Chapter 1: Genealogical Table of the Daughters of Manu

(1) S'rî Maitreya said: 'Svâyambhuva Manu begot in his wife S'atarûpâ [two sons] as well [as] three daughters named Âkûti, Devahûti and Prasûti, as you know [see 3.12: 56]. (2) Despite of the fact that Âkûti had brothers * she was  handed over to the great sage Ruci on the condition that the king would get the resultant son. This was settled with the support of religious rites and the consent of his wife. (3) Ruci, the most powerful great sage who was entrusted with the procreation, in his supreme concentration begot a pair of children by her who were of the greatest spiritual and brahminical strength. (4) The male child of the two, Yajña ['the One of Sacrifice'], was a direct personification of Vishnu while the other female child Dakshinâ was His inseparable plenary portion, the Goddess of Fortune [Lakshmî]. (5) The very powerful son the daughter bore was taken to the home of the very happy Svâyambhuva Manu, while Dakshinâ was kept by Ruci. (6) The Lord and master of all sacrifice who [always] longed for her then married [her] and she, most pleased to have Him for her husband, gave birth to twelve sons. (7) The twelve were: Tosha, Pratosha, Santosha, Bhadra, Sânti, Idaspati, Idhma, Kavi, Vibhu, Svahna, Sudeva and Rocana. (8) In the period of Svâyambhuva Manu they were known as the Tushita demigods. Marîci headed the sages then and Yajña was the king of the demigods [Indra]. (9) The two sons of Manu, Priyavrata and Uttânapâda, were in that period the greatest of all kings and their sons, grandsons, great grandsons and their offspring followed in his footsteps during that period of Manu. (10) Dear son, concerning Svâyambhuva handing over his daughter to Kardama, you've heard me speak in full [see 3.12: 57]. (11) The great personality Svâyambhuva gave Prasûti to Daksha, the son of Brahmâ, whose offspring expanded greatly over the three worlds. (12) I told you already about the nine daughters of Kardama who became the wives of the nine great sages of spiritual knowledge [see 3.24: 21-25]. Now hear from me my description of the generations stemming from them. (13) The daughter of Kardama, the wife of Marîci also named Kalâ, gave birth to Kas'yapa and Pûrnimâ whose children spread all over the world. (14) Pûrnimâ got sons named Viraja, Vis'vaga, oh conqueror, and a daughter named Devakulyâ who became the water that washed from the Lord His lotus feet and later constituted the heavenly river  the Ganges. (15) The wife of Atri Muni, named Anasûyâ, bore three very famous sons: Dattâtreya, Durvâsâ and Soma [the moon god], who are [partial] incarnations of respectively the Supersoul [Vishnu], Lord S'iva and Lord Brahmâ.'

(16) Vidura said: 'Oh spiritual master, tell me how in the house of Atri the chief demigods serving the causes of maintenance, creation and destruction, could appear with a desire to do something.'

(17) Maitreya said: 'Being inspired by Lord Brahmâ to procreate Atri, the chief of the learned in spiritual knowledge, together with his wife went to the great mountain named Riksha to stay there for austerities. (18) In that place in the garden of the forest there were many as'oka and palâs'a trees and flowers, and everywhere the sound of the flowing waters of the river the Nirvindhyâ. (19) Controlling the mind by regulating his breath the sage remained there for a hundred years subsisting on air while standing on the one leg of non-duality. (20) He thought: 'Taking shelter I surrender myself to Him, may He who is the master of the universe give me a son like Himself.' (21) By the fire that, issuing from the top of the head of the sage, was fueled by his breath control, he, practicing his austerities, was noticed by the three principal gods of the three worlds. (22) As his fame was spreading, the Apsaras, the munis, the Gandharvas, the Siddhas, the Vidyâdharas and Nâgas came to his hermitage. (23) When he saw these demigods and great personalities simultaneously appear, the mind of the sage who had awakened on his one leg lighted up. (24) Recognizing the symbols of their personal paraphernalia [drum, kus'a grass and discus] and the bull, the swan and Garuda on which they were seated, he with folded hands fell down prostrating before them to offer his obeisances. (25) Dazzled by the glaring effulgence of their smiling faces and the apparent satisfaction of their merciful glances, the sage closed his eyes. (26-27) Absorbed by that vision he ecstatically expressed his prayers before the ones who are most appreciated in all the worlds. Atri said: 'Let me bow before You oh Lord Brahmâ, Lord S'iva and Lord Vishnu, You who, as usual in the different millennia, have accepted Your bodies according to the division of the modes of nature for the sake of the creation, destruction and maintenance of the universe. Whom of You have I actually called for? (28) Being so merciful, please explain to me full of serious doubt as I am, how it can be that, even though I am far beyond the minds of the ones embodied, all of You have appeared here while I fixed my mind on the One Great Lord of all Fortune for the sake of begetting a child?'

(29) Maitreya said: 'Oh mighty one, after thus having heard the great sage his words, all the three chief demigods smiled at him and replied in gentle voices. (30) The gods said: 'As you have decided, so it shall be done and not otherwise; to you who never lost your resolve oh dear brahmin, we are all the one and same you so truly were meditating upon. (31) Therefore our plenary expansions - your sons to be born - will be very famous in the world dear sage, and to your great fortune they will also spread your good name.'

(32) With the husband and wife looking on the chief demigods, who thus having offered the desired benediction were perfectly worshiped, returned to their places. (33) Soma appeared as a partial expansion of Lord Brahmâ, Dattâtreya as a very powerful yogi of Lord Vishnu, and Durvâsâ as a partial expansion of S'ankara [S'iva]. Hear now about the generations that appeared from Angirâ. (34) S'raddhâ, the wife of Angirâ, gave birth to the daughters Sinîvâlî, Kuhû and Râkâ and had Anumati as the fourth one. (35) The sons he begot next to them were very famous in the millennium of Svârocisha Manu [the second Manu after Svâyambhuva]: they were the mighty Utathya and the foremost knower of the Absolute Truth Brihaspati. (36) Pulastya begot in his wife Havirbhû, Âgastya, who in his next birth would be Dahrâgni [the one of the digestive fire], and Vis'ravâ, who was great in austerity. (37) From Vis'ravâ the demigod Kuvera the king of the Yakshas [his supernatural attendants] appeared. He was born from Idavidâ while the sons Râvana, Kumbhakarna and Vibhîshana were born from another wife [named Kes'inî]. (38) Gati, the wife of Pulaha, oh devoted one, gave birth to three chaste sons [Karmas'reshthha, Varîyân and Sahishnu] who knew all about karma and were also very respectable and tolerant. (39) Kriyâ, the wife of sage Kratu, gave birth to sixty thousand sages who lived in accord with the Vâlakhilya [some Rig Veda verses about the retired position]. They radiated the brilliance of the brahminical perspective [and are also known as the small ones, the Vâlakhilyas produced by Brahmâ who surround the chariot of the sun]. (40) From Ûrjâ [also called Arundhatî],  Citraketu was begotten by the sage Vasishthha, oh great one. He appeared as the first of seven sons who were all great and pure sages of Brahman, the Absolute Truth. (41) They were Citraketu, Suroci, Virajâ, Mitra, Ulbana, Vasubhridyâna and Dyumân. And there were also S'akti and other sons born from his other wife. (42) Also Citti [also known as Sânti], the wife of Atharvâ, gave fully dedicated to the Dadhyañca vow [the vow of meditation] birth to a son who was called As'vas'irâ. Now hear about the generation begotten by Bhrigu. (43) Bhrigu, most fortunately, begot in his wife Khyâti, the sons Dhâtâ and Vidhâtâ and a daughter named S'rî, who was very devoted to the Lord. (44) To these two sons were given in marriage Âyati and Niyati, two daughters of sage Meru, from whom appeared Mrikanda and also Prâna. (45) Mârkandeya Muni was born from the seed of Mrikanda and from Prâna  the great sage Vedas'irâ appeared whose greatly powerful son named Kavi Bhârgava was also known as Us'anâ [or S'ukrâcârya]. (46-47) Oh Vidura, I have spoken to you about how with the offspring of sage Kardama all the great sages with their descendants populated the three worlds with the grandsons that were born to them. With faith hearing about this is the best way to drive away immediately all sins.

Prasûti, a daughter of Manu, married the son of Brahmâ called Daksha. (48) With her Daksha begot sixteen lotus eyed daughters. Thirteen were given in marriage to Dharma and one was given to Agni. (49-52) One daughter he gave to the combined forefathers and one he gave to Lord S'iva, the deliverer of the sinners. S'raddhâ, Maitrî, Dayâ, Sânti, Tushthi, Pushthi, Kriyâ, Unnati, Buddhi, Medhâ, Titikshâ, Hrî and Mûrti are the names of the daughters of Daksha who were given to Dharma.  S'raddhâ gave birth to S'ubha, Maitrî got Prasâda, Dayâ got Abhaya, Sânti got Sukha, Tushthi got Muda, Pushthi got Smaya, Kriyâ got Yoga, Unnati got Darpa, Buddhi got Artha, Medhâ got Smriti, Titikshâ got Kshema and Hrî got Pras'raya. Mûrti, a reservoir of all good qualities, gave birth to the two sages Nara and Nârâyana. (53) The appearance of the both of Them gladdened the universe and filled everyone's mind with joy. In all directions the rivers, mountains and the atmosphere became pleasant. (54-55) The demigods, Brahmâ and the others all full of respect offered prayers. From the heavens musical instruments sounded, flowers were showered from the sky, the sages satisfied chanted Vedic hymns, the Gandharvas and Kinnaras began to sing, the heavenly damsels danced and thus all signs of good fortune were seen. (56) The gods said: 'Our obeisances unto the Supreme Original Personality who by His external energy created the variety of all in existence that resides in Him the same way as masses of clouds are found in the sky, Him who today has appeared in the house of Dharma in the form of these sages. (57) May He, whom we know on the basis of the Vedas and who - in order to put an end to the misfortune of the created world - from the mode of goodness created us, the demigods, bestow upon us His merciful glance which supersedes the spotless lotus that is the home of the Goddess of Fortune.'

(58) Oh Vidura, thus being praised by the assembled demigods who found the mercy of His glance, the Supreme Lord thereafter left for Gandhamâdana Hill. (59) These two partial [ams'a] incarnations of the Supreme Lord Hari, have now for mitigating the burden of the world appeared here as the two of Krishna [Krishna and Arjuna] who are the most eminent ones of the Kuru and Yadu dynasty. (60) Svâhâ [the daughter of Daksha and] the wife of the predominating god of fire Agni, produced three sons: Pâvaka, Pavamâna and S'uci who feed on the oblations of the sacrifice. (61) They produced forty-five fire gods, so that taken together there are forty-nine of them, including the fathers and the grandfather. (62) They with their names constitute the [49] fires in which the knowers of Brahman during Vedic ceremonies offer their oblations [ishthis] for Agni. (63) The forefathers are the Agnishvâttas, Barhishadas, Saumyas and Âjyapas; they are approached [with libations of water in combination] with or without fire and Svadhâ, Daksha's daughter is their wife. (64) They gave her two daughters, Vayunâ and Dhârinî, who both were expert in the knowledge as well as the [transcendental] wisdom of the impersonal way of Brahman. (65) The wife of Bhava [a name of S'iva] named Satî, faithfully engaged herself in serving the demigod, but did not give birth to a son with her qualities and character. (66) Her father namely had in anger behaved unfavorably towards the faultless one [S'iva], so that she, even before attaining maturity, had to give up her body in the connectedness of yoga.'