Kashyapa and his 13 wives

Thirteen wives of Kashyapa 

The names of thirteen daughters who were married to sage Kashyapa were Aditi, Diti, Danu,   Arishta, Surasa, Khasa, Surabhi, Vinata, Tamra, Krodhavasha,   Ida, Kadru and Muni. We would have been familiar to some of them more. 

1. Aditi 

Aditi's sons were the twelve gods known as the Adityas. Their names were Vishnu, Shakra, Aryama, Dhata, Vidhata,   Tvashta, Pusha, Vivasvana, Savita, Mitravaruna, Amsha and    Bhaga. 

2. Diti 

Diti's sons were the daityas (demons). They were named Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakshipu, and amongst their descendants   were several other powerful daityas like Bali and Banasura.  

 Diti also had a daughter named Simhika who was married to a danava (demon)  and son named Viprachitti. Their offsprings were terrible demons like Vatapi, Namuchi, Ilvala, Maricha and the  nivatakavachas. 

The demon who took the form of God and consumed  the nector was Viprachithi. We know later he became Rahu, the imaginary planet. 

Many members may be recollecting now the Navagraha sthothra for Rahu mentioning simhika. I reproduce below for others may not be very familiar. 

"Ardha kayam, Maha veeram

Chandrathithya vimarthakam

SIMHIKA garbha sambhootham,

Tham rahum pranamamyaham"

 3. Danu 

The hundred sons of Danu came to be known as danavas. The   danavas were thus cousins to the daityas and also to the    adityas. In the danava line were born demons like the poulamas   and kalakeyas. 

4. Arishta 

Arishta's sons were the gandharvas (singers of heaven). Now we know the origin of Gandharvas. Children born to sage Kashyapa in his wife Arishta. 

5.Surasa 

Surasa gave birth to the snakes (sarpa). 

5.Khasa 

Khasa's children were the yakshas (demi-gods who were the companions of Kubera, the god of wealth) and the rakshasas  (demons). Once again read Yaksha- spelling. Similarity can be observed. Hence Gandharvas and Yakshas are cousins  born to same father with different mothers. 

7.Surabhi 

Surabhi's descendants were cows and buffaloes.  

8.Vinita 

Vinata had two sons named Aruna and Garuda. Garuda became the king of the birds. 

9 Tamara 

Tamara had six daughters. From these daughters were born owls, eagles, vultures, crows, water-fowl, horses, camels and   donkeys.

10. Krodhavasha 

Krodhavasha had fourteen thousand children known as nagas  (snakes). 

See the similarity between sarpas and nagas. They too are born to sage kashyapa with different mothers. Sarpas are considered more divine comparing to nagas. 

11 Ila. 

Ila gave birth to trees, creepers, shrubs and bushes. 

12.Kadru 

Kadru's sons were also known as nagas or snakes. Among the   more important of Kadru's sons were Ananta, Vasuki, Takshaka    and Nahusha.

 

13. Muni 

Muni gave birth to the apsaras (dancers of heaven).  Hence according to Brahma purana, all celestial dancers like oorvashi, Menaka, Rambha, Thilothama etc  are daughters of sage Kashyapa and Muni. 

After reading the above we can interrelate the relation between Yakshas, Gandharvas and Apsaras, all are first cousins and closely related . 

MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT- Sri Dilip kumar Raveendran had earlier posted in US Brahmins Group as series Brahma purana.  This article has inputs from his posting with a lot of my additions. 

Sincerely

Gopala krishnan