Kadru was the mother of the Nagas, the thousand powerful many-headed serpents. According to the Adi Parva of the Mahabharata, Kadru is generally considered as the daughter of Daksha. Kashyapa married Kadru and the other daughters of Daksha. Kadru is also believed to be a descended of Vishnu.
Myths of Kadru
In one myth, Kadru and Vinata (elder sister of Kadru) oppose to bear children of Kashyapa who were more controlling. While Kadru gave birth to a thousand nagas, Vinata had two sons, Aru?a and Garuda. Kadru was represented as more tricky and devious than Vinata. She disputed Vinata to presume the colour of the tail of Uchchaihshravas, the celestial white horse. After Vinata said the tail is white, Kadru trapped Vinata by directing her sons to spiral around the horse`s tail and causing it to emerge as black colour. As a result, Vinata lose the bet and she and her sons must become the slaves of Kadru and her sons.
Another myth declares that when Kadru asked Garuda to take her sons on his back to the dwelling of sun so they could pay bow and they are scorched, Vinata asked Garuda to carry water of the Ganga from the netherworld and shake over it on the nagas to breathe life into them. In another legend, Kadru and Suparna (another of Kashyapa`s wives), refuse to comply Kashyapa and disorder some sages who were performing rituals on the banks of the Ganga. As an end, they were revolved into rivers.
According to the Brahma Purana, Kashyapa was advanced by the Valakhilyas. Offering him half of their severe powers, they requested that he lead to them a son who could take revenge on Indra who had insulted them. Kashyapa then had one son from each of his two wives, Kadru the mother of snakes and Suparna. Kashyapa initiated his wives not to depart the house as they would produce mischief and do evil acts. Kadru and Suparna went out to the banks of the Ganga where enlightened sages were performing sattra rituals. The sages cursed them to become rivers. Kashyapa returned home to find his wives, but was told of the thing by the sages. When Kashyapa asked how he might get back his wives, the sages advised him to do self-punishment to Shiva at Gautami Ganga. Kashyapa prayed by reciting a hymn that praised Shiva in the role of a harmony. Pleased with Kashyapa`s mantra, Shiva re-established to him his wives and blessed the wives so that they would beget children once more by the refinement of Ganga. Kashyapa invited the sages to take part in the fourth-to-sixth month hair-parting ceremony of his pregnant wives. After the sages were fed, when Kashyapa politely stood before them with his wife to thank them, Kadru looked at the sages and gave them a wily gaze with one of her eyes. The sages were annoyed and cursed Kadru to lose that eye. Thus, Kadru became one-eyed.
