The Sapta Rishis are Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Marichi, Pulastya, Kratu and Vashistha.

Brahma was born out of Sriman Nārayana and the Sapta Rishis were born out of Brahmā. The sapta rishis are the ancestors of the entire human race, not just those residing in Bhāratavarsha.

Bhagwan Sri Rāma was born in the lineage of Rishi Marichi. So was Janaka. Bhagwan Sri Krishna was born in the lineage of Rishi Atri. Paraśurāma was born in the lineage of Bhrigu who was a Mānasaputra of Brahmā and was born from Brahmā’s heart.

Yayāti was born in the lineage of Rishi Atri. The eldest son of Yayāti was Yadu and the Yādava lineage is from him. Krishna is from the Yādava lineage. His youngest son was Puru and the Paurava lineage is from him. Shāntanu is of the Paurava lineage. Kauravas and Pandavas are in the lineage of Shāntanu.

Our Gotram tells us our lineage. It tells us which Rishis lineage we belong to. Some of us may have forgotten our Gotra or may not be aware of it, but our lineage still remains.

Rishi Kashyapa and Aditi gave birth to Devas. Viwaswān was one of them. The second son of Viwaswān was Manu and his lineage is called Mānava. All humans on earth are born from Manu.

The earth had been enveloped by poisonous plants. The ten sons of Prachētas burnt all the plants with the fire that emanated from their mouths. Their descendant is Daksha Prajāpati.

Nahusha was a great Dharmic King. His eldest son was Yati who became an ascetic. Yayāti was his second son and was crowned.

Yayāti was not faithful to his wife Devayāni. Therefore he was cursed by Śukrāchārya, the father of Devayāni.

Śukrāchārya provided a way in which Yayāti could avoid the curse. He could exchange his old age with another youth; and exchange it back after 1000 years. Yayāti’s youngest son agreed for the exchange. Thus, Yayāti enjoyed his youth for 1000 years.

Rishi Śukrāchārya knew the Sanjeevani Vidya which could revive the dead. Therefore, Asurās could maintain a steady population while that of Dēva’s steadily decreased.
To overcome this, Dēva’s requested the Kacha, son of their Guru Brhaspati to study under Śukrāchārya and learn the Sanjeevani Vidya. Kacha accordingly did so.

Asurās knew of the plan of Kacha to learn Sanjeevani Vidya. The Asurās wanted to kill Kacha in a way that Śukrāchārya cannot revive him. They crushed Kacha and mixed him in the alcohol that Śukrāchārya drank. If Śukrāchārya had tried to revive Kacha, his own stomach would have been torn in the process of Kacha coming out of it.

However, Devayāni was in love with Kacha and beseeched her father to revive Kacha without killing himself.

Therefore, Śukrāchārya taught the Sanjeevani Vidya to Kacha. He then revived Kacha. Once Kacha was revived, he in turn revived Śukrāchārya using the Sanjeevani Vidya he had just learnt.

In this way, Asurās unwittingly ensured that Kacha learnt the vidya, even though they were trying to prevent him from doing so. Śukrāchārya also chided Asurās that Kacha would stay with him and he cannot be killed.

By mixing a crushed Kacha with the alcohol that Śukrāchārya drank, Asurās were able to put the Rishi in a spot. He could not revive Kacha without killing himself.

Realizing this weakness, Śukrāchārya amended the code of conduct for Brahmins to include abstinence from alcohol.

It was at the insistence of Devayāni that Śukrāchārya revived Kacha after teaching him the Sanjeevani Vidya.

However, Kacha did not want to marry Devayāni as she is the daughter of his Guru. He also said that as he had come out of Śukrāchārya’s stomach, he too is his son and is therefore like a sister to Devayāni.

Devayāni cursed that Sanjeevani Vidya would not benefit Kacha. Kacha was unconcerned as his only purpose of learning was to give the Vidya to Devas who can use it.

Devayāni was insulted by Śarmiṣṭhā, the daughter of Vrishaparva, and pushed into a well. Unable to bear this insult, Devayāni and Śukrāchārya were ready to leave the kingdom. The Asuras would have lost without Śukrāchārya on their side to revive their dead with Sanjeevani Vidya.

To convince them to stay, Vrishaparva offered Devayāni whatever she asked. To spite Śarmiṣṭhā, Devayāni demanded that Śarmiṣṭhā, along with 1,000 other girls, become her slave. Thus, Śarmiṣṭhā became her slave and stayed with her even after Devayāni’s marriage to Yayāti.

Śarmiṣṭhā then managed to convince Yayāti that he should marry her. She argued that as a slave bound within her quarters, she was wasting her youth. Since Devayāni is her master, Yayāti too becomes her master. She was able to convince Yayāti in this way.

Śarmiṣṭhā told Devayāni that coming to the help of relatives who are in grief is Dharma. The Asurās would be put into difficulty if Śukrāchārya left the kingdom. Citing this principle, Śarmiṣṭhā agreed to become a life long slave of Devayāni.

Yayāti had given a promise to Śukrāchārya that he will not covet Śarmiṣṭhā. However, Śarmiṣṭhā explained to him that lying is acceptable in five circumstances, when it is playful, during intimacy, for marriage, for protecting one’s life and for protecting one’s wealth.

However Yayāti was not convinced. He said, as a King, my duty is to set an example through my behaviour. I cannot take the excuse of a rule and then set a bad example.

At the end of 1000 years, Yayāti exchanges his youth with his youngest son, who had borne Yayāti’s old age during these 1000 years.

Yayāti shared with him the learning he had gathered through 1000 years of enjoyment. He told his son that desires cannot be quenched by experiencing pleasures. Like pouring ghee in a Yajna, they will only grow bigger. Even when one loses, the desire does not lose and keeps growing. Therefore desire can only be renounced. True happiness is when we give up desire.

Yayāti did intense Tapas, stood on one leg and consumed only air. He attained Devaloka. During his stay, Indra asked him what advice he gave to his son Puru after appointing him as the King.

Yayāti narrated all the good qualities that he had asked his son Puru to follow – losing anger, forgiving, being learned, not harming others, speaking kind words, ignoring the anger of others, following Rishis, donating to Devas etc.

Indra then asked Yayāti who was equal to Yayāti in his Tapas. Yayāti replied that he did not consider anyone equal. Indra was upset that Yayāti disregarded even those who were superior. He cursed Yayāti to return to earth. Yayāti requested that he be returned amidst Dhārmic people. Yayāti fell in the kingdom of Aṣṭaka. The questions that Aṣṭaka asked Yayāti became a famous dialogue.