Chapter 2 - The progeny of Prajāpati: the race of Dakṣa

Sūta said:—

1. When the sixth creation of subjects i.e. that of Cākṣuṣa (Manvantara) had been (annihilated and) withdrawn, Dakṣa was commanded by the self-born lord himself—“Create the Subjects”.

2. He (i.e. Dakṣa) created all the living beings, the mobile ones as well as the immobile ones. At the outset, the lord created mental living beings.

3. He created (mentally) the sages, the Devas, the Gandharvas, the human beings, the serpents, the Rākṣasas, the Yakṣas, the Bhūtas (goblins), the Piśācas (ghosts, evil spirits) the birds, the animals and the cattle,

4. When those subjects created mentally by him did not multiply, they were cursed mentally by the great intelligent lord of great splendour and dignity.

5-6. Desirous of creating the diverse subjects by means of copulation, he married Asiknī, the daughter of Vīraṇa the Prajāpati. She was endowed with great power of penance. She was the sustainer of the worlds. It was by her that this entire universe consisting of the mobile and the immobile beings was held up.

7-9. In this connection they cite the following verses as regards the descendants of Pracetas:—

As Dakṣa was formerly wedded to his wife Asiknī the daughter of Vīraṇa, one million proud black serpents followed lord Dakṣa who never got entangled in the rivers and mountains.

On seeing him it was said by the sages that the first Dakṣa will establish the subjects here. As for the second Dakṣa—he himself is the creator of the subjects.

10. Thereafter, the one million serpents went away in due course. Dakṣa, the son of Pracetas, married Asiknī the daughter of Vīraṇa there.

11. Thereafter, lord Dakṣa, son of Pracetas, begot a thousand sons of Asiknī, the daughter of Vīraṇa. They had unlimited prowess.

12-14. On seeing them, that (Dakṣa) of great splendour became desirous of causing the subjects to multiply.

Nārada, the son of Brahmā, was delighted in the conversation with the divine sages. He spoke certain words the result of which was their destruction and curse unto himself. (Defective text). Nārada was the mental son of Parameṣṭhin. On account of the curse of Dakṣa, he became the mental son of Kāśyapa for the second time.

[Notes: According to Mahābhārata. Ādi. 75.7-8, Nārada instructed this first batch of 1000 sons of Dakṣa in Sāṅkhya philosophy. There-by all of them became recluses leading to the frustration of Dakṣa’s mission of populating the world. Here (VV. 20-27) Nārada advised them to know the magnitude of the earth and diverted two batches of Dakṣa’s sons—the Haryaśvas and Śabalāśvas elsewhere (Bhāgavata-purāṇa VI.5). Being frustrated in his plan of populating the world, he cursed Nārada to perish and reborn again.]

15-16. That Nārada had formerly been born of Parameṣṭhin. Dakṣa’s sons well-known as Haryaśvas were wholly destroyed for the sake of Dharma (?) There is no doubt that all of them were destroyed by fate. The infuriated lord Dakṣa prepared himself for cursing him.

17-18. Accompanied with Brahmarṣis (Brahmanical sages) ahead of him, he was requested by the highest god Brahmā, Thereafter, Dakṣa came to a stipulated understanding with Parameṣṭhin “Let Nārada become your son, through my daugher.” Thereafter, Dakṣa gave his beloved daughter to Parameṣṭhin. Hence, sage Nārada was reborn on account of the fear of his curse.

Śaṃśapāyana said:—

19. “How were the sons of Prajāpati formerly destroyed by the divine sage Nārada? I wish to know this factually (in details)

Sūta said:—

20. Haryaśvas, the sons of Dakṣa, were desirous of causing the subjects to flourish. Those sons of great virility assembled. Nārada spoke to them.

21. “Alas, all of you are childish. You do not know the surface of the Earth internally nor do you know the space above or below. How will you create the subjects?”¹

22. On hearing his words, they went away in all directions. Till today they have not returned like the rivers that have fallen into the Ocean.

23. When they were lost, lord Dakṣa, the son of Pracetas, once again begot a thousand sons of Vairaṇī.

24. These sons (known as) Śabalāśvas, were desirous of causing the subjects to flourish. They were told once again by Nārada the same words uttered by him before.

25-26. They said amongst themselves:—

“What the sage says is true. There is no doubt about this that the path of our brothers should be traversed by us. We shall easily create the subjects after understanding the Earth. We have been duly instructed. After the clarification and illumination of our minds we shall become peaceful and normal.

27. They too went in all directions along the same path, desirous of getting at the magnitude and extent of the Earth. They have not returned till today.

28. Thereafter, if a brother goes in search of his (lost) brother he perishes himself quickly. That should not be undertaken by a person who knows this.

29. When the Śabalāśvas too perished, lord Dakṣa became infuriated. He cursed Nārada thus—“Become perished. Stay in a womb.”

30. When they were destroyed, that noble-souled lord Dakṣa begot of Vairaṇī herself sixty well known daughters.

31. Kāśyapa, Dharma, Soma, the lord (Moon) and other great sages took those daughters as wives.

32. He who knows factually this creation of Dakṣa entirely shall become blessed, well renowned and long-lived. He shall have progeny.