One day, the two sisters Kadru and Vinta were taking a stroll together when they saw a magnificient, seven-headed horse called Ucchashrava. The horse was one of the 14 jewels that came out when gods and demons churned the ocean of milk to obtain the nectar of immortality.Ucchashrava was the mightiest, swiftest, and the most handsome horse in the world. The sisters gazed at the horse in wonder. Kadru exclaimed, “Sister! Look and tell me the color of the horse.”
Vinta replied, “I think it is white. What do you think?”
Kadru contented, “Yes, its body is white but its tail is black. Come, let us bet on it. If you win, then I will be your slave; otherwise, you have to become my slave.”
Having made this bet, the sisters decided to wait till the next morning when they would observe the horse from a close distance to decide who won. Now, Kadru wanted to win the bet at any cost. She called her one thousand serpent-sons and told them, “Children, go immediately and cover Ucchashrava’s tail so that it appears to have black hair. I will then win the bet and do not have to become a slave.” Some serpents were reluctant to participate in this trickery and refused. Kadru was furious and cursed them, “Go, I curse that you will be burned to ashes in Janmayjay’s Yajna.” As soon as Kadru said these words, all the gods and heavenly bodies started praised her courage. It is a rare event in nature when a mother curses her own children to die. During that time, vicious and poisonous snakes were ruling the world and harming innocent living beings. So this curse turned out to be a blessing for other creatures. Even the creator of the world, Lord Brahma, praised Kadru’s courage with these words, “People who intentionally harm others are severely punished by the nature that created them.”
Kadru and Vinta spent a restless night and woke up early in the morning. They decided to go by the sky route to the place where Ucchashrava was grazing. Meanwhile, the serpents were a worried lot. Afraid of their mother's curse, they decided among themselves, “We should do as our mother has asked us to. If her wish is not granted, then she will blaze us with her anger. However, if we do as she pleases, then she may even free us from this curse. Come, let us turn the horse’s tail black.” Thus decided, they wrapped themselves over Ucchashrava’s tail, so that it looked black in color.
When Kadru and Vinta reached the horse, they saw that the horse’s body was as white as moonlight but its tail was black. As soon as Vinta saw this, she turned pale as she had lost the bet. From that moment, she accepted to be Kadru's slave.
Beautiful story of rivalry between two sisters. Both had a kind of love-hate relationship. Born from the same father, they were married to the same man. So the sense of rivalry was stronger than normal. If Vinta could not be patient for her egg to break naturally when Kadru's eggs had hatched, then Kadru would leave no stone unturned to win her bet. The story also gives a message on how a mother could curse her sons to die if her wish is not fulfilled. I guess at that time, women had a sense of oneness. Their world was much more than their husbands or children. They were powerful and they knew how to use the power. Power inspires respect and sometimes fear as evidenced when her serpent-sons decided to play a role in the trickery.
ReplyDeleteHer name is not VINTA. It is VINATA. Tharefore her son GARUDA is called VAINATEYA on his Mother's name Vinata.
ReplyDeleteThe Daksha Prajapati gave his thirteen daughters (Aditi, Diti, Kadru, Danu, Arishta, Surasa, Surabhi, Vinata, Tamra, Krodhavaśā, Idā, Vishva and Muni in marriage to Kashyapa Maharshi.
Kashyapa was the father of the Devas, Asuras, Nagas and all of humanity. He married Aditi, with whom he fathered Agni, the Adityas, and most importantly Lord Vishnu took his fifth Avatar as Vamana, the son of Aditi, in the seventh Manvantara. With his second wife, Diti, he begot the Daityas. Diti and Aditi were daughters of King Daksha Prajapati and sisters to Sati, Shiva's consort( Parvati or Dakshayini). Kashyap received the earth, obtained by Parashurama's conquest of King Kartavirya Arjuna and henceforth, earth came to be known as "Kashyapi".
His sons from Aditi or Adityas were Aṃśa, Aryaman, Bhaga, Dhatr, Mitra, Pūṣan, a daughter Bhumidevi, Śakra, Savitṛ, Tvaṣṭṛ, Varuṇa, Viṣṇu, and Vivasvat or Vivasvan, who went on to start the Solar Dynasty (Suryavansha), which later came to be known as Ikshvaku dynasty, after his great grandson, King Ikshvaku, whose subsequent kings were, Kukshi, Vikukshi, Bana, Anaranya, Prithu, Trishanku, and finally King Raghu, who gave it the name, Raghuvansha (Dynasty of Raghu), and then further leading up to Lord Ram, the son of Dashratha.
His sons from Diti were Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha and a daughter Sinhika, who later became the wife of Viprachitti. Hiranyakashipu had four sons, Anuhlada, Hlada, Prahlada, and Sanhlada, who further extended the Daityas.
Garuda and Aruna are the sons of Kashyap from his wife Vinata.
The Nāgas (serpents) are his sons from Kadru.
The Danavas are his sons from Danu.
The Bhagavata Purana states that the Apsaras were born from Kashyap and Muni.
Uttar Ramayana says Diti had a son named Maya who was the lord of Daityas.
In the family line of Kashyap, along with him there are two more discoverers of Mantras: his sons Avatsara and Asita. Two sons of Avatsara, Nidhruva and Rebha, are also Mantra-seers. In the Manvantara period named 'Svarochisha', Kashyapa was one of the seven sages (saptarishi) for that manvantara.
The Indian valley of Kashmir in the Himalayas is named after him- Kashyap-Mira..or Kashmira.
For any clarification:- my Email Id is brvijayashankar@gmail.com OR brvijayashankar@yahoo.com
ReplyDelete