Pulastya

"Pulastya" was one of the ten Prajapatis or mind-born sons of Brahma [ [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m02/m02011.htm Narada said..] The Mahabharata translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli (1883 -1896), Book 2: Sabha Parva: Lokapala Sabhakhayana Parva, section:XI. p. 25 And Daksha, Prachetas, Pulaha, Marichi, the master Kasyapa, Bhrigu, Atri, and Vasistha and Gautama, and also Angiras, and Pulastya, Kraut, Prahlada, and Kardama, these Prajapatis, and Angirasa of the Atharvan Veda, the Valikhilyas, the Marichipas; Intelligence, Space, Knowledge, Air, Heat, Water, Earth, Sound, Touch, Form, Taste, Scent; Nature, and the Modes (of Nature), and the elemental and prime causes of the world,--all stay in that mansion beside the lord Brahma. And Agastya of great energy, and Markandeya, of great ascetic power, and Jamadagni and Bharadwaja, and Samvarta, and Chyavana, and exalted Durvasa, and the virtuous Rishyasringa, the illustrious 'Sanatkumara' of great ascetic merit and the preceptor in all matters affecting Yoga..."] , and one of the Saptarishis (Seven Great Sages Rishi) in the seventh, i.e the present Manvantara [http://www.sacred-texts.com/tantra/maha/maha00.htm Inhabitants of the Worlds] Mahanirvana Tantra, translated by Arthur Avalon, (Sir John Woodroffe), 1913, Introduction and Preface. The Rishi are seers who know, and by their knowledge are the makers of shastra and "see" all mantras. The word comes from the root rish Rishati-prapnoti sarvvang mantrang jnanena pashyati sangsaraparangva, etc. The seven great Rishi or saptarshi of the first manvantara are Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya, and Vashishtha. In other manvantara there are other "sapta-rshi". In the present manvantara the seven are Kashyapa, "Atri, Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Bharadvaja". To the Rishi the Vedas were revealed. Vyasa taught the Rigveda so revealed to Paila, the Yajurveda to Vaishampayana, the Samaveda to Jaimini, Atharvaveda to Samantu, and Itihasa and Purana to Suta. The three chief classes of Rishi are the Brah-marshi, born of the mind of Brahma, the Devarshi of lower rank, and Rajarshi or Kings who became Rishis through their knowledge and austerities, such as Janaka, Ritaparna, etc. Thc Shrutarshi are makers of Shastras, as Sushruta. The Kandarshi are of the Karmakanda, such as Jaimini.] .

He was the medium through which some of the Puranas were communicated to man. He received the Vishnu Purana from Brahma and communicated it to Parashara, who made it known to mankind.

He was father of Visravas who was the father of Kuvera and Ravana, and all the Rakshasas are supposed to have sprung from him. Pulastya Rishi was married to one of Kardam ji's nine daughters named Havirbhoo. Pulastya Rishi had two sons - Maharshi Agastya and Visravas. Vishravaa had two wives: one was Kekasi who gave birth to Ravana, Kumbhkarn and Vibheeshan; and another was Idvidaa and had a son named Kuber.

Idvidaa was the daughter of Trinbindu and Alambushaa Apsaraa in the lineage of Marutt who was a Chakravartee Raajaa and was in the lineage of Vaivaswat Manu Shraadhdev. He had all gold pots in his Yagya and he gave so much to Brahmin that they left many things there only. This was the same gold which Yudhishthira took and used for his Yagya. Trinbindu was in the lineage of Marutt.

References

* Buck, William. Ramayana. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976.
* Dowson, John (1820-1881). A classical dictionary of Hindu mythology and religion, geography, history, and literature. London: Trübner, 1879 [Reprint, London: Routledge, 1979] . This book is in the public domain (and no copyright notice appears in the latest edition).