Chapter One Genealogical Table of the Daughters of Manu
1. Sri Maitreya said: Svayambhuva Manu begot three daughters in his wife Satarupa, and their names were Akuti, Devahuti and Prasuti.
2. Akuti had two brothers, but in spite of her brothers, King Svayambhuva Manu handed her over to Prajapati Ruci on the condition that the son born of her be returned to Manu as his son. This he did in consultation with his wife, Satarupa.
3. Ruci, who was very powerful in his brahminical qualifications and was appointed one of the progenitors of the living entities, begot one son and one daughter by his wife, Akuti.
4. Of the two children born of Akuti, the male child was directly an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His name was Yajna, which is another name of Lord Visnu. The female child was a partial incarnation of Laksmi, the goddess of fortune, the eternal consort of Lord Visnu.
5. Svayambhuva Manu very gladly brought home the beautiful boy named Yajna, and Ruci, his son-in-law, kept with him the daughter, Daksina.
6. The Lord of the ritualistic performance of yajna later married Daksina, who was anxious to have the Personality of Godhead as her husband, and in this wife the Lord was also very much pleased to beget twelve children.
7. The twelve boys born of Yajna and Daksina were named Tosa, Pratosa, Santosa, Bhadra, Santi, Idaspati, Idhma, Kavi, Vibhu, Svahna, Sudeva and Rocana.
8. During the time of Svayambhuva Manu, these sons all became the demigods collectively named the Tusitas. Marici became the head of the seven rsis, and Yajna became the king of the demigods, Indra.
9. Svayambhuva Manu’s two sons, Priyavrata and Uttanapada, became very powerful kings, and their sons and grandsons spread all over the three worlds during that period.
10. My dear son, Svayambhuva Manu handed over his very dear daughter Devahuti to Kardama Muni. I have already spoken to you about them, and you have heard about them almost in full.
11. Svayambhuva Manu handed over his daughter Prasuti to the son of Brahma named Daksa, who was also one of the progenitors of the living entities. The descendants of Daksa are spread throughout the three worlds.
12. You have already been informed about the nine daughters of Kardama Muni, who were handed over to nine different sages. I shall now describe the descendants of those nine daughters. Please hear from me.
13. Kardama Muni’s daughter Kala, who was married to Marici, gave birth to two children, whose names were Kasyapa and Purnima. Their descendants are spread all over the world.
14. My dear Vidura, of the two sons, Kasyapa and Purnima, Purnima begot three children, namely Viraja, Visvaga and Devakulya. Of these three, Devakulya was the water which washed the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead and which later on transformed into the Ganges of the heavenly planets.
15. Anasuya, the wife of Atri Muni, gave birth to three very famous sons—Soma, Dattatreya and Durvasa—who were partial representations of Lord Visnu, Lord Siva and Lord Brahma. Soma was a partial representation of Lord Brahma, Dattatreya was a partial representation of Lord Visnu, and Durvasa was a partial representation of Lord Siva.
16. After hearing this, Vidura inquired from Maitreya: My dear master, how is it that the three deities Brahma, Visnu and Siva, who are the creator, maintainer and destroyer of the whole creation, became the offspring of the wife of Atri Muni?
17. Maitreya said: When Lord Brahma ordered Atri Muni to create generations after marrying Anasuya, Atri Muni and his wife went to perform severe austerities in the valley of the mountain known as Rksa.
18. In that mountain valley flows a river named Nirvindhya. On the bank of the river are many asoka trees and other plants full of palasa flowers, and there is always the sweet sound of water flowing from a waterfall. The husband and wife reached that beautiful place.
19. There the great sage concentrated his mind by the yogic breathing exercises, and thereby controlling all attachment, he remained standing on one leg only, eating nothing but air, and stood there on one leg for one hundred years.
20. He was thinking: May the Lord of the universe, of whom I have taken shelter, kindly he pleased to offer me a son exactly like Him.
21. While Atri Muni was engaged in these severe austerities, a blazing fire came out of his head by virtue of his breathing exercise, and that fire was seen by the three principal deities of the three worlds.
22. At that time, the three deities approached the hermitage of Atri Muni, accompanied by the denizens of the heavenly planets, such as the celestial beauties, the Gandharvas, the Siddhas, the Vidyadharas and the Nagas. Thus they entered the asrama of the great sage, who had become famous by his austerities.
23. The sage was standing on one leg, but as soon as he saw that the three deities had appeared before him, he was so pleased to see them all together that despite great difficulty he approached them on one leg.
24. Thereafter he began to offer prayers to the three deities, who were seated on different carriers—a bull, a swan and Garuda—and who held in their hands a drum, kusa grass and a discus. The sage offered them his respects by falling down like a stick.
25. Atri Muni was greatly pleased to see that the three devas were gracious towards him. His eyes were dazzled by the effulgence of their bodies, and therefore he closed his eyes for the time being.
26-27. But since his heart was already attracted by the deities, somehow or other he gathered his senses, and with folded hands and sweet words he began to offer prayers to the predominating deities of the universe. The great sage Atri said: O Lord Brahma, Lord Visnu and Lord Siva, you have divided yourself into three bodies by accepting the three modes of material nature, as you do in every millennium for the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic manifestation. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all of you and beg to inquire whom of you three I have called by my prayer.
28. I called for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, desiring a son like Him, and I thought of Him only. But although He is far beyond the mental speculation of man, all three of you have come here. Kindly let me know how you have come, for I am greatly bewildered about this.
29. The great sage Maitreya continued: Upon hearing Atri Muni speak in that way, the three great deities smiled, and they replied in the following sweet words.
30. The three deities told Atri Muni: Dear brahmana, you are perfect in your determination, and therefore as you have decided, so it will happen; it will not happen otherwise. We are all the same person upon whom you were meditating, and therefore we have all come to you.
31. You will have sons who will represent a partial manifestation of our potency, and because we desire all good fortune for you, those sons will glorify your reputation throughout the world.
32. Thus, while the couple looked on, the three deities Brahma, Visnu and Mahesvara disappeared from that place after bestowing upon Atri Muni the benediction.
33. Thereafter, from the partial representation of Brahma, the moon-god was born of them; from the partial representation of Visnu, the great mystic Dattatreya was born; and from the partial representation of Sankara [Lord Siva], Durvasa was born. Now you may hear from me of the many sons of Angira.
34. Angira’s wife, Sraddha, gave birth to four daughters, named Sinivali, Kuhu, Raka and Anumati.
35. Besides these four daughters, she also had another two sons. One of them was known as Utathya, and the other was the learned scholar Brhaspati.
36. Pulastya begot in his wife, Havirbhu, one son of the name Agastya, who in his next birth became Dahragni. Besides him, Pulastya begot another very great and saintly son, whose name was Visrava.
37. Visrava had two wives. The first wife was Idavida, from whom Kuvera, the master of all Yaksas, was born, and the next wife was named Kesini, from whom three sons were born—Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Vihhisana.
38. Gati, the wife of the sage Pulaha, gave birth to three sons, named Karmarestha, Variyan and Sahisnu, and all of them were great sages.
39. Kratu’s wife, Kriya, gave birth to sixty thousand great sages, named the Valakhilyas. All these sages were greatly advanced in spiritual knowledge, and their bodies were illuminated by such knowledge.
40. The great sage Vasistha begot in his wife, Urja, sometimes called Arundhati, seven spotlessly great sages, headed by the sage named Citraketu.
41. The names of these seven sages are as follows: Citraketu, Suroci, Viraja, Mitra, Ulbana, Vasubhrdyana and Dyuman. Some other very competent sons were born from Vasistha’s other wife.
42. Citti, wife of the sage Atharva, gave birth to a son named Asvasira by accepting a great vow called Dadhyanca. Now you may hear from me about the descendants of the sage Bhrgu.
43. The sage Bhrgu was highly fortunate. In his wife, known as Khyati, he begot two sons, named Dhata and Vidhata, and one daughter, named Sri, who was very much devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
44. The sage Meru had two daughters, named Ayati and Niyati, whom he gave in charity to Dhata and Vidhata. Ayati and Niyati gave birth to two sons, Mrkanda and Prana.
45. From Mrkanda, Markandeya Muni was born, and from Prana the sage Vedaira, whose son was Usana [Sukracarya], also known as Kavi. Thus Kavi also belonged to the descendants of the Bhrgu dynasty.
46-47. My dear Vidura, the population of the universe was thus increased by the descendants of these sages and the daughters of Kardama. Anyone who hears the descriptions of this dynasty with faith will be relieved from all sinful reactions. Another of Manu’s daughters, known as Prasuti, married the son of Brahma named Daksa.
48. Daksa begot sixteen very beautiful daughters with lotuslike eyes in his wife Prasuti. Of these sixteen daughters, thirteen were given in marriage to Dharma, and one daughter was given to Agni.
49-52. One of the remaining two daughters was given in charity to the Pitrloka, where she resides very amicably, and the other was given to Lord Siva, who is the deliverer of sinful persons from material entanglement. The names of the thirteen daughters of Daksa who were given to Dharma are Sraddha, Maitri, Daya, Santi, Tusti, Pusti, Kriya, Unnati, Buddhi, Medha, Titiksa, Hri and Murti. These thirteen daughters produced the following sons: Sraddha gave birth to Subha, Maitri produced Prasada, Daya gave birth to Abhaya, Santi gave birth to Sukha, Tusti gave birth to Muda, Pusti gave birth to Smaya, Kriya gave birth to Yoga, Unnati gave birth to Barpa, Buddhi gave birth to Artha, Medha gave birth to Smrti, Titiksa gave birth to Ksema, and Hri gave birth to Praraya. Murti, a reservoir of all respectable qualities, gave birth to Sri Nara-Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
53. On the occasion of the appearance of Nara-Narayana, the entire world was full of joy. Everyone’s mind became tranquil, and thus in all directions the air, the rivers and the mountains became pleasant.
54-55. In the heavenly planets, hands began to play, and they showered flowers from the sky. The pacified sages chanted Vedic prayers, the denizens of heaven known as the Gandharvas and Kinnaras sang, the beautiful damsels of the heavenly planets danced, and in this way, at the time of the appearance of Nara-Narayana, all signs of good fortune were visible. Just at that time, great demigods like Brahma also offered their respectful prayers.
56. The demigods said: Let us offer our respectful obeisances unto the transcendental Personality of Godhead, who created as His external energy this cosmic manifestation, which is situated in Him as the air and clouds are situated in space, and who has now appeared in the form of Nara-Narayana Rsi in the house of Dharma.
57. Let that Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is understood by truly authorized Vedic literature and who has created peace and prosperity to destroy all calamities of the created world, be kind enough to bestow His glance upon the demigods. His merciful glance can supersede the beauty of the spotless lotus flower which is the home of the goddess of fortune.
58. [Maitreya said:] O Vidura, thus the demigods worshiped with prayers the Supreme Personality of Godhead appearing as the sage Nara-Narayana. The Lord glanced upon them with mercy and then departed for Gandhamadana Hill.
59. That Nara-Narayana Rsi, who is a partial expansion of Krishna, has now appeared in the dynasties of Yadu and Kuru, in the forms of Krishna and Arjuna respectively, to mitigate the burden of the world.
60. The predominating deity of fire begot in his wife, Svaha, three children, named Pavaka, Pavamana and Suci, who exist by eating the oblations offered to the fire of sacrifice.
61. From those three sons another forty-five descendants were generated, who are also fire-gods. The total number of fire-gods is therefore forty-nine, including the fathers and the grandfather.
62. These forty-nine fire-gods are the beneficiaries of the oblations offered in the Vedic sacrificial fire by impersonalist brahmanas.
63. The Agnisvattas, the Barhisadas, the Saumyas and the Ajyapas are the Pitas. They are either sagnika or niragnika. The wife of all these Pitas is Svadha, who is the daughter of King Daksa.
64. Svadha, who was offered to the Pitas, begot two daughters named Vayuna and Dharini, both of whom were impersonalists and were expert in transcendental and Vedic knowledge.
65. The sixteenth daughter, whose name was Sati, was the wife of Lord Siva. She could not produce a child, although she always faithfully engaged in the service of her husband.
66. The reason is that Sati’s father, Daksa, used to rebuke Lord Siva in spite of Siva’s faultlessness. Consequently, before attaining a mature age, Sati gave up her body by dint of yogic mystic power.
