Chapter 63 - Origin of Devas and others (devādi-sṛṣṭi)

The sages said:

1. O Sūta, recount the origin of Devas, Dānavas, Gandharvas, Serpents and Rākṣasas, in an excellent way and in due order.

Sūta said:

2. The creation of ancient people was by means of mental conception, direct perception or touch. Subsequent to Dakṣa the son of Pracetas, creation is by means of sexual intercourse.

3-6. When he began to create the group of Devas, sages and serpents, the world did not increase. Thereupon, by means of sexual intercourse, Dakṣa begot of Sūti, five thousand sons.

On seeing those blessed ones who were desirous of creating different kinds of progeny, Nārada spoke to Haryaśvas, the sons of Dakṣa who had assembled together.

“Understand the extent of the earth^[1] from above and below, O excellent sages, and then proceed ahead with your special creation.”

On hearing his words they went away in all directions.

7-10. Even today they have not returned like the rivers after joining the ocean.

When Haryaśvas vanished, lord Dakṣa Prajāpati begot of Sūti herself another thousand sons. O brahmins, they were named Śabalas and they assembled together for the purpose of creation.

Nārada spoke to those persons of solar splendour, who had assembled before him—“You should proceed with your special creation after understanding the full extent of the earth, or on return after finding out what has happened to your brothers.

They too followed their brothers and attained the same goal as their brothers before.

11. When they too vanished the Prajāpati Dakṣa the son of Pracetas, begot sixty daughters of Vīriṇī.

12- 15. He gave ten of them in marriage to Dharma, thirteen to Kaśyapa, twentyseven to the moon, four to Ariṣṭanemi, two to the son of Bhṛgu, two to the intelligent Kṛśāśva and two to Aṅgiras. Now listen to the names of the mothers of Devas and the details of their progeny from the very beginning.

The ten wives of Dharma were:—Marutvatī, Vasū, Yāmi, Lambā, Bhanu, Arundhatī, Saṅkalpā, Muhūrtā, Sādhyā and Viśvā.

I shall tell you the names of their sons.

16-20a. The Viśvedevas were born to Viśvā. Sādhyā bore the Sādhyas. Marutvats were born of Marutvatī. Vasus were born of Vasū. The Bhānus were born of Bhānu; the Muhūrtakas were born of Muhūrta; the Ghoṣas were born of Lambā. Nāgavīthī was born of Yāmi. Saṅkalpa was born of Saṅkalpā. I shall tell you the creation of the Vasus. Devas who are luminous and who pervade all the quarters are called Vasus.^[2] They are the well wishers of all living beings. They are reputed to be eight, viz.—Āpa, Dhruva, Soma, Dharā, Anila, Anala, Pratyūṣa and Prabhāsa.

20b-22a. The eleven Rudras,^[3] the leaders of the Gaṇas are:—Ajaikapād, Ahirbudhnya, Virūpākṣa, Bhairava, Hara, Bahurūpa, Tryambaka the lord of Devas, Sāvitra, Jayanta, Pinākin and Aparājita.

22b-26. I shall mention the sons and grandsons of Kaśyapa from his thirteen wives:—Aditi, Diti Ariṣṭā, Surasā, Muni, Surabhi, Vinatā, Tāmrā, Krodhavaśā, Ilā, Kadrū, Tviṣā and Danu.

I shall tell you the names of the sons of these.

Devas who were known as Tuṣitas in the Cākṣuṣa manvantara are spoken of as the twelve Ādityas in the Vaivasvata manvantara. The following twelve are the thousand-rayed Ādityas:—

Indra, Dhātṛ, Bhaga, Tvaṣṭṛ, Mitra, Varuṇa, Aryaman, Vivasvān, Savitṛ, Pūṣan, Aṃśumat and Viṣṇu.

27. We have heard that Diti had two sons from Kaśyapa viz, Hiraṇyakaśipu and Hiraṇyākṣa

28. Danu bore a hundred sons to Kaśyapa. They were mighty and arrogant. O excellent brahmins, among them Vipracitti was the chief.

29. O leading brahmins, Tāmrā bore six daughters^[4] viz.—Śukī, Śyenī, Bhāsī, Sugrīvī, Gṛdhrikā and Śuci.

30-31. Śukī duly gave birth to parrots and owls. Śyenī gave birth to hawks (falcons), etc. Bhāsī gave birth to deers. Gṛdhrī bore the vultures, doves, pigeons and other birds. Śuci gave birth to swans, cranes and other aquatic birds such as Kāraṇḍa, Plava.

32-34. Sugrīvī gave birth to goats, horses, sheep, camels and donkeys. Vinatā gave birth to Garuḍa and Aruṇa, (two sons) and then a daughter Saudāminī (lightning) terrible unto all the worlds.

A thousand cobras were born to Surasā. Kadru gave birth to a thousand thousand-hooded serpents. Twenty-six excellent ones among them are well known as their chiefs.

35-37. They are:—Śeṣa, Vāsuki, Karkoṭa, Śaṅkha, Airāvata, Kambala, Dhanañjaya, Mahānīla, Padma, Aśvatara, Takṣaka, Elāpatra, Mahāpadma, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Balāhaka, Śaṅkhapāla, Mahāśaṅkha, Puṣpadaṃṣṭra, Śubhānana, Śaṅkhaloman, Nahuṣa, Vāmana, Phaṇita, Kapila, Durmukha and Patañjali.

38-41. Krodhavaśā gave birth to the Rākṣasas wielding great power of deception and also the group of Rudras. The excellent lady Surabhi, gave birth to cows and buffaloes as the children of Kaśyapa. Muni gave birth to the group of sages and Apsaras. Ariṣṭā gave birth to Kinnaras and Gandharvas. Ilā gave birth to grasses, trees, creepers and hedges. Tviṣā gave birth to crores and crores of Yakṣas and Rākṣasas

These are the immediate descendants of Kaśyapa, narrated succinctly.

42-45. These had their own numerous sons, grandsons etc. Their races are many. After the children had been procreated by the noble Kaśyapa, after all the mobile and immobile beings had been well established, Prajapati crowned the chief ones among each of them as overlords. He made Vaivasvata Manu the overlord of human beings. Those who were crowned by Brahmā in the Svāyambhuva manvantara, even now protect and rule over the earth with its seven continents and mountains. They rule virtuously in accordance with the instructions of the lord.

46. Only those who had been crowned formerly in the Svāyambhuva manvantara by Brahmā are crowned now. They become the Manus.

47-49. In the past manvantaras these had been the kings. Others are being crowned when a new manvantara arrives. All the kings of the past and future manvantaras are mentioned in detail.

After procreating these sons for the continuity of the race Kaśyapa performed penance once again with the desire to have a son who will preserve the spiritual line.

50-51. Even as Kaśyapa was meditating thus, two sons of great prowess manifested themselves by the grace of Brahman. Those two Vatsara and Asita were expounders of Brahman. Naidhruva and Raibhya were born of Vatsara.

52-54. The sons of Raibhya are known as Raibhyas. I shall mention those of Naidhruva. Sumedhas was born of the daughter of Cyavana. She became the wife of Naidhruva and the mother of Kuṇḍapāyins.

The glorious son Devala was born of Ekaparṇā and Asita. He was a knower of Brāhman, the best of all the Śāṇḍilyas and one possessing great penance. Thus the descendants of Kaśyapa became three branches; Śāṇḍilyas, Naidhruvas and Raibhyas.

55-58. Devas had nine sources of origin. I shall mention the line of Pulastya.

After eleven cycles of four yugas have practically passed by when Manu was the lord and half the period of Dvāpara had passed by, Dama was born as the son of Nariṣyanta, a descendant of Manu. Dama’s descendant known as Tṛṇabindu became king in the third quarter of Tretāyuga. His daughter Ilavilā was unrivalled in beauty and the king gave her in marriage to Pulastya.

59. Viśravas the great sage was born of Ilavilā. His four wives are the progenitors of the famity of Pulastya.

60-65. The first wife Devavarṇinī was the splendid daughter of Bṛhaspati. The second and third wives were the two daughters of Mālyavān, viz. Puṣpotkaṭā and Balākā and the fourth wife Kaikasī was the daughter of Mālin.

Now listen to the children of these ladies. Devavarṇinī bore the eldest son Vaiśravaṇa to him. Kaikasī gave birth to Rāvaṇa, the king of Rākṣasas, Kumbhakarṇa, Śūrpaṇakhā and Vibhīṣaṇa. O excellent brahmins, Puṣpotkaṭā bore him Mahodara, Prahasta, Mahāpārśva, Khara and the daughter Kumbhīnasī. Now listen to the childern of Balā [i. e. Balākā]. They were Triśiras, Dūṣana, Vidyujjihva and the daughter Mālikā. Thus the Rākṣasas of ruthless activities belonging to the family of Pulastya are nine.

66-68. Vibhīṣaṇa is glorified as the knower of Dharma. He was a highly pure soul.

The deer, the fanged animals, tigers, goblins, ghosts, serpents, boars, elephants, monkeys, Kinnaras and Kimpuruṣas were the sons of Pulastya.

In the Vaivasvata manvantara Kratu is said to be issueless, Atri had ten beautiful and chaste wives.

69-70. Bhadrāśva begot of the celestial damsel Ghṛtāci ten children viz Bhadrā, Abhadrā, Jaladā, Mandā, Ānandā (or Nandā), Balā, Abalā, Gopābalā, Tāmarasā and Varakrīḍā

71-73. These are the progenitors of the family of Ātreya. Their husband is Prabhākara. When the sun was swallowed by Rāhu and he fell down towards the earth from the heavens the whole world was enveloped in darkness. At that time Atri spread lustre everywhere. He said “Hail to Thee” and then the falling sun ceased to fall at the instance of the brahmin sage. Then Atri was called Prabhākara by the great sages.

74. He begot of Bhadrā the renowned son Soma (Moon). The sage procreated more sons of those wives.

75. They are well known as Svastyātreyas. They were sages and masters of the Vedas. Two of them became well renowned. They had realised Brahman. They were very powerful.

76. Datta was the eldest son of Atri. Durvāsas was his younger brother. The youngest sister was Amalā, an expounder of the Brahman.

77. Four of them born of two Gotras are well known in the world, viz. Śyāva, Pratvasa, Vavalgu and Gahvara.

78. Four lines of the spiritual family of Ātreyas of noble souls are known as Kāśyapa, Nārada, Parvata and Anuddhata.

79. These were born as mental sons. Now understand the children of Arundhatī. It was Nārada who gave Arundhatī to Vasiṣṭha.

80- 82. Due to a curse of Dakṣa, Nārada of great splendour became a bachelor by compulsion.

Formerly, when a terrible war between Devas and Asuras, on account of the demon. Tāraka, took place, the world was oppressed due to drought. Along with the guardians of the quarters, the intelligent sage Vasiṣṭha sustained the subjects by means of his penance. He made water, cooked rice, roots, fruits and medicinal herbs and out; of mercy he enlivened the people with medicines.

83. Vasiṣṭha begot hundred sons of Arundhatī. Adṛśyantī bore to Śakti, the eldest of those hundred, the son Parāśara.

84-88. Śakti was swallowed by the demon Rudhira (along with his brothers). Kālī bore to Parāśara the son Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana.

Dvaipāyana begot of Araṇī the son Śuka and the son Upamanyu of Pīvarī.

Know that the following are the sons of Śuka viz. Bhūriśravas, Prabhu, Śambhu, Kṛṣṇa and Gaura. There was a daughter Kīrtimatī. She was a yogic mother, performing holy rites. She was the wife of Aṇuha and mother of Brahmadatta. The following are the descendants of Parāśara viz Śveta, Kṛṣṇa, Gaura, Śyāma, Dhūmra, Aruṇa, Nīla and Bādarika. Thus there are eight lines of these noble-souled Parāśaras.

89-91. Henceforth understand the descendants of Indrapramiti. Vasiṣṭha begot of Ghṛtācī the son Kapiñjalya. He who is known as Trimūrti is called Indrapramiti. Bhadra was born of Pṛthu’s daughter. His son was Vasu whose son was Upamanyu. There are many descendants of Upamanyu, Mitra and Varuṇa. Those who are known as Kauṇḍinyas are the descendants of Mitra and Varuṇa.^[5]

92-95. There are others of single sage-head, who are well known as Vāsiṣṭhas. There are ten lines of the noble descendants of Vasiṣṭha.

Thus these mental sons of Brahmā are known on the earth. These blessed ones are the supporters of the spiritual legacy. Their descendants are well known. They are competent to support even the three worlds. They are born of the families of divine sages. Their sons and grandsons are hundreds and thousands. The three worlds are pervaded by them in the same manner as by the rays of the sun.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

or after knowing the extent of the field (i.e. the subtle body) as also its capacity for creating the living beings. Śivatoṣiṇī. cites Bhāga. in support of this interpretation:—[bhūkṣetraṃ jīvasaṃjñaṃ yadanādi nijabandhanam | adṛṣṭvā tasya nirvāṇaṃ kimasatkarmabhirbhavet ||]

[2]:

Vasus are a class of deities, eight in number. They seem to have been personifications of natural phenomena. They are Āpa (water), Dhruva (Pole star), Soma (moon), Dharā (earth), Anila (wind), Anala (fire), Prabhāsa (dawn) and Pratyūṣa (light).

[3]:

In regard to the names of the eleven Rudras the Purāṇas are not unanimous.

[4]:

Kaśyapa’s wives and children are given differently in other authorities, e.g. Mahābhārata. Ādi p. xvi. lxv and lxvi; Kūrma xviii; Agni xix; Bd. V.143-146.

[5]:

Kauṇḍinyas and Vāsiṣṭhas have a common ancestry in Mitrā-Varuṇa. Hence the matrimonial alliances do not take place between them.