12/25/2014

Ashtavasu|Origins

PostedonNovember4,2010

Ashtavasu
Ashtavasusareganadevas,whowereborntoDharmaandVasu,thedaughterofDaksha.
SomescripturesalsohaveaversionthattheywerethechildrenofKashyapa.
Their names are Dhara, Dhruva, Soma, Ahas, Anila, Anala, Pratyusha, Prabhasa, as per
MahabharataAdiparvaChapter65verses17,18.ButasperVishnupurana,Ansh1Chapter
15,theirnamesareApa,Dhruva,Soma,Dharma,Anila,Anala,Pratyusha,Prabhasa,andas
per Bhagavata, they are Drona, Prana, Dhruva, Arka, Agni, Dosha, Vasu, Vibhavasu.
According to Harivansha, they are Akha, Dhara, Dhruva, Soma, Anila, Anala, Pratyusha,
Prabhasa.Itisassumedthattheyarethesamesetknownbyseveralnames.
Once, when they were traveling with their wives, they happened to reach Vasishtas
hermitage.OneofthewiveslikedVasishtascowNandini,andtopleaseher,herhusband
carrieditawayalongwithitscalf.Later,aterfailingtofindthecalfnearby,Vasishtausedhis
divine vision to locate it. Having found out what had happened, he cursed that the vasus
would be born as humans. The vasus apologised to Vasishta, who said that the seven
vasuswhowerentguiltywouldspendanegligibletimeinhumanform,butApa,whotookthe
cow would definitely remain human for a very long time. As per Devibhagavata
Dwitiyaskanda,itwasApawhowaslaterbornasBhishma.
When the vasus were contemplating the curse, Ganga approached them. They requested
her to take a human form, marry a king, become their mother when they took the human
form,andthrowthemintotheriverassoonastheywereborn.Gangaagreed.

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Ashtavasu|Origins

TherewasaChandravanshikingnamedPratipa.Once,whileprayingtoSuryabytheriver,
hesawabeautifulwomanemergingfromtheriver.Shecameandsatonhisrightthigh.He
wasdistressedandaskedherwhyshehaddonethis,andwhethershethoughthelusted
afterwomen.Healsosaidthattherightthighasmeantfordaughtersordaughtersinlaw.He
told her that when he had a son, she could perhaps marry him. The woman, who was
Ganga,disappearedonhearingthis.
Later,PratipahadasonnamedShantanu,whomGangamarried.Beforeagreeingtomarry
him,Gangahadlaidoneconditionthathewouldnotquestionanyactofhers,andwould
notofferanopinion,andthatifhedidso,shewoulddisappear.Aftertheirmarriage,oneby
one,thevasuswereborntothem,andaspertheiragreement,shedrownedsevenofthem,
whowentbacktoheaven.Thekingstoppedherwhenshetriedtodrowntheeighth,anda
furiousGangadisappeared.ThischildwasBhishma,asperDevibhagavataDwitiyaskanda.
WhenBhishmafoughtParashuramaonaccountofAmba,thevasus,helpedhimbygiving
himthePraswapastra,asperMahabharataUdyogaparvaChapter183verses1113.
ThefirstvasuwasApaandhissonswereVaithanda,Shrama,Shanta,Dhwani.Thesecond
wasDhruva,whosesonwasKala.ThethirdwasSoma,whosesonwasVarchas.Fourth
was

Dharma,

whose

wife

was

Manohari.

Their

children

were

Dravina,

HutahavyavahanaShishira, Prana, Varuna. The fifth vasu was Anila who was married to
Shiva. Their children were named Manojava and Avijnatagati. Sixth was Agni whose sons
wereKumara,Shakha,VishakhaandNaigameya.Pratyshawastheseventhvasuandhis
sonwasDevala.Varastri,whowasBrihaspatissisterandwasfamousforhertravelsand
yogic prowess became the wife of Prabhasa, the eighth vasu. Their son was the famous
prajapati Vishwakarma, who was a skilled artisan and possessed the knowledge of many
arts and crafts. He went on to become the devas sculptor, goldsmith and architect, and
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even built their flying machines. He had four sons Ajaikapat, Ahirbundhya, Twashta,
Rudra. Twashtas sons were Vishwarupa, Hara, Bahurupa, Tyambaka, Aparajita,
Vrishakavi, Shambhu, kapardi, Raivata, Mrigavyadha, Garva, Kapali. They are called
Ekadasharudras,asperVishnupuranaAnsh1Chapter15.

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