The most important of the prajapatis. The question of whether he was the son or grandson of Brahma is unresolved. As per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 65, Brahma had six manasaputras – Marichi, Angiras, Atri, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu. Kashyapa was Marichi’s son. From Kashyapa was born all the living beings seen on earth. But as per Ramayana Aranyakanda Sarga 14, Kashyapa was the eldest brother of Marichi, Atri, Pulastya etc, which makes him Brahma’s son.

All living beings belong to one of the four gotras – Angiras, Bhrigu, Vasishta and Kashyapa, and all the other gotras evolved from these as per Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 297 verse 17.

Kashyapa’s 21 wives were Aditi, Diti, Danu, Arishta, Surasa, Khasa, Surabhi, Vinata, Tamra, Krodhavasha, Ira, Kadru, Muni, Puloma, Kalaka, Nata, Danayus, Simhika, Pradha, Vishwa, Kapila. Of these Aditi, Diti, Kalaka, Danayus, Danu, Simhika, Krodhavasha, Pradha, Vishwa, Vinata, Kapila, Muni, Kadru were Daksha’s daughters.

Aditi, the first wife, had twelve sons – Vishnu, Shakra, Dhata, Mitra, Aaryama, Varuna, Bhaga, Vivasvan, Poosha, Savita, Twashta, Amsha. They were called Adityas. In the sixth manvantara, they were called Tushita. From the twelve adityas were born 33 crore devas. From the second wife, Diti, were born Daityas – Hiranyakashipu, Hiranyaksha, Simhika were the main ones. All the other daityas evolved from them. From another wife Danu, were born Danavas. Dwimurdha, Shambara, Ayomukha, Shankashiras, Kapila, Shankara, Ekachakra, Mahabahu, Taraka, Mahabala, Swarbhanu, Vrishaparva, Puloma, Viprachitti, were the most famous. The rest of the danavas evolved from them. From his Surabhi were born Aja, Ekapat, Ahirbudhnya, Twashta, Rudra and the ekadasharudras – Hara, Bahurupa, Trayambaka, Aparajita, Vrishakapi, Shambhu, Kapardi, Raivata, Mrigavyadha, Sarpa, Kapali. Vinata gave birth to Garuda and Kadru, to the nagas. All living beings seen now have originated from Kashyapa as per Ramayana Balakanda Chapter 29, Vishnupurana Ansh 1 Chapters 15-21, Mahabharata Adiparva Chapters 16, 65 and Agnipurana Chapter 18.

From Kadru were born snakes. Once Vinata said that the tail hairs of Indra’s horse Uchaishravas were all white, Kadru maintained that it was black. It was agreed that whoever lost would become the other’s slave. As per Kadru’s instructions, a few nagas clung to the horse’s tail and made it appear black. Vasuki and a few others refused to support this and Kadru cursed that they would die in Janamejaya’s sarpasatra. Kashyapa didn’t like this. Brahma appeared before Kashyapa and said that this was necessary for nagas who harmed others. He also taught him the vishasamhara skill as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 20.

Garuda was the powerful son of Kashyapa and Vinata. After Vinata lost the bet to Kadru, she became Kadru’s servant. To be free of this bondage, Garuda had to get amrit from devaloka and give it to Kadru and her naga sons. Garuda set out, and on the way, visites his father in the Gandhamadana mountains. Garuda asked his father whether he could find something around to eat. Kashyapa said that long ago, a sage called Vibhavasu used to live there. He once quarreled with his brother Supratika on dividing their father’s wealth. They cursed each other – Vibhavasu became a turtle and Supratika became an elephant. Kashyapa said that they could still be found quarreling in the stream nearby and if Garuda ate them, he would get the energy to fight the devas. Garuda picked them up with his fingernails and continued on his journey. As Garuda’s wings flapped, it made mountains shake and created hurricanes. he kept flying, looking for a place to sit, and eat the animals. He saw a tree whose canopy spanned a hundred yojanas. Garuda sat on a branch but it broke off. On that branch, a group of sages called Balakhilyas were hanging upside down, meditating. Garuda picked up the branch in his beak and continued flying. He could find no place to hang the branch and finally returned to Kashyapa. At Kashyapa’s request, the Balakhilyas agreed to go to the Himlayas, and Kashyapa showed Garuda a suitable place for the branch. Garuda sat there and ate the elephant and the turtle and continued his journey as per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapters 29-32.

In the Chakshusha manvantara, the sage Sutapas and his wife Prishni meditated for 12000 years. Vishnu appeared and asked them to seek a boon. They asked for him to be born as their child and Vishnu did so. In the next manvantara (Vaivaswatamanu) Sutapas was born as Kashyapa and Prishni as Aditi. Vishnu was then born to them as Vamana. Kashyapa had many wives and one of them was Surasa. Kashyapa was also born as Vasudeva, Aditi, as Devaki and Surasa as Rohini. The reason for this incarnation is thus – Once Kashyapa prepared to conduct a yajna, but he couldn’t find a cow. So he stole one from Varuna. Aditi and Surasa hid it in the hermitage. Varuna was angry when he came to know of this, and complained to Brahma. Brahma and Varuna cursed that Kashyapa would be born as a cowherd and his wives would be born as wives of cowherds too, as per Devibhagavata Chaturthaskanda.

After decimating kshatriyas, Parashurama conducted a yajna, and donated all the land he had conquered, to Kashyapa, as per Mahabharata Aranyaparva Chapter 117.

Parashurama circumambulated the world eighteen times to kill all the kshatriyas. After he gave the land to Kashyapa, Kashyapa drove him away to the south. The ocean took pity on him and gave him an area called Shurparaka. Kashyapa bought that too from Parashurama and donated it to brahmins. Parashurama was fine with that and went away to the forests. Later, there was an imbalance because of the lack of kshatriyas and led to chaos. The entire region began to sink to patala. Kashyapa, who was watching this, held it up, and brought kshatriyas from the north to rule the place, as per Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 49. Shurparaka is believed to be Kerala.

As per Mahabharata Adiparva Chapter 122, Kashyapa was present during Arjuna’s birthday celebrations. According to Mahabharata Sabhaparva Chapter 11, Kashyapa shone in the brahmasabha. Once Kashyapa resolved an argument between Prahlad’s son Virochana and Angiras’ son Sudhanva. As per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 85, kashyapa once went on a pilgrimage with Yudhishtira. Once, Brahma donated all of earth to Kashyapa in a yajna. Mother earth was saddened, went to patala and began crying. Kashyapa managed to appease her as per Mahabharata Vanaparva Chapter 114. After Parashurama had donated the earth to Kashyapa, Kashyapa drove him away. Parashurama then used an arrow to carve out earth from the ocean, as per Mahabharata Dronaparva Chapter 70 verses 18-19.

Kashyapa appealed to Drona to stop the Mahabharata war after it had started, as per Mahabharata Dronaparva Chapter 190. Kashyapa was present along with other sages when Skanda was born as per Mahabharata Shalyaparva Chapter 45. According to Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 73, Kashyapa once advised Pururavas. Kashyapa was also called Arishtanemi as per Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 208. According to Mahabharata Shantiparva Chapter 209 verse 6, kashyapa told Bhishma the story of Vishnu’s varaha incarnation. Sesame seeds originated from Kashyapa’s body as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 66 verse 10. Kashyapa informed Vrishadarbhi of the perils of accepting offerings as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 93. Kashyapa spoke to Arundhati about his body’s weaknesses as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 93 verse 65.

Once Agastya suspected that Kashyapa had stolen his lotuses, but Kashyapa swore that he had not, as per Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 94. According to Mahabharata Anushasanaparva Chapter 150, Kashyapa was one of the seven gurus of Kuber. As per the Bhagavata, Kashyapa was one of the sages who caused the Yadavas’ downfall.