Asiknī

Asiknī · asiknī, “the dark one”

Asiknī is the daughter of the Prajāpati Pañcajana and the wife of Daksha Prajāpati. The Bhāgavata Purāṇa tells that Bhagavān Śrī Hari himself gave her to Daksha, so that through their union creation would grow and all beings after them would be born in pairs. She was the mother of Daksha’s ten thousand sons the Haryaśvas, of his thousand sons the Śabalāśvas, and of the sixty daughters through whom, with their offspring, the three worlds were filled.

Given to Daksha by Śrī Hari

Śrī Śuka Maharshi tells Parīkshit Mahārāja that Daksha, son of the Pracetas, performed tapas for the growth of the world and praised Śrī Hari, and that Śrī Hari appeared to him. Bhagavān Vishṇu told Daksha that he was pleased with his tapas and his unwavering bhakti, and that he too wished beings to prosper. Then he spoke of Asiknī: “O Prajāpati! This one, famed as Asiknī, is the daughter of the Prajāpati Pañcajana. Take her as your wife. Live together as husband and wife, and together with her you will again greatly increase the creation of these offspring. All beings after you will, by my māyā, be formed in pairs and live, and humans and other beings will offer pūjā to me.” Having spoken thus, Śrī Hari withdrew from sight while Daksha watched, like a thing found in a dream.

Source: Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 6, Chapter 4

Mother of the Haryaśvas and the Śabalāśvas

Daksha, whose power had been made to grow by the māyā-śakti of Vishṇu, begot in Asiknī, daughter of Pañcajana, ten thousand sons named the Haryaśvas. Their father sent them to beget offspring, but Nārada Maharshi turned them to the inward path, and they did not return. Svayambhū Brahmā comforted Daksha, and again Daksha begot in Asiknī a thousand sons named the Śabalāśvas. They too went to Nārāyaṇa-saras to perform tapas for the sake of progeny, and they too followed their elder brothers on the path of Nārada’s teaching.

Source: Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 6, Chapter 5

Mother of the sixty daughters

Brahmā comforted Daksha once more, and then Daksha had in Asiknī sixty daughters, who loved their father dearly. He gave ten of them in marriage to Dharma, thirteen to Kaśyapa Prajāpati, called Tārkshya, twenty-seven to Candra, two to Bhūta, two to Aṅgiras, two to Kṛśāśva, and the remaining four again to Kaśyapa. With their offspring, and again with their offspring, the three worlds were filled.

Source: Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 6, Chapter 6

Sources

• Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 6, Chapters 4–6