A Brief Account Of Creation

In Mahabharata, Vaisampayana gives a very brief accout of the creation to king Janamejaya.
In the last two episodes, we have been seeing this.
As per Mahabharata, Brahma had six manasa putras - Mareechi, Atri, Angira, Pulaha, Pulastya and Kratu.
He had one more son, Sthanu.
The eleven Rudras were sons of Sthanu.
The eleven Rudras are: Mrigavyadha, Sarpa, Nirriti, Ajaikapad, Ahirbudhnya, Pinaki, Dahana, Ishwara, Kapali, Sthanu, and Bhava.
The six manasa putras started their own vamshas.
Angira had three sons: Brihaspati, Utathya, and Samvarta.
Devaguru Brihaspati is Angira's son.
Atri had many sons.
They were all very peaceful and accomplished Rishis.
Among Asuras, we saw that Daityas were sons of Diti and Danavas were sons of Danu.
What about Rakshasas?
Rakshasas were sons of Pulastya.
The Rakshasa vamsha originated from Pulastya.
Not only Rakshasas, Yakshas, Kinnaras, and Vanaras also originated from Pulastya.
From Pulaha originated lions, tigers, wolves, Kimpurushas, and Sharabhas.
We have seen about the Rishis called Valakhilyas.
The tiny Rishis who wanted to create another Indra because Indra insulted them.
Valakhilyas were behind the birth of Garuda who is as powerful as Indra and later was appointed as the king of birds.
Valakhilyas were 60,000 in number.
They originated from Kratu.

From Brahma's right thumb originated Daksha and from the left thumb Daksha's wife.
They were supposed to propagate vamsha through male-female union.
Daksha and his wife gave birth to 50 daughters.
The earlier vamshas like Rudras, Rakshasas, Yakshasas, lions , tigers their origins were asexual.
The fifty daughters of Daksha were all very beautiful.
Daksha had 5000 sons called Haryashwas and 1000 sons called Sabalashwas.
None of them survived.

But who will do the rites for a person without sons.
It is normally believed that a person without sons will not attain sadgathi after death.
Only when a son performs the antyeshti and subsequent shraadhas every year a person can have sadgati.
What about someone who has only a daughter or daughters?
अपुत्रोऽनेन विधिना सुतां कुर्वीत पुत्रिकाम्।
यदपत्यं भवेदस्यां तन्मम स्यात् स्वधाकरम्॥
He can make his daughter a Putrika.
Putri becomes Putrika.
That means her son will acquire the rights to perform the antyeshti and shraadha of his maternal grandfather.
This system of Putrika was founded by Daksha.
Daksha gave 10 daughters in marriage to Dharma, 27 to Chandra, and 13 to Kashyapa making it a total of 50.
The names of those married to Kashyapa, we have already seen in the previous episode.
The 27 wives of Chandra are the 27 nakshatras.
The ten wives of Dharma are: Keerthi, Lakshmi, Dhriti, Medha, Pushti, Shraddha, Kriya, Buddhi, Lajja, and Mati.
Dharma was also Brahma's son.
Sthanu, Dharma, and Daksha, they are all Brahma's sons.
But they are not manasa putras.
They were born from other organs.
Like Daksha was born from the right thumb, Dharma was born from Brahma's right chest.
Only manasa putras were born from the mind.
The eight Vasus are sons of Dharma and his wives.
The eight Vasus are: Dhara, Dhruva, Soma, Aha, Anila, Anala, Pratysha, and Prabhasa.
Vishwakarma was Prabhasa's son.
Vishwakarma's mother was Brihaspati's sister.

Kashyapa was Marichi's son.
As we had seen all the Suras and Asuras were born from Kashyapa.
Surya's wife was Samjna.
She once assumed the form of a horse and in that form united with Surya Deva.
Ashwini Kumaras are their sons.

Bhrigu came out of the chest of Brahma.
His son was Kavi.
Kavi's son was Shukracharya, the guru of Asuras.
It is Shukracharya who as planet Venus is responsible for rains, drought, dangers, and protection from them.
Shukracharya is an acharya of yoga.
Chyavana was Shukracharya's brother.
Arushi was Manu's daughter.
She is Chayavana Maharshi's wife.
Their son was Ourva.
Ourvas was born from the thigh of his mother.
Ourva's son was Richeeka.
Richeeka's son was Jamadagni.
Jamadagni's son was Parashurama.
Brahma had two more sons: Dhata, and Vidhata.
They are brothers of Lakshmi Devi.
Adharma was born at a time when there was nothing to eat.
The living beings killed each other to satisfy their hunger.
Nirriti was Adharma's wife.
Their sons were Bhaya, Mahabhaya, and Mrityu.
This Mrityu only takes the lives of everyone.
He acts under the command of Yamaraja.
Kashyapa's wife Vishwa also known as Tamra gave birth to five daughters: Kaki, Shyeni, Bhaasi, Dhritarashtree and Shukee.
Birds such as owls, eagles, hens, swans, and parrots are all children of these.
Krodhavasha had nine daughters.
From them weere born deer, elephants, bears, monkeys, lions, tigers, and other animals.
According to Mahabharata, Surabhi was a daughter of Krodhavasha.
Surabhi had two daughters, Rohini and Gandharvi.
Cows and bulls were children of Rohini and horses were children of Gandharvi.
Rohini's daughter Anala is the mother of trees such as coconut trees and palms.
Aruna and Sheyni gave birth to Garuda and Sampathi.
In addition to Kadru, Surasa was also a Nagamatha.
Surasa's sons had 101 hoods.
Surasa's three daughters are mother of trees, plants, and creepers.

Now we have a brief idea about how Devas, Asuras, animals, birds and trees and plants came into existence.