Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 32: The History of Kuśanābha and His Daughters
Text 1.32.1
ब्रह्मयोनिर्महानासीत्कुशो नाम महातपाः।
अक्लिष्टव्रतधर्मज्ञः सज्जनप्रतिपूजकः॥
brahma-yonir mahān āsīt kuśo nāma mahā-tapāḥ
akliṣṭa-vrata-dharmajñaḥ saj-jana-pratipūjakaḥ
brahma-yoniḥ = son of Lord Brahmā; mahān = a great; āsīt = there was; kuśaḥ = Kuśa; nāma = named; mahā-tapāḥ = a performer of great austerities; akliṣṭa-vrata-dharmajñaḥ = his vows were unobstructed, and he was a knower of Vedic dharma; sat-jana-pratipūjakaḥ = he was a worshipper of transcendental great souls.
There was a great son of Lord Brahmā named Kuśa, a performer of great austerities. His vows were unobstructed, and he was a knower of Vedic dharma. He was a worshipper of transcendental great souls.
When Lord Rāma inquired about the glory of the land on the bank of the Śoṇā, Viśvāmitra described his dynasty in this chapter in order to point out that it was the land of his forefathers.
Kuśa was directly born from Brahmā, not from the union of Brahmā and his wife. Kuśa was great, that is, distinct from the other sons of Brahmā in terms of his knowledge, prowess and so on. The name Kuśa refers to one who lies on the earth; in other words, not staying in Brahmaloka, he was interested in protecting all born on earth, and so he came to earth to stay here. Because he engaged in kṣatriya activities, he is a kṣatriya.