Beneath the rich tapestry of Puranic lore lie two titanic family trees: the Sūryavaṃśa (Solar Dynasty) and the Candravaṃśa (Lunar Dynasty), each casting a long shadow over epic traditions.

Sūryavaṃśa
• Traces back to Vaivasvata Manu, the progenitor of our present age.
• Ikṣvāku, his son, kicks off a line of righteous kings—Ikṣvāku → Raghu → Aja → Daśaratha → Rāma.
• Notable offshoots include the Ikṣvāku champions of dharma and legendary sages like Vasiṣṭha, tying royal power to spiritual authority.

Candravaṃśa
• Born of Soma (the Moon), its roots go through Ila and Budha, leading to the twin branches of Purū and Yadu.
• Purū’s descendants become the Kuru kings—Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and eventually the Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas of Mahābhārata fame.
• Yadu’s line gives rise to the Yādavas—Krishna, Balarāma—and subclans like the Haihayas, Andhakas, and Vṛṣṇis, stirring politics and romance in Mathura and Dvārakā.

Other dynastic threads
• The Bhṛgu and Cāndrānī lineages—rising from Prajāpatis and interweaving with royal houses.
• Regional houses such as the Haihayas (noted for Kartavirya Arjuna) and the Aṅgirasagas family of sages, each reflecting local cults and power struggles.

These genealogies feel surprisingly relevant today: as DNA testing booms and family trees pop up on social media, ancient lineages offer a reminder that roots run deep. Modern storytellers—from streaming epics to comic-book adaptations—keep weaving these dynasties into pop culture, proving that tales of solar kings and lunar princes still light up imaginations.