Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c7.2165

c7.2165

But in the 14th Sarga of Araṇyakāṇḍa in Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa there is an account of the creation of all animate and inanimate objects in this world. According to a statement in that passage, we find that Kaśyapa was the youngest brother of Marīci, Atri, Pulastya and others. This means that Kaśyapa was the son of Brahmā. Therefore there is nothing wrong in regarding him either as the son or as the grandson of Brahmā. In the Purāṇas we find references to him in both ways.
2) Original Gotra or Clan. Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Chapter 297, verse 17 says that all living beings belong to the four original Gotras—the gotra of Aṅgiras, Kaśyapa gotra, Bhṛgu gotra and Vasiṣṭha gotra and that all the other gotras came into existence subsequently.
3) Kaśyapa's wives. Kaśyapa had 21 wives who were:—Aditi, Diti, Danu, Ariṣṭā, Surasā. Khaśā, Surabhi, Vinatā, Tāmrā, Krodhavaśā, Irā, Kadrū, Pulomā, Kālakā, Natā, Danāyus, Siṃhikā, Pradhā, Viśvā, and Kapilā. Of these, the 13 wives, Aditi, Diti, Kālakā, Danāyus, Danu, Siṃhikā, Krodhā, Pradhā, Viśvā, Vinatā, Kapilā, Muni and Kadrū, were the daughters of Dakṣa. Of these the first wife Aditi had 12 sons. These 12 sons namely Viṣṇu, Śakra, Aryamā, Dhātā, Tvaṣṭā, Pūṣā, Vivasvān, Savitā, Mitra, Varuṇa, Aṃśa and Bhaga are called Ādityas (sons of Aditi). In the sixth Manvantara these 12 Ādityas belonged to the tribe known as Tuṣitas. (The present Manvantara is the seventh one). The 33 crores of Devas came into being from the twelve Ādityas. The Daityas were born from Kaśyapa's second wife Diti. The chief Daityas are Hiraṇyakaśipu, Hiraṇyākṣa and Siṃhikā. All the other Daityas were born from them. The Dānavas were the children of Danu, another wife of Kaśyapa. Divimūrdhā, Śambara, Ayomukha, Śaṅkuśiras, Kapila, Śaṅkara, Ekacakra, Mahābāhu, Tāraka, Mahābala, Svarbhānu, Vṛṣaparvā, Pulomā, and Vipracitti are the famous Dānavas. The other Dānavas were the children of the people mentioned above. Another wife of Kaśyapa, Surabhi gave birth to Aja, Ekapād, Ahirbudhnya, Tvaṣṭā and Rudra and also the Ekādaśa Rudras namely:—Hara, Bahurūpa, Tryambaka, Aparājita, Vṛṣākapi, Śambhu, Kapardi, Raivata, Mṛgavyādha, Sarpa, and Kapālī. Vinatā gave birth to Garuḍa and Kadrū was the mother of the nāgas. The Purāṇas proclaim that all living beings that we see in the world today, sprang from Kaśyapa's offsprings by his different wives. (Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapter 29; Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Part I, Chapters 15-21; Mahābhārata, Ādi Parva, Chapters 16 and 65 and Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 18).
4) Brahmā taught Kaśyapa cure for snake poison. The serpents (Nāgas) were born to Kadrū, one of the wives of Kaśyapa. Once Kadrū asked her children to hang down like hair from the tail of Uccaiśravas. They refused to do so. Kadrū became angry and cursed them that they would be burnt alive at Janamejaya's Sarpa Sattra (snake-sacrifice). After the curse, the Nāgas became dangerously venomous. At this stage, Brahmā taught Kaśyapa the art of curing snake-poison to protect other creatures that might be bitten by the Nāgas. Cure of snake-bite in this world dates from that time. (M.B. Ādi Parva. Chapter 20).