The Children of Lord Brahma

Hindu mythology says that we are all creations of Lord Brahma. Brahma is the Creator god in Hinduism. He supposedly emerged from the metaphysical Brahman along with Lord Vishnu (preserver), Lord Shiva (destroyer), other deities, matter, and beings.   

After creating the world from the cosmic egg, Brahma created various forms like Gandharva, Yaksha, Kinnara, Kimpurusha, Rakshasa, Nagas, Suparna, Vanaras, Vidyadhara, Valkyria, Pisacha, Devas, Asuras and human beings. He created human beings to resemble gods. Thus, 4 sages or Kumaras called Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanatkumara were born.

Brahma had seen Vishnu sleeping on the back of Ananta Shesha after doing penance for thousands of years. Pleased with his penance, Vishnu imparted to him the basic knowledge of the Vedas. On receiving it, Brahma began the process of creation. 

When the four Kumaras were born, they embodied pure qualities. They exhibited no negative traits like laziness, sleep, etc. Brahma created them so that they could help him in the process of creation. But they refused Brahma’s command. ‘Kumara’ means ‘bachelors or Brahmacharis’.

Initially, Brahma had many sons, and he asked each of them to increase the population. But Sanaka, Sananda, and Sanatana refused to do so and chose to remain as Brahmacharis and talk of the glories of God. Brahma got angry, and from his anger Rudra (Shiva) emerged from his forehead. 

Characters of the Kumaras

The Kumaras wanted a boon from their father - to remain five years old and celibate always.

Their names were Sanaka (ancient), Sanandana (joyful), Sanatan (eternal), and Sanatkumara (always young). They led an ascetic life and wandered around freely all over the universe as they had cosmic powers. 

Learning the Vedas

Due to Brahma’s boon and the strength of their penance, the 4 Kumaras looked like 5-year-olds. Jaya and Vijaya, who were the gatekeepers of Vishnu’s abode, Vaikuntha, once stopped the Kumaras at the gate, taking them for children. They told the Kumaras that Vishnu was resting and that they could not meet him immediately. The angry Kumaras cursed both Jaya and Vijaya, saying that they would have to relinquish their divinity and would be born as mortals on Earth and lead the life of normal human beings. 

The curse was later diluted. Accordingly, Jaya and Vijaya would be born three times on Earth as Vishnu’s enemies. They would soon be born as Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashyipu. 

The 4 Kumaras, as Siddhesvaras, had achieved all the Siddhis or yogic perfections and could travel in outer space without any flying machines. Prithu and Sage Narada had the good fortune to receive knowledge from the Kumaras.

Brahma also created from his mind ten sons or Prajapatis, as the Kumaras were celibate. The Prajapatis are the fathers of the human race. However, as they were born out of his mind instead of the body, they are called Manasa Putras (mind-sons or spirits). 

The Ten Sons and One Daughter of Brahma 

Marichi Rishi

Rishi Marichi/Mareechi/Marishi (meaning ‘a ray of light’) is a son of Brahma. He is also one of the 7 great sages, or Saptarishi, in the first Manvantara.  The others are Atri Rishi, Angiras Rishi, Pulaha Rishi, Kratu Rishi, Pulastya Rishi, and Vasistha. 

Kala is Marichi’s wife and gave birth to Kashyapa. 

Atri Rishi

Atri is a legendary scholar and bard. He is the ancestor of some Brahmin, Prajapatis, Kshatriya, and Vaishya communities who have adopted Atri as their gotra. Atri is the Saptarishi in the seventh, i.e., the current Manvantara. 

When Shiva's curse destroyed Brahma’s sons, Atri was reborn from the flames of a sacrifice that Brahma performed. Anasuya was his wife in both births. They had 3 sons, Datta, Durvasas, and Soma, in his first birth, and a son called Aryaman (Nobility), and a daughter, Amala (Purity), in the second birth. Soma, Datta, and Durvasa are the avatars of the Divine Trinity Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra (Shiva) respectively. 

Angirasa Rishi

The belief is that Angirasa, along with Sage Atharvan, formulated (“heard”) most of the Atharva Veda which is the 4th Veda.  There are references to him in the other three Vedas, too.

Surupa is his wife, and Utathya, Samvartana, and Brihaspati are his sons. 

Pulaha Rishi

He emerged from the navel of Brahma. A curse by Shiva burned him, and he was reborn in Vaivasvata Manvantara, this time from the hair of Agni. 

When he was born in the first Manvantara, Pulaha's wife was a daughter of Daksha, called Kshama (meaning ‘apology’). They had three sons, Kardama, Kanakapeetha, and Urvarivat, and a daughter, Peevari. 

Pulutsya Rishi

He served as the medium through which some Puranas were communicated to man. Brahma gave him the Vishnu Purana and he communicated it to Parashara, who shared it with mankind. He was one among the Saptarishis in the first Manvantara. 

He was the father of Visravas , who fathered Ravana and Kubera. The entire Rakshasa clan supposedly sprang from him. Pulastya’s wife was one of Kardam ji’s nine daughters called Havirbhoo. Maharshi Agastya was another son of Pulastya. Visravas had two wives, Kaikesi who gave birth to Ravana, Kumbhakarna, and Vibhishana, and Ilavida, who gave birth to Kubera. 

Krathu Rishi

Krathu lived during two different ages. During the Swayanbhuva Manvantara, Krathu was a Prajapati and beloved son of Brahma. He was also Prajapati Daksha’s son-in-law. 

His wife was Santhati, and he had 60,000 children. They were included in the Valakhilyas.

Rishi Krathu was reborn in the Vaivaswata Manvantara due to Shiva’s boon. In this Manvantara, he did not have a family. He was supposedly born from the hand of Brahma. As he had no family, Krathu adopted Idhvaaha, who was Agastya’s son. Krathu is one of the Bhargavas. 

Vashistha

Vashistha is one of the Saptarishis in the 7th and present Manvantara.  He owned the divine cow Kamadhenu and her child Nandini. The cows had the power to grant anything to their owners. 

Vashistha is the main author of Mandala 7 of the Rigveda. Vashistha and his family are praised in RV 7.33, and their role is extolled in the Battle of the 10 Kings. He is the only mortal apart from Bhava to have a Rigvedic hymn dedicated to him. Another treatise that is attributed to him is “Vashistha Samhita” – a work on the Vedic system of electional astrology.

 His wife is Arundhati.

 In cosmology, the Mizar star is called Vashistha, and the Alcor star is Arundhati in traditional Indian astronomy. The pair symbolizes marriage. In some Hindu communities, priests who conduct a wedding often allude to or point out the constellation as a symbol of the intimacy between a married couple. Vashishta was also known as Arundathi Natha, meaning ‘husband of Arundathi’. 

Prachethasa

Prachetasa is one of the most enigmatic figures in Hindu history. As per the Puranas, Prachetasa was one of the 10 Prajapatis who were sages and lawgivers. The 10 Prachetas are also referred to as the sons of Prachinabarthis and the great-grandsons of Prithu. Supposedly, they lived for 10,000 years in a great ocean and did intense meditation on Vishnu. They also obtained the boon of becoming the progenitors of mankind from him. 

Their wife was Manisha, a daughter of Kanclu, and their son was Daksha. 

Bhrigu

Bhrigu was the first to compile predictive astrology and the author of Bhrigu Samhita, the classic text on astrology or Jyotish. Bhargava, the adjectival form of the name, refers to the descendants as well as the school of Bhrigu. Bhrigu and Manu made key contributions to ‘Manusmriti’, which emerged from a sermon to a congregation of saints in Brahmavarta state after the great floods in this area that happened nearly 10,000 years ago. 

His wife was Khyati, a daughter of Daksha. Their two sons were Dhata and Vidhata. He also had a daughter, Sri or Bhargavi, who married Vishnu. 

Narada

The Vedic sage, Narada Muni, has a major role in many Hindu texts, like the Ramayana and the Bhagavata Purana. Narada is a sage who is constantly traveling and visiting far away worlds and realms. He carries a Veena called Mahathi and has mastery over the musical instrument.

Narada is both wise and mischievous and is behind some of Vedic literature’s funny incidents. Vaishnavas believe him to be a pure and noble soul who glorifies Vishnu through his songs, singing his names, Hari and Narayana, revealing bhakti-yoga. 

Shatarupa

Brahma had a daughter, Shatrupa (meaning ‘one who can take a 100 forms’) who was born from different parts of his body. She is the first woman created by him and also the female portion of Brahma. 

Human beings are believed to have descended from the 10 Prajapatis.

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