, 'Hear me, O chief of the Bharatas, about what thou askest
me. I shall tell thee who the Prajapatis were and what Rishis are
mentioned as dwelling on which point of the horizon. There was at first
one Eternal, Divine, and Self-born Brahman. The Self-born Brahman begat
seven illustrious sons. They were Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya,
Pulaha, Kratu, and the highly-blessed Vasishtha who was equal to the
Self-born himself. These seven sons have been mentioned in the Puranas as
seven Brahmanas. I shall now mention all the Prajapatis who came after
these. In Atri's race was born the eternal and divine Varhi the ancient,
who had penances for his origin. From Varhi the ancient sprang the ten
Prachetasas. The ten Prachetasas had one son between them, viz., the
Prajapati called by the name of Daksha. This last has two names in the
world, viz., Daksha and Kasyapa. Marichi had one son called Kasyapa. This
last also has two names. Some call him Arishtanemi, and some Kasyapa.
Atri had another son born of his lions, viz., the handsome and princely
Soma of great energy. He performed penances for a thousand celestial
Yugas. The divine Aryaman and they who were born unto him as his sons, O
monarch, have been described as setters of commands, and creators of all
creatures. Sasavindu had ten thousand wives. Upon each of them their lord
begat a thousand sons, and so the tale reached ten hundred thousands.
Those sons refused to call anybody else save themselves as Prajapatis.
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