Vasishtha

Vasishtha
TitleSaptarshi, Brahmarishi, Maharishi
Personal
ReligionHinduism
SpouseArundhati
Children
Parent(s)Brahma
or
Mitra-Varuna and Urvashi

Vasishtha (Sanskrit: वसिष्ठ, lit. 'most excellent', IAST: Vasiṣṭha) is one of the oldest and revered Vedic rishis or sages,[3][4] and one of the Saptarishis (seven great Rishis). Vasishtha is credited as the chief author of Mandala 7 of the Rigveda.[5] Vasishtha and his family are mentioned in Rigvedic verse 10.167.4,[note 1] other Rigvedic mandalas and in many Vedic texts.[8][9][10] His ideas have been influential and he was called the first sage of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy by Adi Shankara.[11]

The Yoga Vasishtha, Vasishtha Samhita, as well as some versions of the Agni Purana[12] and Vishnu Purana are attributed to him. He is the subject of many stories, such as him being in possession of the divine cow Kamadhenu and Nandini her child, who could grant anything to their owners. He is famous in Hindu stories for his legendary conflicts with sage Vishvamitra.[4][13][14] In the Ramayana, he was the family priest of the Raghu dynasty and teacher of Rama and his brothers.[15]

  1. ^ Motilal Bansaridas Publishers Bhagavat Purana Book 2, Skandha IV Page: 426
  2. ^ Pratap Chandra Roy's Mahabharata Adi Parva Page: 409
  3. ^ James G. Lochtefeld (2002). The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z. The Rosen Publishing Group. p. 742. ISBN 978-0-8239-3180-4.
  4. ^ a b Mariasusai Dhavamony (1999). Hindu Spirituality. Gregorian. pp. 50 with footnote 63. ISBN 978-88-7652-818-7.
  5. ^ Stephanie Jamison; Joel Brereton (2014). The Rigveda: 3-Volume Set. Oxford University Press. pp. 1681–1684. ISBN 978-0-19-972078-1.
  6. ^ Gudrun Bühnemann (1988). Pūjā: A Study in Smārta Ritual. Brill Academic. p. 220. ISBN 978-3-900271-18-3.
  7. ^ Rigveda 10.167.4 Archived 29 October 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Wikisource
  8. ^ "according to Rig Veda 7.33:11 he is the son of Maitravarun and Urvashi" Prof. Shrikant Prasoon, Pustak Mahal, 2009, ISBN 8122310729, ISBN 9788122310726. [1]
  9. ^ Rigveda, translated by Ralph T.H. Griffith, archived from the original on 13 October 2013, retrieved 20 June 2013, A form of lustre springing from the lightning wast thou, when Varuṇa and Mitra saw thee;
    Tliy one and only birth was then, Vashiṣṭha, when from thy stock Agastya brought thee hither.
    Born of their love for Urvasi, Vashiṣṭha thou, priest, art son of Varuṇa and Mitra;
    And as a fallen drop, in heavenly fervour, all the Gods laid thee on a lotus-blossom
  10. ^ Maurice Bloomfield (1899). Atharvaveda. K.J. Trübner. pp. 31, 111, 126.
  11. ^ Chapple 1984, p. xi.
  12. ^ Horace Hayman Wilson (1840). The Vishńu Puráńa: A System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition. Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. p. xxxvi.
  13. ^ Horace Hayman Wilson (1840). The Vishńu Puráńa: A System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition. Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. p. lxix.
  14. ^ Adheesh A. Sathaye (2015). Crossing the Lines of Caste: Vishvamitra and the Construction of Brahmin Power in Hindu Mythology. Oxford University Press. pp. 254–255. ISBN 978-0-19-934111-5.
  15. ^ "Rishi Vasistha - One of the Mind-born Sons of Lord Brahma". vedicfeed.com. 18 June 2020. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2021.


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