Recently, there was some discussion, in a different forum, about why the bride's family is expected to bear the entire cost of the wedding and if there is any scriptural basis for such (an unfair) practice. This brings to the topic of the very first marriages, which were "arranged" marriages, as described in the Srimad Bhagavatam (SB).
After several failed attempts in his plans to populate all the lokas (as was commanded by Bhagavan), Brahma, finally created the first human couple, Swayambhoo (male) and Shataroopa (female). They started populating the lokas, following what is the known as Maithuna dharma (sexual reproduction) . Mithuna refers to a couple and Maithuna is the abstract form, like the words happy and happiness. The same word is used for the astrological sign for Gemini, depicted by twins, or a couple.
This first couple, about whom sadly few Hindus know, are the Hindu equivalent of Christian Adam and Eve. But unlike Eve, this couple sprang out of Brahma, both the male and the female. Brahma is also known as "Ka". Since the couple emerged from "Ka", the human body we all have is referred to by the word Kaayaa, which means produced by "Ka", or emerging from Brahma (Ka).
This first couple, who were produced in the first day of Brahma's life (we are now in the first day of the second half of Brahma's life, i.e., first day of Brahma's 51st year), had three daughters, Aakuti, Devahuti and Prasooti, and two sons. The sons were named Priyavrata and Uttaanapaada. Of the three daughters, Devahuti, the middle one, is the most renowned. She was given away in marriage to the sage Kardama and this is described in detail Canto 3.
Aakuti was given in marriage to the sage Ruchi and Prasooti was married to Daksha. Indeed, the progeny produced by Daksha's daughters (human and non-human), has populated all the universe. Daksha had 16 daughters with Prasooti (Canto 4, chapter 1, verse 47) and 60 daughters with another wife named Asikni (Canto 6, chapter 6, verse 1). Notice the preponderance of female births here. Devahuti too gave birth two nine daughters (in a single pregnancy!) and then gave birth to a son. (So, Octomom does NOT hold the record of births in a single pregnancy!)
Bhagavan Himself was born as the son of Devahuti and Kardama and was known as Kapila in that avatara. He instructed His mother Devahuti in Sankhya yoga. This is the original Sankhya yoga, later also taught by Krishna to Arjuna (in chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita). Devahuti and Kardama's story is thus described in some detail in Srimad Bhagavatam (Canto 3, chapters 21 to 33). The instructions of Bhagavan, to His mother Devahuti, are also referred to as Kapila Gita. Recently, ISKCON has published a portion of Kapila Gita as a separate book.
Brahma ordered the sage Kardama to take up a wife and procreate. Having been so ordered, the sage then started performing austerities on the banks of the river Saraswati for 10,000 years. Bhagavan Himself was pleased with Kardama's penance and appeared before the sage and offered him a boon. When the sage dutifully asked that he wanted a wife, the Srimad Bhagavatam states that Bhagavan shed a tear from the corner of His eye. "So much penance and all this guy wants is a wife, not moksha!" That seems to have been Bhagavan's reasoning to shed the tear. This tear shed by Bhagavan transformed into a huge lake, known as Bindusarovar. The waters of this lake are the most purifying of all, as sweet as nectar, and relished by all Maharishis.
After receiving blessings from Bhagavan Himself, the sage Kardama continued his penance at the same place, awaiting the appointed time when, as promised to him by Bhagavan, he would be offered the daughter of Swayambhoo Manu. At the same time, Swayambhoo Manu also received instructions from Bhagavan that he should seek the sage Kardama since he was the fitting husband for Devahuti. The celestial rishi, Narada, also appeared in the Swaymabhoo household, and extolled Kardama's virtues, and Devahuti fell in love with Kardama and wanted him for her husband. So, Swayambhoo Manu finally appeared with his wife and daughter at the ashrama (hermitage) of the sage.
Before revealing the purpose of his visit to the sage's ashram, Swayambhoo Manu offers his humble obeisances to the sage and in turn is welcomed by the sage with all the honors due to an esteemed guest. The preliminary conversation between the sage and Swayambhoo Manu is worth recalling here, since here Swayambhoo Manu also speaks about the description given in the Purusha Sooktam about how the different varnas were created. Here it is stated that the four varnas were created from the different limbs of Brahma's body (Viraat shareera). Brahma himself praises Bhagavan using the Purusha Sooktam (when all the devas, Lord Shiva and Brahma visit Mahavishnu before Krishna's appearance) but in the latter case the Viraat shareera must be Bhagavan's not Brahma's as stated in Swayambhoo's Manu's version. Description of Bhagavan's Viraat shareera is found in Canto 2 (chapter 6, verses 41 to 45), Canto 3 (chapter 6, verses 30 to 36 describe creation of varnas) and again in Kapila Gita section of Canto 3, chapter 26 in the instructions of Bhagavan to Devahuti.
Swyambhoo Manu tells the sage Kardama, "Brahma, who is the very embodiment of the Vedas (Brahma received the Vedas from Bhagavan), created the Brahmanas like you from his face (Brahmaasrujat swamukhato, verse2, chapter 12, canto 3) in order to protect these divine revelations. That is only possible by those like you who are the very treasure houses of tapas (austerities) , vidya (knowledge), yogas, and full detachment (vairagyam, but the word used is anala lampataan). And, then, as if wanting to protect his own creation of this divine embodiment of the Vedas, Brahma with his thousands of heads, arms, eyes, legs, etc. decided to create us Kshatriyas as well from his strong and mighty arms. And, so Brahmanas are also called the heart of Brahma and the Kshatriyas as the very body of Brahma." (verse 3, chapter 12, canto 3).
"And, thus the different varnas are connected and related to the same body and being connected to the same body, the real protector of all is Bhagavan Sri Hari Himself. It is He who is manifested in all these forms and yet remains untransformed (sadasadaatmakahaa) . After being blessed with your darshan (sight), I am now convinced of this eternal truth since you spoke to me with such high praise of the duties of a king when you welcomed me into your hermitage. It is clear to me that it is Bhagavan Himself who is eager to protect dharma in everyway, through this."
Tava sandarshanaat evacchinnaah may sarva samshayaahaa l
Yat swayam Bhagavan preetyaa dharmam aaha ririkshishoho ll 3.12.5 ll
These verses clearly describe, through the conversation of Swaymabhoo Manu and the sage Kardama, the order that Bhagavan wanted in the lokas when He created the different varnas (literally colors, or classes of people, in English we use the divisive word castes). Each was meant to co-exist as co-equal and all being in eternal connection with the Supreme Himself. It is indeed, sad, that we have strayed so far in the 21st century from this ideal as described in the Srimad Bhagavatam. In fact, in Canto 3, chapter 6, verse 33 it is stated that the emotion called seva vrutti (the desire to serve the Lord) was created (born) from Bhagavan's feet for the siddhi (successful accomplishment) of Dharma, and took form as the Shudra varna.
Padbhyaam Bhagavato jagnye shushrooshaa dharma-siddhaye l
Tasyaam jaatah puraa shoodro yadvrutyaa tushyate Harih ll 3.6.33 ll SB
Yete varNaah swadharmeNa yajatanti swagurm Harim l
Shraddhayaatma- vishudyartham yajjaataah saha vruttibhihee ll 3.6.34 ll SB
After several failed attempts in his plans to populate all the lokas (as was commanded by Bhagavan), Brahma, finally created the first human couple, Swayambhoo (male) and Shataroopa (female). They started populating the lokas, following what is the known as Maithuna dharma (sexual reproduction) . Mithuna refers to a couple and Maithuna is the abstract form, like the words happy and happiness. The same word is used for the astrological sign for Gemini, depicted by twins, or a couple.
This first couple, about whom sadly few Hindus know, are the Hindu equivalent of Christian Adam and Eve. But unlike Eve, this couple sprang out of Brahma, both the male and the female. Brahma is also known as "Ka". Since the couple emerged from "Ka", the human body we all have is referred to by the word Kaayaa, which means produced by "Ka", or emerging from Brahma (Ka).
This first couple, who were produced in the first day of Brahma's life (we are now in the first day of the second half of Brahma's life, i.e., first day of Brahma's 51st year), had three daughters, Aakuti, Devahuti and Prasooti, and two sons. The sons were named Priyavrata and Uttaanapaada. Of the three daughters, Devahuti, the middle one, is the most renowned. She was given away in marriage to the sage Kardama and this is described in detail Canto 3.
Aakuti was given in marriage to the sage Ruchi and Prasooti was married to Daksha. Indeed, the progeny produced by Daksha's daughters (human and non-human), has populated all the universe. Daksha had 16 daughters with Prasooti (Canto 4, chapter 1, verse 47) and 60 daughters with another wife named Asikni (Canto 6, chapter 6, verse 1). Notice the preponderance of female births here. Devahuti too gave birth two nine daughters (in a single pregnancy!) and then gave birth to a son. (So, Octomom does NOT hold the record of births in a single pregnancy!)
Bhagavan Himself was born as the son of Devahuti and Kardama and was known as Kapila in that avatara. He instructed His mother Devahuti in Sankhya yoga. This is the original Sankhya yoga, later also taught by Krishna to Arjuna (in chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita). Devahuti and Kardama's story is thus described in some detail in Srimad Bhagavatam (Canto 3, chapters 21 to 33). The instructions of Bhagavan, to His mother Devahuti, are also referred to as Kapila Gita. Recently, ISKCON has published a portion of Kapila Gita as a separate book.
Brahma ordered the sage Kardama to take up a wife and procreate. Having been so ordered, the sage then started performing austerities on the banks of the river Saraswati for 10,000 years. Bhagavan Himself was pleased with Kardama's penance and appeared before the sage and offered him a boon. When the sage dutifully asked that he wanted a wife, the Srimad Bhagavatam states that Bhagavan shed a tear from the corner of His eye. "So much penance and all this guy wants is a wife, not moksha!" That seems to have been Bhagavan's reasoning to shed the tear. This tear shed by Bhagavan transformed into a huge lake, known as Bindusarovar. The waters of this lake are the most purifying of all, as sweet as nectar, and relished by all Maharishis.
After receiving blessings from Bhagavan Himself, the sage Kardama continued his penance at the same place, awaiting the appointed time when, as promised to him by Bhagavan, he would be offered the daughter of Swayambhoo Manu. At the same time, Swayambhoo Manu also received instructions from Bhagavan that he should seek the sage Kardama since he was the fitting husband for Devahuti. The celestial rishi, Narada, also appeared in the Swaymabhoo household, and extolled Kardama's virtues, and Devahuti fell in love with Kardama and wanted him for her husband. So, Swayambhoo Manu finally appeared with his wife and daughter at the ashrama (hermitage) of the sage.
Before revealing the purpose of his visit to the sage's ashram, Swayambhoo Manu offers his humble obeisances to the sage and in turn is welcomed by the sage with all the honors due to an esteemed guest. The preliminary conversation between the sage and Swayambhoo Manu is worth recalling here, since here Swayambhoo Manu also speaks about the description given in the Purusha Sooktam about how the different varnas were created. Here it is stated that the four varnas were created from the different limbs of Brahma's body (Viraat shareera). Brahma himself praises Bhagavan using the Purusha Sooktam (when all the devas, Lord Shiva and Brahma visit Mahavishnu before Krishna's appearance) but in the latter case the Viraat shareera must be Bhagavan's not Brahma's as stated in Swayambhoo's Manu's version. Description of Bhagavan's Viraat shareera is found in Canto 2 (chapter 6, verses 41 to 45), Canto 3 (chapter 6, verses 30 to 36 describe creation of varnas) and again in Kapila Gita section of Canto 3, chapter 26 in the instructions of Bhagavan to Devahuti.
Swyambhoo Manu tells the sage Kardama, "Brahma, who is the very embodiment of the Vedas (Brahma received the Vedas from Bhagavan), created the Brahmanas like you from his face (Brahmaasrujat swamukhato, verse2, chapter 12, canto 3) in order to protect these divine revelations. That is only possible by those like you who are the very treasure houses of tapas (austerities) , vidya (knowledge), yogas, and full detachment (vairagyam, but the word used is anala lampataan). And, then, as if wanting to protect his own creation of this divine embodiment of the Vedas, Brahma with his thousands of heads, arms, eyes, legs, etc. decided to create us Kshatriyas as well from his strong and mighty arms. And, so Brahmanas are also called the heart of Brahma and the Kshatriyas as the very body of Brahma." (verse 3, chapter 12, canto 3).
"And, thus the different varnas are connected and related to the same body and being connected to the same body, the real protector of all is Bhagavan Sri Hari Himself. It is He who is manifested in all these forms and yet remains untransformed (sadasadaatmakahaa) . After being blessed with your darshan (sight), I am now convinced of this eternal truth since you spoke to me with such high praise of the duties of a king when you welcomed me into your hermitage. It is clear to me that it is Bhagavan Himself who is eager to protect dharma in everyway, through this."
Tava sandarshanaat evacchinnaah may sarva samshayaahaa l
Yat swayam Bhagavan preetyaa dharmam aaha ririkshishoho ll 3.12.5 ll
These verses clearly describe, through the conversation of Swaymabhoo Manu and the sage Kardama, the order that Bhagavan wanted in the lokas when He created the different varnas (literally colors, or classes of people, in English we use the divisive word castes). Each was meant to co-exist as co-equal and all being in eternal connection with the Supreme Himself. It is indeed, sad, that we have strayed so far in the 21st century from this ideal as described in the Srimad Bhagavatam. In fact, in Canto 3, chapter 6, verse 33 it is stated that the emotion called seva vrutti (the desire to serve the Lord) was created (born) from Bhagavan's feet for the siddhi (successful accomplishment) of Dharma, and took form as the Shudra varna.
Padbhyaam Bhagavato jagnye shushrooshaa dharma-siddhaye l
Tasyaam jaatah puraa shoodro yadvrutyaa tushyate Harih ll 3.6.33 ll SB
Yete varNaah swadharmeNa yajatanti swagurm Harim l
Shraddhayaatma- vishudyartham yajjaataah saha vruttibhihee ll 3.6.34 ll SB
