Saptarishis - Family Lineage of Lord Brahma

Lord Brahma is the first of  3 major Hindu gods called the “Trimurti,” which includes Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver, and Shiva, the destroyer. Lord Brahma is born from the union of Brahm-Kaal & Durga or Kaali (Maya/Ashtangi/Prakriti Devi). 

Saptarishis were the mind born sons of Brahma. They were advised to perform procreation. Blood relation was not a criterion for the creation. Similarly age difference too was not seen. 

In the First Manvanthara the Saptharishies were 

a) Mareechi (Marichi) b) Atri c) Angeerasa (Angirasa) d) Pulasthya e) Pulaha f) Kratu and g) Vasistha. 

Other than Saptarishi's Brahma had other mind born sons like Manu, Brighu and Narada. His Mind born daughter was Satrupa or Satarupa. 

Manu mind born son of Brahma married Satrupa mind born daughter. They Gave birth to a lot of children and grand children.

Sage Marichi

Sage Mareechi and his six brothers(Saptarishis) married the seven daughters of Sage Kardam and Devahuti. It was Kala, Sage Kardam's daughter who was married to sage Marichi. They begot two children, a son Sage Kashyapa and a daughter Purnima. 

Sage Kashyapa was responsible for the procreation of several races including those of the Devas and Asuras. 

Purnima had two sons Viraja and Vishvaga and a daughter Devakulya. Today we know Devakulya as the River Ganga. 

Regarding the ancestry of sage couple Kardam and Devhuti understand they have come from Manu - Satrupa couple. By marrying the seven daughters of sage couple Kardam- Devahuti, these Saptarishis have become co- brother also among themselves. 

Daksha Prajapati married his thirteen daughters with sage Kashyapa. The world is mainly the progeny of Kashyapa. Daksha married his 27 daughters to Moon and one daughter Sati to Lord Siva.So Kashyapa has become co- brother to Lord Siva and Moon God. Mareechi has also become Sambandhi (relative) of Daksha. 

Ganga is the semi God who appears in Mahabharata story and Sage Bhageeratha story. King Santhanu married Ganga. Bhishma pithamaha was their son. Bhageeratha was an ancestor to Panadvas and Kouravas. 

Sage Kashyapa created Sage Vibhandaka using his mental prowess while he was meditating. As soon as Vibondaka came out of Kashyapa's mind, he went to the deepest forests to perform very severe austerities. He was only performing the austerities for self-realization, but Indra was worried that he may in time usurp Indra's throne. So Indra as usual asked Brahma for his best apsara or divine maiden to send with him. Brahma sent Harsha, the ever-smiling one with Indra.  

Apsara Harsha came to Vibondaka's hermitage and began chanting mantras. Vibondaka heard this clear pronunciation of Vedic mantras, and looked at her. She fell at his feet and said, "Only for begetting a son from you have I chanted these mantras. If you don't accept this request, then I will end me." Vibondaka said that he would not have sex with her as it would reduce the effect of his penance, but he would not let her die. He dropped some semen and told Harsha to impregnate herself. Harsha then understood that Indra had nothing to fear, so her mission was fulfilled. But she did not want to become pregnant and Vibondaka's semen was burning the earth. 

So using her divine powers apsara Harsha put the semen in the ovaries of a deer. The deer soon delivered a baby who had a human form, but with deer horns. This child was Sage Rishyashringa, meanings a human being with deer horns. King Dasaratha had a daughter by name Santha. Sage Rishiasringa married her. Rishisasringa later conducted Puthra Kameshti yagam of Dasaratha. So Sage Rishiasringa was Athiambar of Sri Rama, Lakshmana etc. and of course was very elder to them. 

Sage Sandilya was the descendant of sage Kashyapa and hence of sage Mareechi. His father's name was 'Devala' He was the royal priest of king Dileep who belonged to Soorya vamsa. Sage Sandilya was the chief Hota to Sage Viswamithra in creating the Trisanku swarga yagya.  

Sage Atri 

Sage Atri had a very chaste wife Anasuya and their son Sage Durvasa. Durvasa remained bachelor. Sage Durvasa appear in Maha bharata -He grants the boon of children to Kunti. He also curse Sakuntala for not welcoming him immediately in to the ashram ,she being on thoughts of king Dushyanta.

 Sage Kanva- a contemporary of sage Durvasa, too was a bachelor sage who brought up Shakuntala.

Sage Angirasa

Deva Guru Brihaspathi was born to Sage Angeerasa and his wife Suroopa. His brothers were Agni, Utathya and Samvartana. 

Brihaspathi had three wives -Subha, Mamta and Tara 

Seven daughters were born to Shubha " Bhanumati, Raka, Archismati, Mahishrvati, Siniwali and Havishmati. 

Seven sons and a daughter were born to Tara from Brihaspathi. Tara had another son Budha from Moon God. Budha married Ila and King Pururuva was born.  In the lineage of King Puruva the Pandavas and Kouravas had born. 

Mamta gave birth to Kacha who married Devayani, daughter of Asura guru- Sukra. 

Deva Guru Brahaspathi's another Son was Sage Bharadwaja ,who was brought up by king Bharat. Sage Bharadwaja was responsible for the medical development of those days. Sage Bharadwaja was a disciple of Sage Gauthama as well as of Sage Valmiki. He was a first hand witness to the incident of the Krauncha birds. 

Sage Bharadwaja married Suseela and through her a son was born. He became Sage Garga. 

Sage Bharadwaja had a daughter too called Devavarnini. She was given in marriage to Sage Visravas . Kubera- the wealth keeper was the son born to them . This means Bharadwaja was the grand father of Kubera from maternal side.  

Sage Bharadwaja saw the Apsara Ghritachi rising from the river after ablations, His vitality emerged from his body. The Rishi stored this vitality in a pot. Rishi Dronacharya was born from this pot. The meaning of Drona is Pot-born. Bharadwaja trained Drona in use of weapons. Drona also learnt the use of weapons from sage Parasurama himself. Dronacharya was the teacher on Arms to Pandavas.  

Sage Angirasa along with Sage Atharvan are said to have composed most of the Atharvana Veda.  

Sage Gouthama- a descendent of sage married to Ahalya and 3 sons were born to them - Vamadeva, Nodhas and Shatanada . The Chief priest of King Janaka of Mithila, was Shatananda.

Sage Pulasthya

We have learnt earlier that Satrupa was mind born daughter of Brahma. In the lineage from Satrupa and his wife Prasuti, one of the daughters named Preeti got married to Sage Pulasthya. He also married Sradhha, granddaughter of sage Pulaha. 

Preeti who wife of Sage Pulasthya had two sons named Dattarnavr and Dahvahu. She also had a daughter named Dwashdwati. 

Sage Pulaha

Sage Pulaha married to Kshama, on of the daughters of Satarupa (mind born son of Lord Brahma) and his wife Prasuti. They had three sons - Kardama, Arva-rivat, and Sahishnu. Out of this Sage Kardam became prominent. His wife was Devhuti. They had seven daughters and one son Kapila. They were married to Saptarishis. 

Sage Kardama's daughter was Sradhha. This mean Sradhha was the grand daughter of sage Pulaha. She married Sage Pulasthya. 

 Sage Parasara was a disciple of Sage Pulaha.

Sage Parasara was the grandson of Sage Vasistha. Parasara married Satyavati and son born was Vedavyasa. 

Sage Pulaha was also father of Sage Visravas, the father of Kubera and Ravana through demon women, and all the Rakshasas are supposed to have sprung from him. In simple language sage Pulahawas thatha of Kubera and Ravana. 

Sage Kratu

Sage Kratu did not produce normal beings. It was Kriya, Sage Kardam's daughter who was married to sage Kratu. Kratu had 60,000 sons called as Valikhilyas. They were no bigger than a joint of the thumb. 

Sage Vasistha

Arundhati married to Sage Vasishta and produced Seven Sons - Chitraketu, Surochi, Viraja, Mitra, Ulbana, Vasubhridyana and Dyuman, who became great sages themselves.  Vasishta also had children from his other wife. Most prominent was sage Sakthi. 

 Sage Veda Vyasa- Lineage of Vasistha and his wife Satyavathi who Son of sage Parasara.

Veda vyasa was father of Sage Suga, Pandu and Dhritharshtra and Vidura. He was the grandfather of Pandavas and Kouravas. 

Sage Viswamithra- a contemporary of sage Vasistha.

 Viswamithra was father of Sakunthala, grand father of king Bharat. Since Viswamithra and Vasistha appear in Ramayana story they were contempory with Rajarshi Dasaratha.

Bharatha was the son born to Sakunthala from king Dushyantha by Gandharva marriage. So Viswamithra was the grand father of Bharatha. Bharatha's adopted son was sage Bharadwaja. So Sage Bharadwaja was the great grandson of Sage Viswamithra. The legend is that sage Bharadwaja was born, as the son of Brihaspati. His mother was the wife of Utathya. She became pregnant by her husband and by Brihaspati, it is told.that Dirgha-tamas, the son by Uthathya kicked his half-brother (Bharadwaja) out of the womb before his birth in anger. At that time Brihaspati said to his mother, `Bhara-dwa-jam,' `Cherish this child of two fathers.'  

Once, a desire arose in the mind of Veda vyasa.He met the Sage Jabali and proposed to marry his daughter Vatika. Accepting the proposal, the sage Jabali happily married his daughter Vatika to VedaVyasa. Thus, living in his hermitage amidst the forests, Maharishi Vedavyasa began his married life. With time, his wife Vatika became pregnant and had a peculiar birth of a child. He was Sage Suka. Sage Suka remained as bachelor.  Sage Suka preached Shrimad Bhagwat to King Parikshith (grand son of Arjuna) for 7 days continuously. Sage Ugrava present there repeated it to sage Suta. Hence Srimad Bhagavatham has become famous. 

Brahma is said to have been created from the navel of Vishnu. The life span of Brahma is of 100 years (day time). During the day Brahma starts the creation process and at night Brahma goes to sleep (only Brahma goes to sleep not Lord Shiv and Lord Vishnu) and during the night all life force he created is absorbed back into him. The creation and destruction is repeated forever.

The entire time period of the universe is known as Kalp. "Kalp" equals to one day (day + night) of Brahma. Day means the existence period of the universe and night means the destruction period of the universe. The time period of day and night is same.

In the Hindu religion Vedas were formed in the beginning of the universe. The counting of the time period of the beginning of the universe is as following.

One day of Brahma (only day) is divided into 14 parts and each part is known as Manvantara. 

Each Manvantara = 71 Chaturyug. Chaturyug is combination of 4 yugs (satyug, tretayug, dwaparyug and kalyug). Each manvantara is ruled over by a Manu.

MANVANTARAS	SAPTARISHIS
Swayambhu	Mareechi	Atri	Angiras	Pulaha	Kratu	Pulastya	Vashishth
Swarochisa	Urja	Stambha	Prana	Dattoli	Rishabh	Nischara	Arvarívat
Auttami	Kaukundihi	Kurundi	Dalaya	Sankha	Praváhita	Mita	Sammita
Tamasa	Jyotirdhama	Prithu	Kavya	Chaitra	Agni	Vanaka	Pivara
Raivata	Hirannyaroma	Vedasr	Urddhabahu	Vedabahu	Sudhaman	Parjanya	Mahámuni
Chakshusha	Sumedhas	Virajas	Havishmat	Uttam	Madhu	Abhináman	Sahishnnu
Vaivasvata	Kashyap	Atri	Vashishth	Vishvamitra	Gautam	Jamadagni	Bharadvaj
Savarni	Díptimat	Gálava	Ráma	Kripacharya	Drauni	Ved Vyása	Rishyasringa
Daksa Savarni	Savana	Dyutimat	Bhavya	Vasu	Medhatithi	Jyotishmán	Satya
Brahma Savarni	Havishmán	Sukriti	Satya	Apámmúrtti	Nábhága	Apratimaujas	Satyaket
Dharma Savarni	Nischara	Agnitejas	Vapushmán	Vishnu	Áruni	Havishmán	Anagha
Rudra Savarni	Tapaswí	Sutapas	Tapomúrtti	Taporati	Tapodhriti	Tapodyuti	Tapodhan
Deva Savarni	Nirmoha	Tatwadersín	Nishprakampa	Nirutsuka	Dhritimat	Avyaya	Sutapas
Indra Savarni	Agnibáhu	Suchi	Sukra	Magadhá	Gridhra	Yukta	Ajita

According to Bhagwat Puran, We are at present in Seventh (7th) Manvantara, 28th Chaturyuga where Satyug, Tretayug and Dwaparyug were completed and now Kalyuga going on which started at 3102 BCE..