Introduction
Kashyapa is one of the most ancient sages of Hindu tradition. He is a Prajapati, one of the Saptarishi (seven sages) of the present age, and the ancestor of nearly all types of beings in the Puranic account of creation: gods, demons, serpents, birds and animals. Many Brahmin families trace their descent to him, and Kashyapa is the most common gotra in India.
The Prajapatis, "lords of creatures", are the progenitors of living beings in Hindu tradition. The Bhagavata Purana names ten sons of Brahma, born from his mind (the Manasaputras): Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Bhrigu, Vasishtha, Daksha and Narada.
Family
- Father: Marichi
- Wives: Aditi, Diti, Vinata, Kadru
- Sons: Vishnu, Surya, Indra, Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman, Bhaga, Dhata, Amsha, Pushan, Tvashtri, Savitri (aspect of Surya), Garuda, Aruna
Names and family
Kashyapa is the son of Marichi and, in the Bhagavata Purana, of Kala, and so a grandson of Brahma. His name is associated with the word kashyapa, "tortoise", and is used in old texts for a tortoise or a seer.
Wives and children
Kashyapa married thirteen daughters of Daksha. Lists differ, but in most accounts:
- Aditi: the mother of the twelve Adityas, the gods, including Indra, Vishnu (as Vamana), Surya and Varuna
- Diti: the mother of the Daityas, including Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, and of the Maruts
- Danu: the mother of the Danavas
- Kadru: the mother of the Nagas, the serpents
- Vinata: the mother of Aruna and Garuda
- Surabhi, Ira, Muni, Krodhavasha, Tamra, Khasa and others, who are the mothers of cattle, plants, celestial beings, and demons
Saptarishi
In the present age, the Vaivasvata Manvantara, the Saptarishi are traditionally Kashyapa, Atri, Vasishtha, Vishwamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Bharadwaja. Some Puranas give different lists for different ages.
In the Vedas
Kashyapa is credited with hymns of the Rigveda, including one of the Soma hymns (9.114). His descendants, the Kashyapas, are a Vedic priestly family.
Kashmir
According to the Nilamata Purana and the medieval chronicle Rajatarangini, Kashmir was originally a great lake, Satisar, drained by Kashyapa, who made it habitable. In this tradition, the name Kashmir comes from Kashyapa-mira or Kashyapa-mar.
Kashyapa Samhita
An early text on Ayurveda, especially on pediatrics and obstetrics, is attributed to Kashyapa. It survives in a fragmentary form.
Gotra
In Hindu tradition, a person's gotra is the male line of descent from an ancient sage. The Kashyapa gotra is one of the largest, and it is sometimes said that all people descend from Kashyapa.
Not to be confused with
The Buddhist Kassapa, the name of a past Buddha and of a disciple of Gautama Buddha, is a different figure.