Sūta said:
1-2. Thus when the entire mobile and immobile creations had been created and established by the noble-souled Kashyapa, he the chief Prajapati, crowned (the chiefs of them) as their Lords and began to assign them their respective domains in due order.1
1. Verses 1-20 enumerate the heads of different categories of creation. Here one is reminded of the Vibhutiyoga (BG.X).
3. He crowned Soma (the Moon) in the kingdom of the twice-born Brahmanas, Kshattriyas and Vaishyas, creepers, constellations, planets, Yajnas and penance.
4. He made Bruhaspati the lord of all the descendants of Angiras. He crowned Shukra as the ruler over the realm of Bhrugus.
5. He made Vishnu, the lord of Adityas; Fire-god the lord of Vasus; Daksha the lord of Prajapatis; and Vasava (Indra) the lord of Maruts.
6. He made Prahlada, the delighter of Diti, the king of Daityas: Narayana the king of Sadhyas; and the Bull bannered lord (Shiva) the king of Rudras.
7. He directed Viprachitti to be the king of Danavas. He ordered Varuna to be the king of waters. He made Vaishravana (Kubera) the lord of Yakshas, Rakshasas and the wealth of (worldly) kings.
8. He coronated Yama, the son of Vivasvan (the Sun), in the kingdom of Pitris, and the trident-bearing Girisha in the kingdom of all the Bhutas and Pishachas.
9. He made Himavan the ruler of mountains; ocean, of the rivers; and Chitraratha the ruler of Gandharvas.
10. He crowned Ucchaisshravas as the king of horses, tiger as the king of deer and cows, and bulls the lords of quadrupeds.
11. He made Garuda the most excellent among flying beings, the lord of all birds. He made Maruta the lord of scents and unembodied beings.
12. He made Vayu, the most excellent among strong beings, the lord of sound, sky and strength. He made Shesha, the lord of all fanged (reptiles), and Vasuki the lord of serpents.
13. He made Takshaka, the lord of vipers, serpents and reptiles. He crowned Parjanya, one of the Adityas, as the lord of oceans, rivers, clouds and rains.
14-15. He crowned Kamadeva the king of all groups of Apsaras-s.
He made Samvatsara (Year) the lord of Rutus (seasons), months and groups of seasons, fortnights (Artavas), Vipakshas (the day of transition from one half of a lunar month to another), Muhurtas, Parvans, Kashthas, Kalas and their magnitudes, the movements and the transits (of the Sun), of mathematical calculations and Yogas (astronomical divisions of time or combinations of Stars).
16. The Prajapati crowned Sudhaman, the famous son of Rajas, as the king in the eastern quarter.
17. In the western quarter, he crowned the noble-souled Ketuman, the unerring son of Rajas, the king.
18. He made Vaivasvata Manu the lord of human beings. The entire earth consisting of seven continents along with the towns therein, is being ruled righteously by them in their respective areas.
19. They had been crowned formerly by Brahma in the Svayambhuva Manvantara. Only those who become Manu are consecrated as kings.
20. In the Manvantaras that have passed, these kings (had ruled and) passed away. When the Manvantaras occur again, others will be crowned again. All the kings, past and future, are proclaimed as Lords of Manvantaras.
21. Pruthu was crowned by these excellent men at the time of Rajasuya. The valorous king was made so in accordance with the injunctions of the Vedas.
22-23. The lord of Prajas, Kashyapa, procreated these sons, for the purpose of the continuity of the progeny. Thereafter, desirous of his own lineage, he performed a severe penance. He contemplated - “May sons, the founders of the lineage, be born to me”.
24. As Kashyapa, the noble soul, contemplated, two powerful sons born of Brahma’s part were born to him.
25. They were Vatsara and Asita. Both of them were propounders of Brahman. Nidhruva and Raibhya of great fame were born of Vatsara.
26. The Raibhyas should be known as the (descendants) of Raibhya. Understand (those) of Nidhruva. Chyavana begot Sumedhas of Sukanya.
27. Nidhruva’s wife1 was the mother of Kundapayins. Brahmishtha (Devala in Bd.P.) was born of Ekaparni and Asita.
1. Sumedhas as per Bd. P.
28. On hearing (i.e. paying heed to) the words of Shandilya, Devala became excessively famous. Nidhruvas, Shandilyas and Raibhyas all these three formed the Kashyapa Gotra later.2
2. Bd. P. 2.3.8.33 reads pakshah for pashcat here. It means ‘Nidhruvas, Shandilyas, Raibhyas are three branches of Kashyapa Gotra’.
29. Vara (Vajri i.e. Indra in Bd. P.) and other Devas are the progeny of Devala. These subjects’ function in Dvapara Yuga that remains (i.e. occurs) after eleven cycles of the sets of four Yugas have passed.
30. Charishyanta (Nairisyanta in Bd. P.) was the son of Manasa and his son was Dama. Manasa who was well-known as Trunabindu, was his heir and successor.
31. In the beginning of the third Treta Yuga, he became the king. His daughter Idavida. was unrivalled in her beauty. The saintly king gave her to Pulastya.
32. The sage Vishravas was born of Idavida. He had four wives who made the family of Pulastya flourish.
33. Bruhaspati, the preceptor of the Devas, had a famous daughter named Devavarnini. He (Vishravas) married that girl.
34. He (Vishravas) married Pushpotkata and Vaka, the daughters of Malyavan as well as Kaikasi, the daughter of Malin. Listen to their progeny.
35. Devavarnini gave birth to his eldest son Vaishravana who had divine fate and saintly learning, (but) had the form of a Rakshasa and the strength of an Asura.
36-37. He had three feet, a huge body, stout head, a large chin3, eight fangs, green moustache, pike-like ears and red complexion. His arms were short and long (i.e. one short, one long). He was yellowish in colour (?) and very terrible to look at. He had the knowledge of the illusory world. He was enlightened with knowledge.
3. Mahatanum in the text is a tautology. It should be maha-hanum as in Bd. P. ibid V. 42.
38. On seeing such a son assuming a cosmic form, the father himself said- “This is Kubera (ugly-bodied one)”.1
1. Etymology of ‘Kubera’, the god of wealth.
39. The word ‘Ku’ is used to indicate contempt. The body is mentioned by the word Bera. Hence, he is called Kubera be cause his body was deformed.
40. Since he was the child of Vishravas and he appeared like Vishravas, he will be known in the world by the name Vaishravana.
41. Kubera begot of Ruddhi the famous (son) Nalakubara. Kaikasi gave birth to four children Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Vibhishana (the three sons and) a daughter Shurpanakha.
42-45. (Ravana) had pike-like ears and ten necks. He was yellowish in colour with red hair, He had four feet and twenty arms. He was huge-bodied and very powerful. From his very birth, he resembled collyrium. He had fang-like teeth. His neck was red. He was like Rajasena (?) and was endowed with good features and strength. He was intellectually truthful. He had a firm body. He (was surrounded) by Rakshasas. Naturally he was terribe and ruthless. He was called Ravana because he roared.
That king was Hiranyakashipu in his previous birth. That Rakshasa king ruled for thirteen cycles of four Yugas.
2. The Purana-writer entertained fantastic ideas about Ravana. Jaina Ramayanas give a sober and a more realistic picture of Ravana, e.g. Ravana was one-headed but due to the reflection of his face in the nine precious stones of his necklace, he was (poetically) called ‘ten-headed’.
46-48. His span of life as reckoned by Brahmanas, experts in calculation, extended to five crores and sixtyone lakhs of years. For sixty lakhs of years, this Ravana made Devas and Sages terribly sleepless (by means of his atrocities). In the twenty-fourth Tretayuga, when his merit of penance declined, he met Rama, the son of Dasharatha, (in battle) and was slain along with his followers.
3. Ravana’s harrasment is not thus delimited elsewhere. It should be a part of his span of life. Bd. P. 2.3.8.53 correctly reads Shashtim caiva sahasrani ‘sixty thousand years’ as a part of Ravana’s total life. For, a set of the four Yugas=4320000 years, thirteen such sets=56160000 years. Ravana is credited with this span.
49. Mahodara, Prahasta, Mahapamshu and Khara were the sons of Pushpotkata and Kumbhinasi was her daughter.
50. Trishiras, Dushana, the Rakshasa Vidyujjihva and the daughter Asalika are remembered as the children of Vaka.
51. These are the ten Rakshasa descendants of Pulastya. They were cruel in their activities. All of their followers were terrible and unassailable even by Devas.
52-55. All of them had secured boons. All of them were endowed with sons and grandsons.
Aidavida (i.e. Kubera) whose left side was yellowish in colour and who was the descendant of Pulastya was the king of all these all the Yakshas, all the Rakshasas belonging to the family of Pulastya, the cruel Brahma Rakshasas of the families of Agastya and Vishvamitra, who were engaged in the study of the Vedas and who performed penance and holy rites.
Then, there were the other Rakshasas called Yajnamukhas. Hence, there are three groups of Rakshasas: Vatudhanas, Brahmadhanas and Vartas. These are Divacaras (moving about during the day). There are four groups of Nishacharas (those who wander in the night) who have been remembered (by wise sages).
56. Thus, there are seven classes of Rakshasas (including the above three and the following four groups): Paulastyas, Nairrutas, Agastyas and Kaushikas.
57-63. I shall describe the natural features of all these (Rakshasas)1: They had round eyes. They were yellowish in colour. They had huge bodies and bellies. They had eight fangs; pike-like ears and hairs standing upright. They had their mouths extending (as if) upto the ears. Some had hair like the Munja grass. Some had smoke-coloured upright hair. Some had stout heads shedding white lustre. Some were short-statured. Some had long arms. Some had copper-coloured faces. Some had long (dangling down) tongues and lips. Some had long eyebrows and stout noses. Some were blue-bodied with red necks and majestic eyes. They were terrific. They were excessively terrible-voiced and hideous. They went in groups. They were stout with prominent protruding noses. Their bodies were sturdy like rocks. They had terrible kinsmen and generally they were cruel, indulging in painful activities. They used to wear (ornaments like) ear-rings, bracelets and coronets. They wore crowns and turbans. They had diverse garments and ornaments. They wore garlands of variegated flowers. They applied fragrant scents and unguents. Some were flesh eaters and some ate cooked food. They are remembered as man-eaters. These attributes of Rakshasas, common to many of them, have been enunciated by scholars. The full extent of their strength is not known because it is effected by Maya.
1. Superstitions about Rakshasas current at the time of Va. P.
64-65. The deer, all the fanged beasts of prey, Bhutas, Pishachas, serpents, bees, elephants, monkeys, Kinnaras, Yamakimpurushas1 (?) and all those mentioned by me as born of Krodhavasha-all these were Pulaha’s sons.
1. Mayu-Kimpurishas in Bd. P.
66. In that Vaivasvata Manvantara, Kratu is remembered as childless. He had neither a son nor a grandson. He remained with fully controlled splendour (semen) (i.e. He was celibate).
67. I shall now recount the lineage of Atri2, the third Prajapati. He had ten chaste and beautiful wives.
2. The race of Atri is described in vv. 67-78.
68-69. Bhadrashva begot of Ghrutachi the Apsaras, ten daughters. They were: Bhadra, Shudra, Madra, Salada, Malada, Vela, Khala, these seven and Gocapala, Manarasa and Ratnakuta,
70-71. The founder of the lineage of Atri was famous by the name of Prabhakara (the originator of lustre). He was their husband. He begot of Bhadra, the famous son Soma (the Moon). When the Sun, struck by Rahu, was falling down towards the earth from the sky, the whole world was enveloped in darkness and it was he (the sage Atri) who spread light every where whereby be got the name Prabhakara.
72. While the Sun was falling the words ‘welfare unto you’ were addressed to him. At these words of the Brahmana sage Atri (the Sun) did not fall on the earth from heaven.
73. Atri who was the performer of great penance founded excellent Gotras. Among Yajnas (the one called) Atrighana (?) is initiated by Suras.
74-76. He begot of them ten sons, all equal to him. They had no names. All the ten were purified by great penance. They were the sages famous by the name ‘Svastyatreyas.’ They were masters of Vedas. Among them, two were very famous, powerful and expounders of Brahman the eldest was Dattatreya and Durvasas was his younger brother. The youngest daughter was Abala who expounded Brahman. In this connection, the former (ancient) Pauranikas cite this verse.
77. Those who are conversant with Puranas say that Atri’s son Dattatreya is embodied Vishnu. The noble-souled one is free from sins and tranquil in mind.
78. Four persons born in his spiritual lineage were famous on the earth. They were Shyamas, Mudgalas, Balarakas and Gavishthiras. These are remembered as the groups of very power ful men.
79. From Kashyapa Narada, Parvata and Arundhati were born. O excellent ones, (listen to and) understand (the sons) of Arundhati.
80. Narada gave Arundhati (in marriage) to Vasishtha.1 Due to the curse of Daksha, the brilliant Narada (was compelled to be) celibate.
1. The lineage of Vasishtha is described in vv. 80-90. A comparison of the race of sages as given in other Puranas e.g. Matsya Purana shows many dissimilarities in the names of descendants though some names are common.
81. Formerly when there was a great battle between Devas and Asuras, called Tarakamaya, the whole world was oppressed by drought and Shakra was aggrieved along with Suras. The intelligent Vasishtha sustained all the subjects by means of his penance.
82. Making use of the medicinal herbs, fruits and roots (the sage) sympathetically enlivened them.
83. (Defective Verse) O Brahmanas, Vasishtha begot Shakti of Arundhati. Adrushyanti (wife of Shakti) bore Parashara to Shakti on the seashore (?).
84. Kali bore Krishnadvaipayana, the holy lord, to Parashara. From Dvaipayana, Shuka, endowed with good qualities, was born, at the Arani (the sacrificial twig with which fire is produced by attrition).
85-86. The following six children were born of Pivari to Shuka: five sons, viz. Bhurishravas, Prabhu, Shambhu, Krishna and Gaura and a daughter Kirtirati by name. She was firm in her holy rites and a Yogic mother. She was the wife of Sattvaguha and the mother of Brahmadatta.
87. There were eight groups (spiritual lineage) of Parasharas of noble souls. They were Shvetas, Krishnas, Gauras, Shyamas, Dhumras, Samulikas, Darakas, the imbibers of hot (drinks?) (Ushmapas) and Nilas.
88. Henceforth, understand the progeny of Indrapratima. Kushiti, who was born of Kapinjali-Ghrutachito Vasishtha is called Indrapratima.
89. Vasu was his son born of Pruthu’s daughter. Upamanyu was his son whose (descendants) were these Upamanyus.
90. Kundins who were famous as descendants of Mitra Varuna have one spiritual lineage. Others are well-known as Vasishthas. These are the eleven Gotras of Vasishthas.
91. Thus these eight renowned mental sons of Brahma have been recounted. They were blessed brothers and their spiritual lineages have been established.
92. They sustain these three worlds consisting of groups of Devas and sages. Their souls and grandsons are hundreds and thousands. By them the entire Earth is pervaded as with the rays of the Sun.