Mahabharata – 85

by 

Sankar Mukherjee

&

Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                                            AadivamsavataranaParva

Vaisampayana said, thus  I heard in the Puranas recited to you on the descendants of the gods and the Asuras. Oh King I am incapable of counting the descendants of these, countless as they are and not much known.

And the sons of Vinata were Tarkshya,Arishtanemi,Garuda & Aruna, Aruni & Varuni.

And Sesha , Ananta, Vasuki, Takshaka, Kurma, Kulika etc. are known to be the sons of Kadru. And Muni  the daughter of the Daksha had sons namely Bhimasena, Ugrasena, Suparna, Varuna, Gopati,Dhritarashtra, Suryavarcha,Sundaranayana & Bahuvahanashali,Arka,Kashipati,Satyavadi also yogi, Arkaparna, Bhima,Sarvajaya,& Jitendriya,Chitraratha,Salisira,Parjanya,Kali & Narada.( amongst them Varuna,Parjanya,Kali & Narada are the gods;the rest are Gandharvas).

  Oh  Monarch! The daughters of Daksha had many other sons.Pradha the daughter of Daksha had eight daughters ---  Anavadya, Manu, Vansa, Asura, Marganapryia, Anupa, Subhaga & Vasi,  And that Pradha had ten sons ---  Siddha, Purna, &  Varhii ( they are  gods)  & Purnayu, Brahmachari, Ratiguna,Suparna, Viswavasu, Bhanu & Suchandra ( are the Gandharvas ). And  Pradha of great fortune, through the great mighty sage Kasyapa gave birth to Apsaras  ----  Alamvusha, Misrakesi, Vidyutparna, Tilottama, Aruna, Rakshita, Rambha, Manorama, Kesini, Suvahu, Surata, Suraja, and Suprya are the daughters.He also gave birth to  Ativahu, Haha,Huhu,& Tumvuru.they were the sons--the  Gandharvas.

Amrita, Brahmanas, Cows, many Gandharvas, & Apsaras, were born  from Kapila the daughter of Daksha as told  in the Puranas.

Thus Oh King ! I have told you  the birth of all creatures duly & of Gandharvas and Apsaras. The birth stories of Snakes, Birds , Rudras, Vayu ,Cows, pious Brahmanas, extends the span of life,of a reader of this narrative.They are  sacred, worthy of all praise, and give pleasure to the ear. It should be always heard and recited to others, in a proper frame of mind.

S/he who duly reads this account of the birth of all high-souled creatures in the presence of the gods and Brahmanas, is blessed with many descendants & earns good fortune, and fame, and attains the excellent worlds.