Female Links

Before telling the vaas, Vaiapyana has already described the initial unfolding of life on earth in connection with the ‘secret of the gods’ whereby non-human personalities took on human identities and fought to the death at kuruketra. This cosmic perspective – the avatra story – is given from 1.58:25 to 1.59:6. Janamejaya then interrupts and asks Vaiapyaa to tell the origins of all creatures; so he does (from 1.59:9 to 1.60:69), after which Janamejaya speaks again to ask for the details of who descended as whom (1.61).