of some unspecified eighteen junior fami-
lies of warriors (?)
A. Description: Described as Kṣatri-
yas arrogant while fighting (kṣatriyair
yuddhadurmadaiḥ) 2. 13. 54. B. Epic
events: (1) When the danger of Kaṃsa was
over, but when Janāsandha was making
preparations, Kṛṣṇa and Rāma held a
council with the eighteen junior families
of warriors (bhaye tu samupakrānte jarā-
sandhe samudyate/mantro 'yaṃ mantrito
rājan kulair aṣṭādaśāvaraiḥ//) 2. 13. 34;
(2) The seat of the Yādavas at Kuśasthalī
(2. 13. 49) was garrisoned by the eighteen
junior Kṣatriya families of warriors (sadma
… aṣṭādaśāvaraīr naddhaṃ kṣatriyair yud-
dhadurmadaiḥ) 2. 13. 54; (3) The group
of eighteen juniors were engaged in a battle
with a certain king named Haṃsa, helped
by some others; apparently Haṃsa was
killed in this battle (atha haṃsa iti khyātaḥ
kaścid āsīn mahān nṛpaḥ/sa cānyaiḥ
sahīto rājan saṃgrāme 'ṣṭādaśāvaraiḥ//)
2. 13. 39; (4) Probably these junior
families are meant when it is said that
eighteen families, along with the northern
Bhojas fled to the west due to fear of
Jarāsandha (udīcyabhojāś ca tathā kulāny
aṣṭādaśābhibho/jarāsandhabhayād eva
pratīcīṃ diśam āśritāḥ//) 2. 13. 24.