Shloka 17
मानससृष्टिः, रुद्रोत्पत्तिः, मन्वादिवंशः, प्रलयचतुष्टयम्
ददौ प्रसूतिं दक्षाय आकूतिं रुचये पुरा प्रजापतिः स जग्राह तयोर् जज्ञे सदक्षिणः पुत्रो यज्ञो महाभाग दम्पत्योर् मिथुनं ततः
dadau prasūtiṃ dakṣāya ākūtiṃ rucaye purā prajāpatiḥ sa jagrāha tayor jajñe sadakṣiṇaḥ putro yajño mahābhāga dampatyor mithunaṃ tataḥ
In ancient times the Prajāpati gave Prasūti to Dakṣa and Ākūti to Ruci. Ruci accepted her; and from that couple, O noble one, was born Yajña, together with Dakṣiṇā as his consort, and from that marriage the divine pair was manifested.
Sage Parāśara (narrating) to Maitreya
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: How Prajāpati marriages generate lineages and the personification of Yajña
Teaching: Genealogical
Quality: revealing
Creation Stage: Manvantara
Manvantara: Svayambhuva
Concept: Through ordained unions of Prajāpatis arises Yajña, signaling that sacrifice and duty are woven into the very genesis of social and cosmic continuity.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Practice ‘yajña’ as self-offering—service, generosity, and disciplined duty—so personal life supports collective well-being.
Vishishtadvaita: Yajña as a divine principle reflects the Lord’s immanent governance: worldly action becomes sacred when offered within His order (śeṣatva/service).
Dharma Exemplar: Yajña-dharma (sacrificial order sustaining cosmos)
Key Kings: Daksha, Ruci, Prasuti, Akuti, Yajna, Daksina
Vishnu Form: Narayana
FAQs
This verse presents Yajña as the personification of sacrifice born in the Prajāpati line, with Dakṣiṇā as his inseparable counterpart—signifying that cosmic order is sustained through sacred offering and its rightful completion.
Parāśara narrates marriages and progeny of primordial figures (Prajāpatis) to map how dharma-oriented institutions—like yajña—enter the world through lineage and sanctioned unions.
Even when Vishnu is not named, the Purana frames yajña and cosmic governance as expressions of the Supreme sustaining principle—aligned with Vishnu’s role as the preserver of ṛta (universal order).