A wife of Dakṣa. Dakṣaprajāpati, son of Brahmā, commenced creation with his own mind. When he found that it was not conducive to the propagation of the species he pondered over the subject once more and decided to effect it by the sexual union of the male and the female. He, therefore, married Asikni daughter of Vīraṇaprajāpati. There is a version in the
[seventh Skandha of Devī Bhāgavata] that Vīraṇī was born of the left thumb of Brahmā. Then the virile Dakṣaprajāpati begot by Asikni five thousand Haryaśvas with a view to propagating his species and the Haryaśvas also evinced great desire to increase their number. Knowing this devarṣi Nārada of enchanting words approached them and said “Oh, Haryaśvas, I understand you, energetic young men, are going to continue creation. Phew! You are children who have not cared to understand the ins and outs or ups and downs of this earth and then how do you think you can create people? You are all endowed with the power to move about on all sides without any obstruction and you are only fools if you do not attempt so find out the limits of this earth”. Hearing this they started on a tour to different sides of the earth to find out its boundaries. Just like worms fallen into the ocean the Haryaśvas have never returned so far. When he found that the Haryaśvas were lost the mighty Dakṣa begot in the daughter of Vīraṇī a thousand sons called Śabalāśvas. They were also desirous of propagation but were also persuaded by the words of Nārada to follow the footsteps of their elder brothers. They discussed it among themselves and said “The words of the Maharṣi are right. We must also follow the course taken by our brothers. It is wise to commence creation after knowing the size of the earth.” They also went to different sides and never returned just like rivers falling into the ocean. The loss of the Śabalāśvas infuriated Dakṣa and he cursed Nārada. Again to commence creation Dakṣa got of Asikni sixty girls. Of these ten he gave to Dharmadeva, thirteen to Kaśyapa, twentyseven to Soma and four to Ariṣṭanemi. Two were given to Bahuputra, two to Aṅgiras and two to the scholar Kṛśāśva. Dharmadeva's wives were Arundhatī, Vasu, Yamī, Lambā, Bhānu, Marutvatī, Saṅkalpā, Muhūrtā, Sādhyā and Viśvā. Of Viśvā were born Viśvedevas. Sādhya delivered the Sādhyas, Maruṭva, the Marutvans and Vasu, Vasus. Bhānus were born of Bhānu. From Muhūrta came Muhūrtābhimānis and from Lambā, Ghoṣa and from Yamī, Nāgavīthī.
[Chapter 15, Anuśāsana Parva, 1] ;
[Viṣṇu Purāṇa] ;
[Skandha 6, Bhāgavata] .
ASIKNI I A river flowing through the Punjab in India. This is called Candrabhāgā and also Cīnāb (Cīnā). The
[Ṛgveda] also mentions about this.
[M.B., Bhīṣma Parva] .