Marīci
Marīci, “a ray of light”
Marīci is a ṛshi and Prajāpati of the first creation: the son of Brahmā and the father of Kaśyapa, from whom the devas and much of creation descend. The Vāmana Purāṇa names him first among the ṛshis born at the beginning, places him among the Prajāpatis who serve Brahmā in his sabhā, and shows him at the upanayana of Vāmana, where he gives the boy his daṇḍa (staff). His name is also among the ṛshis called on each morning in the suprabhāta stotra and in the svastivācana (words of blessing).
Birth
In the account Pulastya Maharshi gives to Nārada of the ancient form of the Paramātmā, Keśava Vāsudeva shows forth His manifest forms: the four-faced form of sattva, the form of Śesha in tamas, and the shining red Ādipurusha of rajas who brings forth creation. Then thousands of ṛshis were born from Keśava, with Marīci the first named among them.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 35
The Saro Māhātmya gives the line in order. At the time of the mahāpralaya, when the whole world of the moving and unmoving had come to an end, a lotus rose from the navel of Vishṇu. From the lotus came Brahmā, the Pitāmaha of all the worlds, and from Brahmā was born Marīci. The text calls him “Marīci, son of Brahmā” again when it tells of Vāmana’s upanayana.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Saro Māhātmya, Chapter 26
His son Kaśyapa
Marīci’s son is Kaśyapa. The Saro Māhātmya describes Kaśyapa as the son of Marīci, a treasure of tapas, the first guru of the devas, shining like a second sun, with daṇḍa, kṛshṇājina (black antelope skin) and bark garment, devoted to the study of the Veda, the guru of suras and asuras and the best of the Prajāpatis.
From Marīci the line runs on: Kaśyapa’s son is Sūrya, and Sūrya’s son is Manu. From Manu’s sneeze a son came forth from his mouth who became king of the whole earth to its four ends; he is the father of Vena.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Saro Māhātmya, Chapters 3 and 26
In Brahmā’s sabhā
In the sabhā of Brahmā, the Prajāpatis wait on him: Daksha, the Pracetases, Pulaha, Marīci, Bhṛgu, Atri, Vasishṭha, Gautama, Nārada and others. With them the elements, the tanmātras, prakṛti, mahat, the four Vedas and other powers stand in bodily form and serve Brahmā.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Saro Māhātmya, Chapter 3
At Vāmana’s upanayana
When Vishṇu was born as Vāmana, the son of Aditi and Kaśyapa, Marīci’s own son, the ṛshis gathered for the boy’s upanayana, which Bharadvāja performed. Each brought a gift: Pulaha the yajñopavīta (sacred thread), Pulastya a white lower garment, Agastya the kṛshṇājina, Bharadvāja the mekhalā (girdle), Marīci, son of Brahmā, the pālāśa daṇḍa (staff of palāśa wood), Vasishṭha the akshamālā, Aṅgiras the kauśya (a bunch of darbha grass), Raghu an umbrella, Nṛga sandals and Bṛhaspati a kamaṇḍalu.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 62
Per Vāmana Purāṇa, Saro Māhātmya, as Lomaharshaṇa tells it, the gifts to the young vaṭu (brahmacārin boy) were these: Brahmā gave the kṛshṇājina, Bṛhaspati the yajñopavīta, Marīci, son of Brahmā, the āshāḍha daṇḍa, Vasishṭha the kamaṇḍalu, the Aṅgirasas a silk garment, Pulaha a seat and Pulastya a yellow garment.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Saro Māhātmya, Chapter 9
In the stotras
Marīci is among the ṛshis called on in the suprabhāta stotra granted by Śaṅkara, which the ṛshis teach to the rākshasa Sukeśī: “Bhṛgu, Vasishṭha, Kratu, Aṅgiras, Manu, Pulastya, Pulaha and Gautama, Raibhya and Marīci, Cyavana and Ṛbhu: may they give me a good morning!”
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 14
In the svastivācana that Vishṇu spoke for Skanda before the war with Mahisha, Marīci is the first named of those asked to give kalyāṇa (welfare): Marīci, Atri, Pulaha, Pulastya, Kratu, Vasishṭha, Bhṛgu, Aṅgiras, Mārkaṇḍeya and the seven maharshis.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapter 32
Prahlāda, speaking of the greatness of Vāsudeva, names Marīci among the highest beings: Rudra, Brahmā, Indra, the Sun, the Moon, Marīci and others do not know the form of Vāsudeva.
Source: Vāmana Purāṇa, Saro Māhātmya, Chapter 8
Sources
- Vāmana Purāṇa, Chapters 14, 32, 35, 62
- Vāmana Purāṇa, Saro Māhātmya, Chapters 3, 8, 9, 26