Sons of Brahmā
The Brahma Vaivarta Mahā Purāṇa, in the Brahma Khaṇḍa, chapter 22, lists the sons of Brahmā. It gives for each name the meaning or the quality that goes with it. The list includes the Prajāpatis (lords of creatures), the ṛshis (seers), the Rudras and the four Kumāras.
The principal sons of Brahmā
Chapter 22 lists these sons of Brahmā, each with a meaning for the name.
| Son | Origin or quality |
|---|---|
| Nārada | Born from Brahmā’s right side |
| Marīci | Born from Brahmā’s teja (shining energy) |
| Daksha | Born from Brahmā’s right side |
| Kardama | Born from Brahmā’s shadow (chāyā) |
| Kratu | Linked with many yajñas (fire rituals) |
| Aṅgiras | Born from Brahmā’s face (ānana) |
| Bhṛgu | Born from great teja |
| Aruṇi | Born from the redness of tapas (tapa-raktatā) |
| Haṃsa | Marked by control of the breath (prāṇa-nigraha) |
| Vasishṭha | The self-controlled one (vaśī) |
| Yati | One who practises yama (self-restraint) |
| Pulaha | Born from a gathering (samudāya) of tapas |
| Atri | The name holds tri and ā (triathā, the one who has gone beyond three) |
| Pañcaśikha | Has five flames (agni-śikhā) on his head |
| Āpāntaratama | One who did tapas in that country (āpāntara-deśe tapas) |
| Voḍu | One who carries tapas (tapa-vāhana) |
| Ruci | One who loves tapas (tapa-ruci) |
The eleven Rudras
The Brahma Vaivarta Mahā Purāṇa also tells of the birth of the eleven Rudras from Brahmā’s grief and anger. When Brahmā wept, the Rudras arose from his tears. The eleven Rudras are the fierce forms of Bhagavān Śiva’s energy. They are present in creation, in destruction and in every change in life.
The four Kumāras
The text tells of the origin and the quality of each of the four Kumāras.
| Kumāra | Quality |
|---|---|
| Sanaka | The form of ānanda (bliss) |
| Sananda | The form of another side of ānanda |
| Sanātana | Holds sanātana (eternal), steady bhakti (devotion) to Bhagavān Kṛshṇa |
| Sanatkumāra | Always a kumāra (youth), nitya-kumāra |
The Kumāras refused Brahmā’s command to increase creation. They took up naishṭhika brahmacarya (lifelong celibacy) and stayed for ever as child-ṛshis, absorbed in brahma-jñāna (knowledge of Brahman).
Sources
- Brahma Vaivarta Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, chapter 22