SAGEKRATU-PART 1 Dear friends,
Sage Kratu is a revered Vedic rishi and one of the mind-bornsons of Brahma, appearing as a Prajapati in the Swayambhuva Manvantara and again in the VaivasvataManvantara. Known as a key figure in creation, he was married to Kriya(or Sannati) and fathered the 60,000 thumb-sized sages known as the Valakhilyas. Most of the information isby Google search as QA and few are from websites and compiled. Hope aninformative reading to members like me. This is first part of the posting. Gopalakrishnan 21-03-2026 Key Facts About SageKratu: Origin: He is one of the Saptarishis (seven great sages)created from the mind or, in some accounts, the hand/eye of Brahma. Role: He is a Prajapati, tasked with the development ofliving beings in the world. Family: Married to Kriya or Sannati (daughter of Daksha orKardama). He is associated with the 60,000 Valakhilyas—tiny sages who were masters of spiritual knowledge. Mentions: He appears in the Rigveda, Mahabharata, and several Puranas (e.g., Vishnu,Bhagavata), often listed among the progenitors of mankind. Alternative Births: He is sometimes considered a son of SageKardama and one of the Bhargavas. Introduction Sage Kratu is highly respected in Hindu tradition,representing wisdom and the creative power of the progenitor deities. Kratu is described as one of the mind-born children of thecreator deity, Brahma, in Hinduism. He is also a rishi, who appears in twodifferent manvantaras. He is considered to be one among the seven great sages of theage of the first Manu, the Saptarishis, believed to have originated from themind of Brahma. In another legend, he is believed to have been born from hisfather's left eye. Legend In the Svayambhuva Manvantara, Kratu is a Prajapati, a son ofBrahma. He is also the son-in-law of Prajapati Kardama. His wife is namedKriya. It is said that he has 60,000 children. Their name is included in the eighth book of theRigveda. Kratu also has two sisters, Punya and Satyavati. He is also stated to be married to Santati in the Puranas,and the pair has sixty thousand children, called the Balakhilyas, who were each of the size of a thumb, but possessed great mastery over the senses. Balakhilyas Balakhilyas reside in Devaloka. According to the Mahabharata, whilehelping the sage Kashyapa with a sacrifice, they carried with them chips ofwood, even as the devas brought heaps of logs. They wereinsulted when Indra, the king of the devas, laughed at their efforts. By the power of their penance, they started to create another Indra. Terrified, Indrasought the assistance of Kashyapa. The sage pacified the Balakhilyas, and told them that thefruits of their penance would not be in vain; They would beemployed to bless Vinata, who was also performing a penance at the time, with ason who would be able to overpower Indra. Accordingly, Garuda wasborn to her, whowould defeat Indra and the devas, procuring amrita to release his mother fromKadru's bondage. In a different account, the Balakhilyas were able to please Shiva, whogave them a boon that they would be able to produce a bird, which would steal apot of amrita from Indra. I was interested to know more about the creation of Balakhilyas.Google search gave me verygood information. In Hindu mythology, the presence of the Valakhilyas in heavenlyrealms and specifically withinthe Surya Mandala (solar region) is described as a cosmic necessity formaintaining the safety and order of the universe. Their primary roles and the "necessity" of theirpresence are as follows: 1. Protection from SolarHeat The Valakhilyas are believed to act as a celestial shield forthe world. Absorption of Intensity: They travel in front of the SunGod's chariot to absorb the excess heat and radiation emitted by the Sun. Symbolic Ozone Layer: Modern interpretations oftencompare their role to the ozone layer, suggesting they prevent the Earth andits inhabitants from being scorched by harmful ultraviolet rays. 2. Guarding the Sun They are designated as the protectors and companions of theSun. Combating Demons : The Sun is said to face daily battles with demons calledMandokarunars. The Valakhilyas stand beside Surya to ensure his survival andthe continuous journey of the day. Ritualistic Support: They offer constant prayers and Vedichymns (the Valakhilya hymns of the Rig Veda) to sustain the Sun's energy and power. 3. Maintaining UniversalTruth (Dharma) The Mahabharata states that the stability of the entire worlddepends on the severe penance (tapas) performed by these 60,000 thumb-sizedsages. Cosmic Order: Their presence in the solar andlunar regions upholds the Truth upon which the world stands firm. Dakshayaga and sageKratu According to the Shiva Purana, due to his spouse Sati's suicide during theDaksha yajna (the sacrifice of Daksha), Shiva sent his followers to massacre everyone who attended thesacrifice, which included Kratu. As instructed, his followers started punishing each and everydeity and rishi who attended the holy sacrifice. Both the testicles of Kratu are described to havebeen severed during this massacre. When the attendees and survivors begged for hisforgiveness, Shiva agreed, but as a punitive measure, he turned the attendees into animals, or found a suitable punishmentfor their sin. After his testicles wererestored, Kratu married Sannati, the daughter of Daksha. The seven sages, whichincluded him, were all transformed into pygmy sages, no bigger than the joint of the thumb. Theyimmediately started to resort to a life of piety, becoming renowned students ofthe Vedas. I have made Google search to confirm the above. Google search result. While mythological accounts vary, the Shiva Purana and certain versions ofthe Daksha Yajna legend indeed describe a transformation of theattending sages, including Sage Kratu, into a thumb-sized or "pygmy"form as a consequence of the events. The Transformation AfterDaksha Yajna According to these accounts, the transformation was part ofthe divine retribution and subsequent restoration following the destruction ofDaksha's sacrifice: Punitive Measure: After the massacre of the attendeesby Virabhadra, Lord Shiva eventually agreed to restore the survivors. As apunitive yet purifying measure for their failure to stand up for righteousness(Dharma) during the insult to Sati and Shiva, the attending Saptarishis weretransformed into thumb-sized sages. Renowned Vedic Students: Despite their diminished physicalsize, they were blessed tobecome highly advanced students of the Vedas and icons of spiritual discipline. Sage Kratu’s Restoration: Specifically for Kratu, histesticles were severed during the initial attack but were later restored byLord Shiva. Following thisrestoration and his transformation, he married Sannati (Daksha’s daughter) andbecame the father of the 60,000 Valakhilyas, who inherited his thumb-sizedform. Summary of Events: Massacre: Shiva's Ganas attack the Yajna; Kratu is injured. Forgiveness: Shiva restores the attendees upon their plea. Transformation: The Saptarishis become thumb-sized as a signof their spiritual rebirth. Rebirth: Kratu is eventually born again in the currentManvantara to continue his lineage through adoption Kratu was again born in the Vaivasvata Manvantara (theseventh and current manvantara) because of Shiva’s boon. In this Manvantara, he has no family. His origin here states that he wasborn from the hand of Brahma, whereas other rishis are described ashaving been born from other parts of the deity's form. As he had no family or children, Kratu adopted Agastya’sson, Idhmavaha. Sage Kratu and animals Before he was married, Kratu was a good friend of Lord Rudra (Lord Shiva).Rudra was originally called Pasupati, the Lord of Beasts. It appears, though,that he gave away hisauthority of Pasupati to Kratu when Kratu punished Rudra's fatherBrahma for his sinful activities. Later, the demigods divided all the animals among themselves without giving any share to Rudraand without considering Rudra, as he was initially considered a non-Aryan god. Rudra went to Prajapati and told him that he would kill allthe demigods.Prajapati asked him to wait and promised him that soon he would restore thetitle to Rudra. The demigods then proceeded to perform a sacrifice withoutinviting Rudra. The head of the sacrificewas none other than Prajapati Daksha, who was nursing a grudge against Rudra or for the simplereason that hisdaughter Sati married Shiva against his wishes. He did not send evenan invitation to Shiva, who was his son-in-law. Sati went to the sacrifice uninvited anyway, and was terriblyinsulted for marrying abeggar. She was not able to listen to the insults hurled at her byher father and her sisters. She committed suicide by jumping into thesacrificial fire. Hearing the news, Lord Shiva became mad with rage. He pulledout a lock of hair from his head and threw it down, invoking the Spirit ofVeerabhadra or Bhairava. He ordered Veerebhadra to go with his followers anddestroy everybody who attended the Yagna, including Prajapati Daksha. Accordingly, they went andbe-headed Daksha. Then they started punishing each and every god whoattended the holy sacrifice. They knocked out the teeth of Pushan, took out the eyes of Bhaga, andsevered the two testicles of Kratu. All the gods went to Shiva and begged for his mercy. Shivasaid that they should all serve under Him as animals for some time; only thenwould they will regain their original status. All the gods agreed to this.Shiva then restored the teeth, eyes and testicles of the different Gods. Dakshawas also revived by placing the head of a goat on his neck. After his testicleswere restored, Kratu married Sannati (Santathi), the daughter of Daksha. Theywere all pygmy sages no bigger than the joint of the thumb. They were allchaste and pious. All were Brahmacharis and students of Vedas. (References: Maitreya Samhita 4-2-12 AndBrahmanda Purana) It was a new information that Sati married Lord sivaagainst her father’s wishes for me. I have made a Google search Google search result Yes, according to the Puranas, Sati married Lord Shivaagainst the strong wishes and disapproval of her father, Daksha Prajapati. Daksha, a son of Brahma and a powerful king representingsocial order and ritual purity, viewed Shiva as anunsuitable match for his royal daughter. He disdained Shiva's unconventional lifestyle—dwelling in cremation grounds,wearing tiger skins, and associating with ghosts and ghouls. The Marriage Circumstances While specific details vary across different Puranas, thecore conflict remains consistent: Disregarded Disapproval: Despite Daksha's vehementopposition, Sati remained steadfast in her devotion and eventually marriedShiva. The Swayamvara Event: In some accounts, Daksha organizeda swayamvara (self-choice ceremony) and invited all gods except Shiva. Sati, undeterred, threw her weddinggarland into the air, praying for Shiva to receive it; Shiva manifested, andthe garland fell around his neck, effectively sealing the marriage. Brahma's Intervention: Some texts mention that the marriage was facilitated orencouraged by Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu, further fuelling Daksha'sresentment. Consequences of theMarriage This union led to a deep-seated hatred from Daksha toward Shiva, whicheventually culminated in the tragic Daksha Yajna: Deliberate Exclusion: To insult Shiva, Daksha organized agrand sacrifice and intentionally did not invite Sati or Shiva. Sati's Sacrifice: When Sati attended the event uninvited,Daksha publicly humiliated Shiva. Unable to bear the disrespect toward herhusband, Sati immolated herself in the sacrificial fire. Destruction and Rebirth: Enraged by Sati's death, Shiva'sfierce avatar, Virabhadra, destroyed the yajna and beheaded Daksha. Daksha waslater revived with a goat's head, and Sati was eventually reborn as Parvati toreunite with Shiva. I will continue innext posting -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. 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