The Vishnu Purana: Book I: Chapter XXI | Internet Sacred Text Archive

CHAP. XXI.

Families of the Daityas. Descendants of Kaśyapa by Danu. Children of Kaśyapa by his other wives. Birth of the Márutas, the sons of Diti.

THE sons of Sanhráda, the son of Hirańyakaśipu, were Áyushmán, Śivi, and Váshkala 1. Prahláda had a son named Virochana; whose son was Bali, who had a hundred sons, of whom Báńa was the eldest 2.

Hirańyáksha also had many sons, all of whom were Daityas of great prowess; Jharjhara, Śakuni, Bhútasantápana, Mahánábha, the mighty-armed and the valiant Táraka. These were the sons of Diti 3.

The children of Kaśyapa by Danu were Dwimúrddhá, Śankara, Ayomukha, Śankuśiras, Kapila, Samvara, Ekachakra, and another mighty Táraka, Swarbhánu, Vrishaparvan, Puloman, and the powerful Viprachitti; these were the renowned Dánavas, or sons of Danu 4.

Swarbhánu had a daughter named Prabhá 5; and Śarmisht́há 6 was the daughter of Vrishaparvan, as were Upadánaví and Hayaśirá 7.

Vaiswánara 8 had two daughters, Pulomá and Káliká, who were both married to Kaśyapa, and bore him sixty thousand distinguished Dánavas, called Paulomas and Kálakanjas 9, who were powerful, ferocious, and cruel.

The sons of Viprachitti by Sinhiká (the sister of Hirańyakaśipu) were Vyanśa, Śalya the strong, Nabha the powerful, Vátápi, Namuchi, Ilwala, Khasrima, Anjaka, Naraka, and Kálanábha, the valiant Swarbhánu, and the mighty Vaktrayodhí 10. These were the most eminent Dánavas 11, through whom the race of Danu was multiplied by hundreds and thousands through succeeding generations.

In the family of the Daitya Prahláda, the Niváta Kavachas were born, whose spirits were purified by rigid austerity 12.

Támrá (the wife of Kaśyapa) had six illustrious daughters, named Śukí, Śyení, Bhásí, Sugríví, Śuchi, and Gridhriká. Śukí gave birth to parrots, owls, and crows 13; Śyení to hawks; Bhásí to kites; Gridhriká

to vultures; Śuchi to water-fowl; Sugríví to horses, camels, and asses. Such were the progeny of Támrá.

Vinatá bore to Kaśyapa two celebrated sons, Garud́a and Aruńa: the former, also called Suparńa, was the king of the feathered tribes, and the remorseless enemy of the serpent race 14.

The children of Surasá were a thousand mighty many-headed serpents, traversing the sky 15.

The progeny of Kadru were a thousand powerful many-headed serpents, of immeasurable might, subject to Garud́a; the chief amongst whom were Śesha, Vásuki, Takshaka, Śankha, Śweta, Mahápadma, Kambala, Áswatara, Elápatra, Nága, Karkkota, Dhananjaya, and many other fierce and venomous serpents 16.

The family of Krodhavasá were all sharp-toothed monsters 17, whether on the earth, amongst the birds, or in the waters, that were devourers of flesh.