Mokshadharma Parva — The Patriarchs

Yudhishthira said Who are the first Patriarch, O foremost of Bharata's race? What highly blessed Rishis are there, and on which quarters do each of them dwell?

'Hear me, O chief of the Bharatas, about what you ask. I shall tell you who the Patriarchs were and what Rishis are mentioned as living on which points of the horizon.

There was at first one Eternal, Divine, and Self-create Brahman. The self-create Brahman begat seven illustrious sons.

They were Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, and the highly blessed Vasistha who was equal to the Self-create himself.

These seven sons have been described in the Puranas as seven Brahmanas. I shall now name the succeeding Patriarchs.

In Atri's family was born the eternal and divine Varhi the ancient, born of penances. From Varhi the ancient were born 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 Ka.

Marichi had one son called Kashyapa. This last also has two names. Some call him Arishtanemi, and some Kashyapa.

Atri had another son born of his lions, viz., the handsome and princely Soma of great power. He practised penances for a thousand divine cycles.

The divine Aryaman and his sons, O king, have been described as those who issued injunctions, and as creators of all creatures.

Shashavindu had ten thousand wives. Upon each of them he begat a thousand sons, and thus they were ten thousand in number. Those sons refused to call any body else save themselves as Patriarch.

The ancient Brahmanas bestowed a name on the creatures of the world, derived from Shashavindu. That extensive family of the Patriarch Shashavindu became in time the progenitor of the Vrishni race.

These that I have named are noted as the illustrious Patriarchs. After this, I shall name the celestials who are the lords of the three worlds.

Bhaga, Ansha, Aryaman, Mitra, Varuna, Savitri, Dhatri, Vivasvat of great might.

Tashtri, Pushan, Indra, and Vishnu know as the twelfth,-these are the twelve Adityas, all originated from Kashyapa.

Nasatya and Dashra are mentioned as the two Ashvins. These two are the sons of the illustrious Martanda, the eighth in the above.

These were called first gods and the two classes of departed manes. Tashtri had many sons. Amongst them were the beautiful and famous Visharupa. Ajaikapat, Ahi, Bradhna, Virupaksha, and Raivata. Then there were Hara and Vahurupa, Tryamyaka the chief of the Deities, and Savitrya, Jayanta and Pinaki the invincible. The highly blessed eight Vasus have formerly been enumerated by me.

These were considered as gods at the time of the Prajapati Manu. These were at first called the gods and the Pitris.

The Siddhas and the Saddhyas were divided into two classes for their conduct and youth. The deities were formerly divided into two classes, viz., the Ribhus and the Maruts.

Thus have the Vishvas, the gods, and the Ashvins, been enumerated. Amongst them, the Adityas are Kshatriyas, and the Maruts are Vaishyas.

The two Ashvins, practising severe penances, have been said to be Shudras. The deities sprung from Angirasa's family have been said to be Brahmanas. This is certain.

Thus have I told you about the fourfold order among the gods. The person who, after rising from his bed in the morning, recites the names of these deities, becomes purged off of all his sins-whether committed by himself intentionally or unintentionally, or whether born of his intercourse with others. Yavakrita, Raivya, Arvavasu, Paravasu, Ausija, Kakshivat, and Vala, are described as the sons of Angiras. These and Kanwa son of the Rishi Medhatithi, and Varhishada, and the wellknown seven Rishis who are the progenitors of the three worlds, all live in the East. Unmucha, Vimucha, the highly energetic Sastyatreya, Pramucha, Idhmavaha, and the divine Dridavrata, and Mitravaruna's highly energetic son Agastya, these twice-born Rishis all live in the South Ushanga, Karusha, Dhaumya, Parivyadha of great energy, and those great Rishis called Ekata, Dvita, and Trita, and Atri's son, viz., the illustrious and powerful Sarasvat, these high-souled ones live in the West. Atreya, and Vashishtha, and the great Rishi Kashyapa, and Gautama, Bharadvaja, and Vishvamitra the son of Kushika, and the illustrious son of the high-souled Richika, viz., Jamadagni,-these seven live the North. Thus have I described to you the great Rishis of fiery energy who live in the different points of the world.

Those great ones are the witnesses of the universe, and the creators of all the worlds. Thus do they live in their respective quarters. unui anilda Bacall duur wordt

By reciting their names one is purged off of all his sins. A person by sojourning to those quarters becomes freed of all his sins and succeeds in returning home safely.'