pp 103, Published by Motilal Banarsidass, 1975
3. Tales From the Mahabharat, pp31, By B.K. Chaturvedi, Published by Diamond Pocket Books (P) Ltd. ISBN 81-288-1228-9, ISBN 978-81-288-1228-6
4. The Ancient Geography of India, pp 374 , By Alexander Cunningham, Published by Trübner and co., 1871, Item notes: v.1, Original from the University of Michigan
5. "The Surasenas were Jadavas, or Jadovansis, to which race belonged both Krishna and his antagonist Kansa, the king of Mathura." Report of a Tour in Eastern Rajputana in 1882-83,By Alexander Cunningham,Published by Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, 1885, Original from Oxford University
6. "As Bhadanaka-desa was almost coterminous with Surasena janapada, we may designate the Apabhramsa of the area as Shoorsaini Apabhramsa..." Early Chauhān Dynasties: A Study of Chauhān Political History, Chauhān Political Institutions, and Life in the Chauhān Dominions, from 800 to 1316 A.D., By Dasharatha Sharma, pp 103, Published by Motilal Banarsidass, 1975
7. Pargiter, F.E. (1972) [1922]. Ancient Indian Historical Tradition, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, pp.170-1,171fn2
8. Swami Vijnanananda (2008) [1921]. The S'rimad Devi Bhagawatam. Volume I. BiblioBazaar, LLC. p. 334. ISBN 978-1-4375-3059-9.
9. Ghazni to Jaiselmer (Pre-medieval History of the Bhatis), p.42, Hari Singh Bhati, Publisher: Hari Singh Bhati, 1998, Printers: Sankhala Printers, Bikaner
10. "Referencing the historical texts extant and available during his time and demonstrating Chandra Vansha (Lunar Dynasty) of Lord Krishna as the origin of Saini community and reproducing the entire lineage of Chandra Vansha he concluded: " The progeny of Chandra Vanshi King Yadu started being called Yadava. After 42 generations in the same lineage was born a ruler called King Shoorsen who controlled Mathura and surrounding area...After Chaudhary Lal Saini's 'Taarikh Quam Shoorsaini' the other historians of Shoorsaini community (which is also called Saini community) have regarded Shiv Lal's history work to be the basis of their research and publications", Dr. Pritam Saini as quoted in Saini Jagat : Utpati Ate Vikas, Professor Surjit Singh Nanua, pp 115, Manjot Publications, Patiala, 2008
11. Annals and antiquities of Rajasthan : or, The central and western Rajpoot states of India Author: James Tod, Asian Education Services, New Delhi 2001.
12. Krishna: a sourcebook, page 5,, Edwin Francis Bryant, Oxford University Press US, 2007
13. ^ Ghazni to Jaiselmer (Pre-medieval History of the Bhatis), pp 93, Hari Singh Bhati, Publisher: Hari Singh Bhati, 1998, Printers: Sankhala Printers, Bikaner