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Kavi — Son of Priyavrata and Barhishmati, Renunciant Sage
Kavi · Kavi Priyavrateya
Kavi is the tenth and last of the ten sons of Priyavrata and Barhishmati, named in the Bhagavata Purana, Canto 5. He is the third of the three brothers — alongside Mahavira and Savana — who renounced the world rather than accepting kingship over any of the seven island-continents. The Bhagavata Purana identifies these three as spiritual giants who, through the memory of prior existences, chose the path of devotion and ascetic practice without attachment to earthly power or material reward. Kavi's name means poet, seer, or one endowed with inspired wisdom — the term kavi in the Vedic tradition designating a seer who perceives and expresses divine truth through sacred utterance. The name is entirely appropriate for a figure who turned from kingship toward the inner life of spiritual realisation. No independent narrative of Kavi's specific attainments or teachings is preserved in the primary sources consulted.
✦ Lineage
- Father: Priyavrata — eldest son of Svayambhuva Manu.
- Mother: Barhishmati — daughter of Vishvakarma Prajapati.
✦ References
- Bhagavata Purana, Canto 5, Chapter 1: Names Kavi as tenth son of Priyavrata and Barhishmati and identifies him among the three renunciant brothers.
- Vettam Mani, Puranic Encyclopaedia (1975): Reference for genealogical listing of Priyavrata's sons.