SAGEVASISTHA-Part 1 Dearfriends,
This posting about sage VASISTHA is compiled from Google search by asking manyquestions curious to me and posted in my style which is desired by a fewmembers than asQA posting. Informationrelevant from Wikipedia is also included. Thisposting is least intended to all knowing and criticizing and fault findingmembers. Hope the postings will be interesting and informative to manyof my friends. Since the information is more it is posted in parts. This is first part of the postingabout Sage Vasistha. Gopalakrishnan 17-02-2026 Introduction Vashistha (Vasiṣṭha) is one of the oldest and revered Vedicrishis or sages, and one of the Saptarishis (seven great Rishis). Vashistha is credited as thechief author of Mandala 7 ofthe Rig Veda. Vasishtha and his family are mentioned in Rig Vedicverse 10.167.4 and other Rig Vedic mandalas and in many Vedic texts. His ideas have been influential and he was called the firstsage of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy by Adi Shankara. The Yoga Vasishtha,Vasishtha Samhita, as well as some versions of the Agni Purana and VishnuPurana are attributed to him. He is the subject of many stories, such as him being inpossession of the divine cowKamadhenu and Nandini her child, who could grant anything to theirowners. He is famous in Hindu stories for his legendary conflicts with sage Vishvamitra. In the Ramayana, he is the family priest of the Raghu dynastyand teacher of Rama and his brothers. History Historically, Vasishtha was a Rig Vedic poet and chief of theBharata tribe. In Rig Vedic hymn 7.33.9, Vasishtha is described as a scholar who moved across the Sarasvati riverto establish his school. In later Hindu texts, Viśvāmitra and Vasishtha had along-standing feud, and scholars have stated they historically had afeud regarding the position of the Bharata purohita. He was married to Arundhati, and therefore he was also called Arundhati Natha,meaning the husband of Arundhati. He is typically described in ancient andmedieval Hindu texts as a sage with long flowing hair neatly tied into a bunthat is coiled with a tuft to the right, a beard, a handlebar moustache and atilak on his forehead. Ideas Vasishtha is the author of the seventh book of the Rigveda,one of its "family books" and among the oldest layer of hymns in theVedic scriptures of Hinduism. The hymns composed by Vasishtha are dedicated to Agni, Indra and othergods. These hymns declare two gods, Indra andVaruna, as equally great. In another hymn,particularly the Rig Vedic verse 7.83.9, Vasishtha teaches that the Vedic godsIndra and Varuna are complementary and equally important because one vanquishesthe evil by the defeat of enemies in battles, while other sustains the goodduring peace through socio-ethical laws. The seventh mandala of the Rig-Veda by Vasishtha is ametaphorical treatise. Vasishtha reappears as a character in Hindu texts,through its history, that explore conciliation between conflicting or opposingideologies. Attributed texts Practise righteousness (dharma), not unrighteousness. Speak the truth, not an untruth. Look at what is distant, not what's near at hand. Look at the highest, not at what's less than highest. — Vasishtha Dharmasutra 30.1[32] Some treatises named afterhim or attributed to him include: Vasishtha Samhita is a medieval era Yoga text.[34]There is an Agama as well with the same title. Vashishta Dharmasutra, an ancient text, and one of the fewDharma-related treatises which has survived into the modern era. This Dharmasūtra (300–100 BCE) forms an independenttext and other parts of the Kalpasūtra, that is Shrauta- and Grihya-sutras aremissing. Yoga Vasishtha is a syncretic medieval era textthat presents Vedanta and Yoga philosophies. It is written in the form of a dialogue betweenVasishtha and prince Rama from the Ramayana. It is about the natureof life, human suffering, choices as the nature of life, free will, humancreative power and spiritual liberation. Yoga Vasishtha teachings arestructured as stories and fables, with a philosophical foundation similar tothose found in Advaita Vedanta Agni Purana is attributed to Vasishtha. Vishnu Purana is attributedto Vasishtha along withRishi Pulatsya. He has also contributed to many Vedic hymns. Legend about Birth According to Mandala 7 of the Rig Veda the gods Mitra-Varuna and the apsara Urvashi arementioned as his parents. In the story, Mitra and Varuna are performing a yajna(fire-sacrifice), when they see Urvasi and become sexually aroused. They ejaculate their semeninto a pitcher, from which Vasishtha is born after a few days. Vasishtha's birth story is retold in many later Hinduscriptures. The Puranasstate that he has/had three births. In the first, he is amanasaputra (mind-born son) created by the god Brahma. After the destruction of the Daksha Yajna,Vasishtha is killed, but is recreated by Brahma. Vasishtha became the royal guru of Nimi, a king. However, Nimi forgot to invite Vasishtha in a yajna and an enragedVasishtha cursed Nimi to die soon. Nimi responded by offeringhim the same curse. Frightened, Vashishtha ran towards his father,Brahma. Brahma suggestedhim to merge into Varuna and Mitra. When Urvashi was seen by Varunaand Mitra, Vasishtha re-emerged from them. Family Family: He was married to Arundhati and is described as a peaceful, wiserishi. Arundhati (oftenidentified as the daughter of sage Kardama or sister of Narada in differentbirths). Arundhati is considered the ideal wife, and they are oftendepicted as the double starsystem Mizar and Alcor. In Hindu scriptures, Arundhati, the wife of Sage Vasishta, ismost commonly identified as one of the nine daughters of Kardama Prajapati andDevahuti. Other traditions describe her as the daughter of Rishi Medhatithi oras the daughter of Kashyapa, making her the sister of Narada. Key Details RegardingArundhati's Parentage: Kardama & Devahuti: Recognized as her parents in theBhagavatap Purana. Rishi Medhatithi: Identified in some narratives where she isborn of fire. Kashyapa: Mentioned in some Puranas, noting her as the sisterof Narada and Parvata. Symbolism: She is renowned as an epitome of chastity,devotion, and wifely duty (pativrata) Based on Hindu scriptural sources and mythologicalnarratives, there is some traditional, allegorical, or narrativebasis for the idea that Arundhati, the revered wife of Sage Vashistha, was notborn into a traditional upper-caste Brahmin family, although she iscelebrated as the epitome of virtue and high status. Here is the breakdown of the truth behind this claim: Low-Caste/Previous Birth Reference: According tosome interpretations of the Manu Smriti (9-23), Arundhatiwas born as a low-caste woman named Akshamala. Elevation in Status: Despite her humble origin, she isdescribed as being elevated to the status of a saintly wife and sage because ofher extreme piety, wisdom, and devotion. Puranic Origin: Other Puranic stories describe her as havinga high origin, such as being the daughter of Kardama and Devahuti, or themind-born daughter of Brahma. Symbolism of Purity: Regardless of her birth, Arundhati isuniversally regarded in Hinduism as one of the most chaste and superior women (pativratas).She holds an equal footing with the Saptarishi (seven great sages) in theMahabharata. Marriage Symbolism: In Hindu wedding rituals, she is shown to the couple as asymbol of loyalty, purity, and wifely devotion. Conclusion: There is a narrative element within Hindu, particularly incertain Puranic and legal texts, which suggests she was of a lower caste originwho achieved the highest, holiest status through her actions and spiritualmerit. However, she is rarely, if ever, defined in mainstream discourse by herlow-caste birth; she is defined by her absolute, transcendent virtue and statusas a divine sage Key Children: Seven sons (Citraketu, etc.) and Shakti (father of sage Parashara). Rajaguru As the Rajguru (royal priest) to the Suryavanshi Ikshwakuclan, he was the guru to Lord Rama. He is renowned for his immense wisdom, hisdivine cow Kamadhenu, and his intense, transformative rivalry with SageVishwamitra. He was also thepreceptor of Manu, theprogenitor of Kshatriyas and Ikshvaku's father. Other characterslike Nahusha, Rantideva, lordRama and Bhishma were his disciples. When the Bharata king Samvarta lost his kingdom to thePanchalas, he became the disciple of Vasishtha. Under Vasishtha's guidance,Samvarta regained his kingdom and became the ruler of the earth. I will continue in nextpart -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/1719508061.708922.1771311170986%40mail.yahoo.com.
