Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto Six, Chapter Six
The Progeny of the Daughters of Dakṣa
As described in this chapter, Prajāpati Dakṣa begot sixty daughters in the womb of his wife Asiknī. These daughters were given in charity to various persons to increase the population. Since these offspring of Dakṣa were women, Nārada Muni did not try to lead them toward the renounced order of life. Thus the daughters were saved from Nārada Muni. Ten of the daughters were given in marriage to Dharmarāja, thirteen to Kaśyapa Muni, and twenty-seven to the moon-god, Candra. In this way fifty daughters were distributed, and of the other ten daughters, four were given to Kaśyapa and two each to Bhūta, Aṅgirā and Kṛśāśva. One should know that it is because of the union of these sixty daughters with various exalted personalities that the entire universe was filled with various kinds of living entities, such as human beings, demigods, demons, beasts, birds and serpents.
TEXT 1
śrī-śuka uvāca
tataḥ prācetaso ’siknyām
anunītaḥ svayambhuvā
ṣaṣṭiṁ sañjanayām āsa
duhitṝḥ pitṛ-vatsalāḥ
SYNONYMS
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca—Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said; tataḥ—after that incident; prācetasaḥ—Dakṣa; asiknyām—in his wife named Asiknī; anunītaḥ—pacified; svayambhuvā—by Lord Brahmā; ṣaṣṭim—sixty; sañjanayām āsa—begot; duhitṝḥ—daughters; pitṛ-vatsalāḥ—all very affectionate to their father.
TRANSLATION
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, thereafter, at the request of Lord Brahmā, Prajāpati Dakṣa, who is known as Prācetasa, begot sixty daughters in the womb of his wife Asiknī. All the daughters were very affectionate toward their father.
PURPORT
After the incidents concerning the loss of his many sons, Dakṣa repented his misunderstanding with Nārada Muni. Lord Brahmā then saw Dakṣa and instructed him to beget children again. This time Dakṣa was very cautious to beget female children instead of male children so that Nārada Muni would not disturb them by urging them to accept the renounced order. Females are not meant for the renounced order of life; they should be faithful to their good husbands, for if a husband is competent for liberation, his wife will also achieve liberation with him. As stated in the śāstra, the results of a husband’s pious activities are shared by his wife. Therefore a woman’s duty is to be very chaste and faithful to her husband. Then without separate endeavor she will share in all the profit the husband earns.