Kashyapa Rishi (from Kashmir)

August 9, 2008

Dear All,

Again by VV Raman at: http://www.siddha.com.my/ubb/Forum3/HTML/000053-7.htmlLove and regards,Sreenadh==============================

Kashyapa and K?yapa

In the midst of all the turmoil tarnishing Kashmir, one sometimes forgetsthat the name of that idyllic valley enshrines one of the prajapatis:Kashyapa. Scholars have reminded us that according to the Nilmat Purana,which honors King Nila, once a ruler of Kashmir, there was a huge lake(mira) there, whence Kashyapa-mira became Kashmir.

Etymologists have argued about Kashyapa's name. It means, among otherthings, a kind of deer and also tortoise. In the Atharva Veda the namerefers to beings that regulate the sun's course. In the Satapata Brahmana itis a rishi's name. According to the Vishnu Purana, Kashyapa is Vishnu in theK?Avatara, who instigated the creation of humankind. Then again, we readelsewhere that Vishnu incarnated as the son of Kashyapa and his wife Aditiin the Vamana Avatara.

Unlike other prajapatis, Kashyapa was not directly born of Brahma, but washis grandson, through Mar?i. In Upanishadic symbolism, Mar?i is light,and Kashyapa is Vision: God created light which bestowed vision on humanbeings.

In the Ramayana (Aranya Kanda: 14) we read about Kashyapa's mythologicalaspect: He married eight daughters of Daksha, of whom Aditi, D?, Danu, andK?k?ere closest to him. Through Aditi he gave rise to 12 Adityas, 8Vasus, 11 Rudras, and 2 Ashwins. Through Diti he was responsible for theDaityas, through Danu came the Danavas, and so on. And we read a list ofspecies from the various wives: including birds like owls, hawks, vultures,and swans; mammals like antelopes, elephants, cattle and horses; and so on.

Jat?, the leader of the vultures, was the grandson of Kashyapa through hisson Aruna whose mother was Vinat? The puranas say that Kashyapa marriedthirteen daughters of Daksha, and that through them he generated every kindof being, from ordinary people to awesome ogres. Nagas, rishis, gandharvas:all had their origin in Kashyapa. One cannot but be amazed by the zoologicalsweep in such narratives, showing the wealth of knowledge and imagination ofthe poet who composed them. One might say that in the ancient framework,Kashyapa stands for a primordial cell from which all beings arose.

In the Mahabharata (Adi Parva: 14), there is the story of Kashyapa's twowives who were daughters of Brahma. They were called Kadru and Vinat?ashyapa was so pleased with them that he offered them boons of theirchoice. Kadru wanted a thousand splendid snakes as her sons, whereas Vinat?shed for only two sons who would surpass those of her co-wife in splendor.It was thus that the Nagas were born to Kadru, including Sesha and V?ki.

One of Vinat? sons was Garuda, the lord of the eagles. In the lore,legends abound about Garuda, whose name and images have gone beyond theshores of India: to China, Japan, and Korea. The Indonesian Airlines isnamed after him.

The blurring of symbolic entities bearing specific names withanthropomorphic beings bearing the same names occurs in puranic and epicworks. In the case of Kashyapa we must distinguish between the prajapati andother personages who bear his name. The latter are known as K?yapa (longa). Thus, in Valmiki's Ramayana (Bala Kanda: 8), K?yapa is listed as oneof the four principal preceptors of King Dasaratha.

Another such rishi is mentioned in the Mahabharata. He had magical powers.In one story (Adi Parva: 43), when he was on his way to save Parikshit, hewas distracted by the serpent king Takshaka who challenged him to revive abanyan tree which the serpent bit and turned to ashes. K?yapa, by hisprowess, brought the tree back to full life.

In another passage in the epic (Vana Parva: 21) we read about K?yapa'sdiscourse on forgiveness (kshama), reminding us of Portia's words inShakespeare's Merchant of Venice to the effect that mercy "is an attributeto God himself." For he says, "Forgiveness is dharma, forgiveness is Vedas,forgiveness is shruti. One who knows this can forgive anything. Forgivenessis Brahma, forgiveness is satya; forgiveness is the punya that comes fromtapas. Forgiveness is sannyasa; forgiveness is holiness. The whole universeis held together by forgiveness. It is the might of the mighty, it is yaj?dpeace of mind. The man of wisdom should always forgive, for then heattains Brahma. The world belongs to those who are forgiving.. Forgivenessand gentleness represent eternal virtues." Such passages reveal the ethicalideals in the Hindu framework. We may recall in this context the Sermon onthe Mount in the New Testament (Matthew: V.39) where Jesus says: ".whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."

One of the six classical schools of Hindu philosophy is the Vaisheshikasystem. Scholars date it back to 700 - 600 BCE. Here we find one of theearliest articulations of Indic atomic theory. Its originator is a certainKanada: also referred to as a K?yapa.

With so many accounts and legends, it is difficult to be sure about when andwhere Kashyapa and K?yapa lived. But they have been very influential inIndic culture.

V. V. Raman 13, 2005

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