Shloka 25
Daitya–Dānava Vaṁśa, Kaśyapa’s Progeny, and the Birth of the Maruts
खषा तु यक्षरक्षांसि मुनिर् अप्सरसस् तथा अरिष्टा तु महासत्त्वान् गन्धर्वान् समजीजनत्
khaṣā tu yakṣarakṣāṃsi munir apsarasas tathā ariṣṭā tu mahāsattvān gandharvān samajījanat
From Khaṣā were born the Yakṣas and the Rākṣasas; and from Muni came forth the Apsarases. But Ariṣṭā brought into being the mighty-souled Gandharvas.
Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Origins of yakṣas, rākṣasas, apsarases, and gandharvas from Kaśyapa’s consorts
Teaching: Cosmological
Quality: authoritative
Creation Stage: Secondary
Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas
Concept: Diverse orders of beings arise within a single sovereign ordinance, showing the cosmos as structured plurality under one Supreme cause.
Vedantic Theme: Brahman
Application: See diversity of temperaments and roles as part of a larger order; practice reverence and ethical discernment rather than fear or contempt.
Vishishtadvaita: Unity-in-plurality: many classes of beings subsist as modes (prakāra) of the one Lord, supporting qualified non-dualism rather than sheer dualism.
Vishnu Form: Para-Brahman
Jagat Karana: Yes
FAQs
This verse assigns clear origins to major classes of beings, showing that even celestial entertainers (Apsarases, Gandharvas) and fearsome night-beings (Rākṣasas) arise within an ordered cosmology rather than by chaos.
Parāśara describes creation genealogically: specific progenitresses give rise to specific orders of beings, presenting the universe as a structured family-tree of life and powers.
Although not named in the verse’s grammar, the chapter’s framework treats these births as occurring within Viṣṇu’s supreme governance—creation’s diversity unfolds under the One sustaining reality.