Shloka 3.14.6
जटायुस्संवादः — Encounter with Jaṭāyu and the Genealogy of Beings (Aranyakanda 14)
पूर्वकाले महाबाहो ये प्रजापतयोऽभवन्।तान्मे निगदतस्सर्वानादितश्शृणु राघव।।3.14.6।।
kardamaḥ prathamas teṣāṃ vikrītas tadanantaraḥ |
śeṣaś ca saṃśrayaś caiva bahuputraś ca vīryavān || 3.14.7 ||
sthāṇur marīcir atriś ca kratuś caiva mahābalaḥ |
pulastyaś cāṅgirāś caiva pracetāḥ pūlahas tathā || 3.14.8 ||
dakṣo vivasvān aparo ’riṣṭanemiś ca rāghava |
kāśyapaś ca mahātejās teṣām āsīc ca paścimaḥ || 3.14.9 ||
“O Rāghava, among them Kardama was the first; after him came Vikrīta; then Śeṣa and Saṃśraya, and the valiant Bahuputra; then Sthāṇu, Marīci, Atri, and the mighty Kratu; Pulastya, Aṅgiras, Pracetas, and likewise Pulaha; then Dakṣa, Vivasvān, and Ariṣṭanemi; and last among them was the greatly radiant Kāśyapa.”
O mighty-armed Rama! hear from me while I am telling you about the lords ofcreation from the very beginning.
Dharma as order and continuity: naming the Prajāpati line affirms a moral universe grounded in lineage, responsibility, and the preservation of truth through generations.
Jatāyu provides a formal list of ancient progenitors as part of explaining his origin and credibility to Rāma.
Truthful, disciplined recollection (smṛti and satya): Jatāyu’s careful enumeration reflects integrity in testimony.