Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c10.84

c10.84

Another instance is the curious Pitṛ-vaṃśa.³ The seven classes of Pitṛs had each one mind-born daughter (mānasī kanyā), namely, Menā, Acchodā (-Satyavatī), Pīvarī, Go, Yaśodā, Virajā and Narmadā. The account (subject to minor variations) stands thus. Menā was wife of Mount Himavant. They had a son Mount Maināka and three daughters, Aparṇā, Ekaparṇā and Ekapāṭalā. Aparṇā became the goddess Umā; Ekaparṇā married the rishi Asita and had a son the rishi Devala; and Ekapāṭalā married Sataśilāka's son, the rishi Jaigīṣavya, and had two sons, Saṅkha and Likhita. Acchodā, the river, transgressing against the Pitṛs, was born as a low-caste maiden (dāseyī) from king Vasu of Cedi and a fish who was the apsaras Adrikā; and she became (Kālī) Satyavatī, who was mother of Vyāsa by Parāśara, and of Vicitravīrya and Citrāṅgada ⁴ by king Śantanu. Pīvarī was wife of Vyāsa's son Śuka, and had five sons and a daughter Kīrtimatī who was Aṇuha's queen and Brahmadatta's mother.⁵ Go, called also Ekaśṛṅgā, married the great rishi Śukra and was ancestress of the Bhṛgus. Yaśodā was wife of Viśvamahat, daughter-in-law of Vṛddhaśarman, and mother of Dilīpa II Khaṭvāṅga.⁶ Virajā was wife of Nahuṣa and mother of Yayāti.⁷ Narmadā, the river, was wife of Purukutsa and mother of Trasadasyu.⁸