{"collection":"Hinduism","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/hin/vp/vp056.htm","path":"hin/vp/vp056.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp056.htm","text":"The Vishnu Purana, translated by Horace Hayman Wilson, [1840]\nFamilies of the Daityas. Descendants of Ka\u015byapa by Danu. Children of Ka\u015byapa by his other wives. Birth of the M\u00e1rutas, the sons of Diti.\nTHE sons of Sanhr\u00e1da, the son of Hira\u0144yaka\u015bipu, were \u00c1yushm\u00e1n, \u015aivi, and V\u00e1shkala 1. Prahl\u00e1da had a son named Virochana; whose son was Bali, who had a hundred sons, of whom B\u00e1\u0144a was the eldest 2.\nHira\u0144y\u00e1ksha also had many sons, all of whom were Daityas of great prowess; Jharjhara, \u015aakuni, Bh\u00fatasant\u00e1pana, Mah\u00e1n\u00e1bha, the mighty-armed and the valiant T\u00e1raka. These were the sons of Diti 3.\nThe children of Ka\u015byapa by Danu were Dwim\u00farddh\u00e1, \u015aankara, Ayomukha, \u015aanku\u015biras, Kapila, Samvara, Ekachakra, and another mighty T\u00e1raka, Swarbh\u00e1nu, Vrishaparvan, Puloman, and the powerful Viprachitti; these were the renowned D\u00e1navas, or sons of Danu 4.\nSwarbh\u00e1nu had a daughter named Prabh\u00e1 5; and \u015aarmisht\u0301h\u00e1 6 was the daughter of Vrishaparvan, as were Upad\u00e1nav\u00ed and Haya\u015bir\u00e1 7.\nVaisw\u00e1nara 8 had two daughters, Pulom\u00e1 and K\u00e1lik\u00e1, who were both married to Ka\u015byapa, and bore him sixty thousand distinguished D\u00e1navas, called Paulomas and K\u00e1lakanjas 9, who were powerful, ferocious, and cruel.\nThe sons of Viprachitti by Sinhik\u00e1 (the sister of Hira\u0144yaka\u015bipu) were Vyan\u015ba, \u015aalya the strong, Nabha the powerful, V\u00e1t\u00e1pi, Namuchi, Ilwala, Khasrima, Anjaka, Naraka, and K\u00e1lan\u00e1bha, the valiant Swarbh\u00e1nu, and the mighty Vaktrayodh\u00ed 10. These were the most eminent D\u00e1navas 11, through whom the race of Danu was multiplied by hundreds and thousands through succeeding generations.\nIn the family of the Daitya Prahl\u00e1da, the Niv\u00e1ta Kavachas were born, whose spirits were purified by rigid austerity 12.\nT\u00e1mr\u00e1 (the wife of Ka\u015byapa) had six illustrious daughters, named \u015auk\u00ed, \u015ayen\u00ed, Bh\u00e1s\u00ed, Sugr\u00edv\u00ed, \u015auchi, and Gridhrik\u00e1. \u015auk\u00ed gave birth to parrots, owls, and crows 13; \u015ayen\u00ed to hawks; Bh\u00e1s\u00ed to kites; Gridhrik\u00e1\nto vultures; \u015auchi to water-fowl; Sugr\u00edv\u00ed to horses, camels, and asses. Such were the progeny of T\u00e1mr\u00e1.\nVinat\u00e1 bore to Ka\u015byapa two celebrated sons, Garud\u0301a and Aru\u0144a: the former, also called Supar\u0144a, was the king of the feathered tribes, and the remorseless enemy of the serpent race 14.\nThe children of Suras\u00e1 were a thousand mighty many-headed serpents, traversing the sky 15.\nThe progeny of Kadru were a thousand powerful many-headed serpents, of immeasurable might, subject to Garud\u0301a; the chief amongst whom were \u015aesha, V\u00e1suki, Takshaka, \u015aankha, \u015aweta, Mah\u00e1padma, Kambala, \u00c1swatara, El\u00e1patra, N\u00e1ga, Karkkota, Dhananjaya, and many other fierce and venomous serpents 16.\nThe family of Krodhavas\u00e1 were all sharp-toothed monsters 17, whether on the earth, amongst the birds, or in the waters, that were devourers of flesh.\n18Surabhi was the mother of cows and buffaloes 19: Ir\u00e1, of trees and creeping plants and shrubs, and every kind of grass: Khas\u00e1, of the R\u00e1kshasas and Yakshas 20: Muni, of the Apsarasas 21: and Arisht\u0301\u00e1, of the illustrious Gandharbas.\nThese were the children of Ka\u015byapa, whether movable or stationary, whose descendants multiplied infinitely through successive generations 22. This creation, oh Brahman, took place in the second or Sw\u00e1rochisha Manwantara. In the present or Vaivaswata Manwantara, Brahm\u00e1 being engaged at the great sacrifice instituted by Varu\u0144a, the creation of progeny, as it is called, occurred; for he begot, as his sons, the seven Rishis, who were formerly mind-engendered; and was himself the grand-sire of the Gandharbas, serpents, D\u00e1navas, and gods 23.\nDiti, having lost her children, propitiated Ka\u015byapa; and the best of ascetics, being pleased with her, promised her a boon; on which she prayed for a son of irresistible prowess and valour, who should destroy Indra. The excellent Muni granted his wife the great gift she had solicited, but with one condition: \"You shall bear a son,\" he said, \"who shall slay Indra, if with thoughts wholly pious, and person entirely pure, you carefully carry the babe in your womb for a hundred years.\" Having thus said, Ka\u015byapa departed; and the dame conceived, and during gestation assiduously observed the rules of mental and personal purity. When the king of the immortals, learnt that Diti bore a son destined for his destruction, he came to her, and attended upon her with the utmost humility, watching for an opportunity to disappoint her intention. At last, in the last year of the century, the opportunity occurred. Diti\nretired one night to rest without performing the prescribed ablution of her feet, and fell asleep; on which the thunderer divided with his thunderbolt the embryo in her womb into seven portions. The child, thus mutilated, cried bitterly; and Indra repeatedly attempted to console and silence it, but in vain: on which the god, being incensed, again divided each of the seven portions into seven, and thus formed the swift-moving deities called M\u00e1rutas (winds). They derived this appellation from the words with which Indra had addressed them (M\u00e1 rod\u00edh, 'Weep not'); and they became forty-nine subordinate divinities, the associates of the wielder of the thunderbolt 24.\n147:1 The Padma P. makes these the sons of Prahl\u00e1da. The Bh\u00e1gavata says there were five sons, but does not give the names. It also inserts the sons of Hl\u00e1da, making them the celebrated demons Ilwala and V\u00e1t\u00e1pi. The V\u00e1yu refers to Hl\u00e1da, other Daityas, famous in Paur\u00e1\u0144ic legend, making his son, Nisunda; and his sons, Sunda and Upasunda; the former the father of Mar\u00edcha and T\u00e1rak\u00e1; the latter, of M\u00faka.\n147:2 The Padma P. and V\u00e1yu name several of these, but they are not of any note: the latter gives the names of two daughters, who are more celebrated, P\u00fatan\u00e1 and \u015aakuni.\n147:3 The descendants of Hira\u0144y\u00e1ksha are said, in the Padma P., to have extended to seventy-seven crores, or seven hundred and seventy millions. Some copies, for T\u00e1raka, read K\u00e1lan\u00e1bha.\n147:4 The Padma and V\u00e1yu P. furnish a much longer list of names, but those of most note are the same as in the text, with which also the Bh\u00e1gavata for the most part agrees.\n147:5 The Bh\u00e1gavata makes Prabh\u00e1 the wife of Namuchi: according to the V\u00e1yu, she is the mother of Nahusha.\n147:6 Married to Yay\u00e1ti, as will be related.\n147:7 The text might be understood to imply that the latter two were the daughters of Vaisw\u00e1nara; and the Bh\u00e1gavata has, \"The four lovely daughters of Vaisw\u00e1nara were Upad\u00e1nav\u00ed, Haya\u015biras, Pulom\u00e1, and K\u00e1lak\u00e1.\" The Padma substitutes Vajr\u00e1 and Sundar\u00ed for the two former names. The V\u00e1yu specifies only Pulom\u00e1 and K\u00e1lik\u00e1 as the daughters of Vaisw\u00e1nara, as does our text. Upad\u00e1nav\u00ed, according to the Bh\u00e1gavata, is the wife of Hira\u0144y\u00e1ksha; and Haya\u015biras, of Kratu.\n148:8 Though not specified by the text as one of the D\u00e1navas, he is included in the catalogue of the V\u00e1yu, and the commentator on the Bh\u00e1gavata calls him a son of Danu.\n148:9 The word is also read K\u00falakas and K\u00e1lakeyas: the Mah\u00e1bh\u00e1rata, I. 643, has K\u00e1lakanjas.\n148:10 The text omits the two most celebrated of the Sainhikeyas, or sons of Sinhik\u00e1, R\u00e1hu (see p. 78. note 8) and Ketu, who are specified both in the Bh\u00e1gavata and the V\u00e1yu; the former as the eldest son. Of the other sons it is said by the V\u00e1yu that they were all killed by Para\u015bur\u00e1ma.\n148:11 Two names of note, found in the V\u00e1yu, are omitted by the Vish\u0144u; that of Puloman, the father of \u015aach\u00ed, the wife of Indra, and mother of Jayanta; and Maya, the father of Vajrak\u00e1m\u00e1 and Mahodar\u00ed.\n148:12 The Bh\u00e1gavata says the Paulomas were killed by Arjuna, who therefore, the commentator observes, were the same as the Niv\u00e1ta Kavachas: but the Mah\u00e1bh\u00e1rata describes the destruction of the Niv\u00e1ta Kavachas and of the Paulomas and K\u00e1lakeyas as the successive exploits of Arjuna. Vana P. 8. I. 633. The story is narrated in detail only in the Mah\u00e1bh\u00e1rata, which is consequently prior to all the Pur\u00e1\u0144as in which the allusion occurs. According to that work, the Niv\u00e1ta Kavachas were D\u00e1navas, to the number of thirty millions, residing in the depths of the sea; and the Paulomas and K\u00e1lakanjas were the children of two Daitya dames, Pulom\u00e1 and K\u00e1lak\u00e1, inhabiting Hiranyapura, the golden city, floating in the air.\n148:13 All the copies read ### which should be, '\u015a\u00fak\u00ed bore parrots; and Ul\u00fak\u00ed, the several sorts of owls? but Ul\u00fak\u00ed is nowhere named as one of the daughters of T\u00e1mr\u00e1; and the reading may be, 'Owls p. 149 and birds opposed to owls, i. e. crows. The authorities generally concur with our text; but the V\u00e1yu has a somewhat different account; or, \u015auk\u00ed, married to Garud\u0301a, the mother of parrots: \u015ayen\u00ed, married to Aru\u0144a, mother of Samp\u00e1ti and Jat\u0301\u00e1yu: Bh\u00e1s\u00ed, the mother of jays, owls, crows, peacocks, pigeons, and fowls: Kraunchi, the parent of curlews, herons, cranes: and Dhritar\u00e1shtr\u00ed, the mother of geese, ducks, teal, and other water-fowl. The three last are also called the wives of Garud\u0301a.\n149:14 Most of the Pur\u00e1\u0144as agree in this account; but the Bh\u00e1gavata makes Vinat\u00e1 the wife of T\u00e1rksha, and in this place substitutes Saram\u00e1, the mother of wild animals. The V\u00e1yu adds the metres of the Vedas as the daughters of Vinat\u00e1; and the Padma gives her one daughter Saud\u00e1min\u00ed.\n149:15 The dragons of modern fable. An\u00e1yush or Dan\u00e1yush is substituted for Suras\u00e1 in the V\u00e1yu, and in one of the accounts of the Padma. The Bh\u00e1gavata says R\u00e1kshasas were her offspring. The Matsya has both Suras\u00e1 and An\u00e1yush, making the former the parent of all quadrupeds, except cows; the latter, the mother of diseases.\n149:16 The V\u00e1yu names forty: the most noted amongst whom, in addition to those of the text, are Air\u00e1vata, Dhritar\u00e1sht\u0301ra, Mah\u00e1nila, Bal\u00e1haka, Anjana, Pushpadansht\u0301ra, Durmukha, K\u00e1l\u00edya, Pu\u0144d\u0301ar\u00edka, Kapila, N\u00e1husha, and Ma\u0144i.\n149:17 By Dansht\u0301ri\u0144a some understand, serpents, some R\u00e1kshasas; but by the context carnivorous animals, birds, and fishes seem intended. The V\u00e1yu makes Krodhava\u015b\u00e1 the mother of twelve daughters, Mrig\u00ed and others, from whom all wild animals, deer, elephants, monkeys, tigers, lions, dogs, also fishes, reptiles, and Bh\u00fatas and Pi\u015b\u00e1chas, or goblins, sprang.\n150:18 One copy only inserts a half stanza here; \"Krodh\u00e1 was the mother of the Pi\u015b\u00e1chas;\" which is an interpolation apparently from the Matsya or Hari Van\u015ba. The Padma P., second legend, makes Krodh\u00e1 the mother of the Bh\u00fatas; and Pi\u015b\u00e1ch\u00e1, of the Pi\u015b\u00e1ch\u00e1s.\n150:19 The Bh\u00e1gavata says, of animals with cloven hoofs. The V\u00e1yu has, of the eleven Rudras, of the bull of \u015aiva, and of two daughters, Rohi\u0144\u00ed and Gandharb\u00ed; from the former of whom descended horned cattle; and from the latter, horses.\n150:20 According to the V\u00e1yu, Khas\u00e1 had two sons, Yaksha and R\u00e1kshas, severally the progenitors of those beings.\n150:21 The Padma, second series, makes V\u00e1ch the mother of both Apsarasas and Gandharbas: the V\u00e1yu has long lists of the names of both classes, as well as of Vidy\u00e1dharas and Kinnaras. The Apsarasas are distinguished as of two kinds, Laukika, 'worldly,' of whom thirty-four are specified; and Daivika, or 'divine,' ten in number: the latter furnish the individuals most frequently engaged in the interruption of the penances of holy sages, such as Menak\u00e1, Sahajany\u00e1, Ghrit\u00e1ch\u00ed, Pramloch\u00e1, Visw\u00e1chi, and P\u00farvachitti. Urva\u015b\u00ed is of a different order to both, being the daughter of N\u00e1r\u00e1ya\u0144a. Rambh\u00e1, Tilotam\u00e1 Misrake\u015b\u00ed, are included amongst the Laukika nymphs. There are also fourteen Ga\u0144as, or troops, of Apsarasas, bearing peculiar designations, as \u00c1h\u00fatas, Sobhayant\u00eds, Vegavat\u00eds, &c.\n150:22 The K\u00farma, Matsya, Br\u00e1hma, Linga, Agni, Padma, and V\u00e1yu Pur\u00e1\u0144as agree generally with our text in the description of Ka\u015byapa's wives and progeny. The V\u00e1yu enters most into details, and contains very long catalogues of the names of the different characters descended from the sage. The Padma and Matsya and the Hari Van\u015ba repeat the story, but admit several variations, some of which have been adverted to in the preceding notes.\n150:23 We have a considerable variation here in the commentary, and it may be doubted if the allusion in the text is accurately explained by either of the versions. In one it is said that 'Brahm\u00e1, the grandsire of p. 151 the Gandharbas, &c., appointed the seven Rishis, who were born in a former Manwantara, to be his sons, or to be the intermediate agents in creation: he created no other beings himself, being engrossed by the sacrificial ceremony.' Instead of \"putratwe,\" 'in the state of sons,' the reading is sometimes \"pitratwe,\" 'in the character of fathers;' that is, to all other beings. Thus the gods and the rest, who in a former Manwantara originated from Ka\u015byapa, were created in the present period as the offspring of the seven Rishis. The other explanation agrees with the preceding in ascribing the birth of all creatures to the intermediate agency of the seven Rishis, but calls them the actual sons of Brahm\u00e1, begotten at the sacrifice of Vanilla, in the sacrificial fire. The authority for the story is not given, beyond its being in other Pur\u00e1\u0144as, it has the air of a modern mystification. The latter member of the passage is separated altogether from the foregoing, and carried on to what follows: thus; \"In the war of the Gandharbas, serpents, gods, and demons, Diti having lost her children,\" &c.; the word 'virodha' being understood, it is said, This is defended by the authority of the Hari Van\u015ba, where the passage occurs word for word, except in the last half stanza, which, instead of ### occurs ###. The parallel passages are thus rendered by M. Langlois: 'Le Mouni Swarotchicha avoit cess\u00e9 de r\u00e9gner quand cette cr\u00e9ation eut lieu: c\u2019\u00e9tait sous l\u2019empire du Menou Vevaswata le sacrifice de Varouna avait commenc\u00e9. La premi\u00e8re cr\u00e9ation fut celle de Brahm\u00e1, quand il jugea qu\u2019il \u00e9tait temps de proc\u00e9der \u00e0 son sacrifice, et que, souverain a\u00efeul du monde, il forma lui-m\u00eame dans sa pens\u00e9e et enfanta les sept Brahmarchis.'\n152:24 This legend occurs in all those Pur\u00e1\u0144as in which the account of Ka\u015byapa's family is related.","title":"The Vishnu Purana: Book I: Chapter XXI","type":"page"}