Pracetasas
The Pracetasas are the ten sons of King Prācīnabarhish and his wife Śatadruti, the daughter of the ocean. They did ten thousand years of tapas (austerity) in the ocean. Śiva gave them the Rudra Gīta, Śrī Hari showed himself to them, and they fathered Daksha Prajāpati.
All ten brothers had the same name, the same nature and the same dharma. The Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa records this as the fruit of their love for one another and their shared practice.
Birth and family
The ten Pracetasas were born to King Prācīnabarhish, who is also called Barhishat. Their mother was Śatadruti, the daughter of the ocean (samudrakanyakā). Prācīnabarhish married her on the advice of Brahmā. At the wedding procession her beauty held the attention of all the devas, gandharvas, ṛshis, siddhas, nāgas and humans who had gathered. Even Agni was moved with desire by her grace.
All ten brothers bore the same name, Pracetasas. They were alike in nature, conduct and dharma. When Śrī Hari appeared to them in the ocean, he praised this unity of the brothers. He said, “I am pleased by your mutual love and your unified dharma.”
He also promised a blessing for others. Anyone who remembers the Pracetasas at the daily sandhyā (twilight prayers) will come to feel brotherly love for his own brothers and compassion for all beings. (Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 4th Skandha, Chapter 30)
The journey and the meeting with Śiva
Their father told them to go, and the Pracetasas set out westward toward the ocean to do tapas. On the way they came to a beautiful lake. Śiva himself came out of it. Śiva taught them the Rudra Gīta, his own stotra (hymn of praise) to Śrī Hari. He told them to enter the ocean and worship Vāsudeva with it. (Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 4th Skandha, Chapter 24)
Ten thousand years of tapas in the ocean
The Pracetasas entered the ocean and did tapas for ten thousand years. They recited the Rudra Gīta, meditated on Śrī Hari, and practised yoga with their senses fully controlled. (Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 4th Skandha, Chapter 30)
Śrī Hari appears
At the end of the ten thousand years, Śrī Hari appeared to them in a magnificent form with eight arms. He gave them these varas (boons):
- A son equal to Brahmā in glory: Daksha, born again through Mārishā.
- Long enjoyment of both earthly and divine blessings.
- Moksha (liberation) in the end, through growing bhakti (devotion).
(Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 4th Skandha, Chapter 30)
Marriage to Mārishā and the birth of Daksha
On the direction of Śrī Hari, the Pracetasas married Mārishā. She was born from the trees, through the daughter whom the apsarā Pramlocā had left behind. The trees raised her, and Candra’s nectar fed her.
From this marriage Daksha Prajāpati was born. This was his new birth, after the Daksha yajña. It also served the need of creation (sṛshṭi). (Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 4th Skandha, Chapter 30)
The burning of the forests
When the Pracetasas came out of the ocean, they found the earth covered with forests so thick that they blocked the sky. They grew furious. They breathed fire and wind from their mouths and began to burn the forests.
Brahmā came, calmed them, and told the trees to offer Mārishā to them as a daughter, in peace. (Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 4th Skandha, Chapter 30)
Moksha
The Pracetasas fulfilled their duties as prajāpatis (lords of creatures). Then they retired to the shore of the western ocean. Nārada visited them and renewed their teaching (upadeśa) on knowledge of the ātmā. They fixed their minds on the lotus feet of Śrī Hari. They reached his dhāma (abode) and attained moksha. (Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 4th Skandha, Chapter 31)
Sources
- Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 4th Skandha, Chapter 24
- Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 4th Skandha, Chapter 30
- Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 4th Skandha, Chapter 31