Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Brihaspati included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).
Story of ṛh貹پ
The teacher of the devas (Gods).
Birth.
The father of ṛh貹پ was ṅg, the son of . grew amorous, at the sight of some celestial maids who were present at a sacrifice performed by Rudra; and he had seminal flow. put the semen in fire. From that fire the devas such as Ѳī, ṛg, ṅg and others were born. The name ṅg was given because he was born out of ṅg (live-coal). Eight sons were born to ṅg by his wife ղܻ. They were Utathya, ṛh貹پ, Vayasya, ŚԳپ, Ghora, վū貹, ṃvٲ and Sudhanvā. All of them were sages who had attained oneness with the supreme Spirit by knowledge, and who had been free from worldly pain. Of them ṛh貹پ, Utathya and ṃvٲ became famous through all the worlds. In some ܰṇa ղܻ, the mother of ṛh貹پ, is given the name Ś also.
It is stated that ṛh貹پ had a sister named Āṅgī. She was a follower of the cult. She became the wife of ʰ the last one of the eight Vasus.* վś첹 was her son. (岵ٲ Skandha 4, Ѳٲ, Ādi Parva, Chapter 66).
Is ṛh貹پ the son of Agni?
In some ܰṇa ṛh貹پ is described as the son of Agni. Its authority is given below. ṅg, the father of ṛh貹پ was once doing penance in his hermitage. When the fire of penance increased the brightness of the real fire decreased. Agni (fire) stood before ṅg and said "Oh Lord! your brightness surpasses mine. From this day onwards you are the real fire. So you shall be the first fire and I will be the fire of ʰ貹پ which is the second fire."
Because of this boon of Agni, the devas (gods), recognized ṅg also as a fire-god. So in some Purāṇas ṛh貹پ is mentioned as the son of Agni (fire-god). (岵ٲ, Skandha 4).
Teacher of the Devas.
The story of how ṛh貹پ became the teacher of the devas, is given in the Bhāṣābhārata, Chapter 76 as shown below:
"The Suras and the asuras (the gods and the demons) became enemies from time immemorial, regarding the possession of wealth and prosperity in the three worlds. To secure victory in the battles the gods made ṛh貹پ their teacher and likewise the asuras made Śܰ their teacher."
The devas and asuras began to fight for prosperity and wealth. At that time the devas selected ṛh貹پ and the asuras selected Śܰ, as their teacher.
The conjugality of ṛh貹پ.
was the wife of ṛh貹پ. She was very beautiful. Seeing Candra’s handsome figure she doted on him. There arose several quarrels over this affair. Finally the devas intervened and was given back to Bṛhaspatī. Budha was born to Candra by .
The individual called in the family of the monkeys, was a son of ṛh貹پ. It is mentioned in ī쾱 峾ⲹṇa, ṇḍ, Sarga 17, Stanza 10 as follows, which proves this fact.
"ṛh貹پ begot the mighty monkey ." In the ṻ岹, Ѳṇḍ 1, Anuvāka 19, ūٲ 126, it is mentioned that ṛh貹پ had a daughter named Romaśā. When her husband teased her Romaśā said to her husband: "You please come and feel your hand on my body. Don't think that my organs are small. Though I am hairy like the goats of Ի, I have got all the organs fully grown." This is the statement in the ṻ岹. In the Uttara 峾ⲹṇa, it is stated that ṛh貹پ had a ṇa son named śᲹ, and that a daughter named Devavatī was born to śᲹ. Devavatī was born from his mouth while śᲹ was engaged in devotional recitation of the Vedas. ī was the rebirth of this Devavatī. It is stated in the Ѳٲ, Ādi Parva, Chapter 67, Stanza 69, that ٰṇa, the son of 屹Ჹ, was born from a portion of ṛh貹پ. Kaca was another son of ṛh貹پ. For full particulars of the story how ٱ𱹲ī (daughter of Śܰ) hankered after Kaca, see 'Kaca'. Mention is made in Ѳٲ, Vana Parva, Chapter 219, Stanza 1, that ṛh貹پ had a wife called Cāndramasī and that she gave birth to six Agnis. In Kampa 峾ⲹṇa, Yuddhakāṇḍa mention is made that ṛh貹پ had a daughter named Sulekhā. Six sons and a daughter were born to Cāndramasī. The six sons were six Agnis (fires): In sacrifices the burnt offerings and the ghee were the portions meant for the great and mighty fire Ś, the son of ṛh貹پ. It is to satisfy this great fire which blazes with numberless pointed tongues, that in sacrifices such as ٳܰⲹ, ś etc. animals are slaughtered. The daughter of Dharma was the wife of Śṃy. The name of the wonderful being (Ś’s wife) is ٲ. A son named īپ and three daughters were born to Ś. The son of īپ is 屹Ჹ who is the recipient of first portion of Ghee oblated in sacrifice. On all full-moon days offerings of sacrifices are meant for Bharata. Bharata had a son named ٲ and a daughter named ī. Bharata the Agni is said to be the son of the Agni who is ʰ貹پ Bharata. Thus Bharata got the famous name 'the great'. Bharata married ī and a son was born to them called ī. This ī like Soma is the recipient of sacrificial ghee, according to the belief of the ṇas. As this ī is the recipient of the second ghee offered in sacrifice, as Soma, he is known by names such as Rathaprabhu, Rathadhvāna and Kumbharetas. ī married ū and became the father of Siddhi—Siddhi the Agnidevatā—who is remembered in all fire songs. Fire which has no action on prosperity, fame and vigour has the name Niścyavana. Niścyavana praises the earth. Satya is the son of Niścyavana. Satya which blazes by flame determines time. Satya is known by another name Niṣkṛti. The Agni Svana spreads diseases. The Agnis called Vipulaprabha, Yatātmā and are invoked in simple domestic sacrifices by ṇas. The awful fire Baḍavāgni is supported by life. The sixth son of ṛh貹پ and is called Śvetakṛt. The oblation offered to this Agni is known as Udadvāra. was the daughter of Cāndramasī. had three sons. They are three Agnis called 峾岵Ծ, Amogha, and Ukthya. (岵ٲ, Skandha 4).
Growing amorous on the wife of elder brother.
A story stating how ṛh貹پ begot a son by the wife of Utathya is given in Skandha 9 of 岵ٲ. Ѳ, the wife of Utathya, was pregnant. ṛh貹پ had coition with her when her husband was away. The mother and the child in the womb who opposed the act of ṛh貹پ were cursed. Ѳ gave birth to two children. Fearing that her husband might cast her out she left the son of ṛh貹پ in the forest and was about to go, when there was a divine voice from above, "Mūḍhe, 屹Ჹmimam bhara dvāja� Bṛhaspate." "You senseless woman, bring up this one born of the two. ṛh貹پ, bring up this one born of the two." Hearing this ethereal voice ṛh貹پ took the child and gave him the name 屹Ჹ and brought him up. After that the child was given to emperor Bharata. The famous archer ٰṇa was the son of this 屹Ჹ.
Personation of ṛh貹پ.
The enmity between the devas and asuras increased day by day. Śܰ峦ⲹ the teacher of the asuras began to do penance before Ś in the ᾱⲹ, with a view to get a divine spell or incantation to destroy the devas. The duration of the penance was thousand years. Indra came to know of this secret and sent his daughter ⲹԳī to get the spell from Śܰ by deceit. She stayed with Śܰ as his disciple and servant. Thousand years passed by. Ś appeared before Śܰ and gave him the spell, capable of destroying the devas. When he was about to return ⲹԳī accepted him as her husband. Because of his familiarity with her, of a long standing, he could not refuse her request. Śܰ told her that he would become her husband, for a period of ten years and that during that period both of them would be invisible to the world. Thus the couple began an invisible life.
ṛh貹پ thought of making the best use of this period. He personated himself as Śܰ峦ⲹ and went to the Asuras, who thinking that their teacher had returned after a long penance gave him a loving and sincere welcome. ṛh貹پ sat on the seat of Śܰ峦ⲹ and began to exhort the asuras in such a manner that within the period of ten years he was able to remove factionalism and hatred from them.
At the expiry of ten years' invisible life Śܰ returned having sent ⲹԳī away. The asuras saw two Śܰs together and were amazed. They declared that the real Śܰ was he who had been teaching them for the last ten years. Being dismayed at the ingratitude of the asuras he cursed them that they would shortly be destroyed and then left the place. At this juncture ṛh貹پ also assumed his real form and returned to heaven. Thus the asuras became a people without a leader like sheep without a shepherd. At last they approached their teacher Śܰ who became their teacher again, when they begged for his pardon. But he said that his curse could not be recalled. But he gave them absolution by saying that they would regain their lost power during the time of Manu 屹ṇi. (ٱī 岵ٲ, Skandha 4).
Cursing 屹ṇa.
Once 屹ṇa was returning haughty and proud after having defeated the devas and conquered heaven, when Sulekhā the daughter of ṛh貹پ, got terrified and ran away to hide herself from him. 屹ṇa chased her and when she was caught he tried to ravish her. ṛh貹پ got angry and cursed him. "You, who have grown rank by the dart of Cupid, will meet with death by the dart of 峾". (Kampa 峾ⲹṇa, Yuddha ṇḍ).
ṛh貹پ and Ჹū.
ñᲹ the mother of Ჹū was a servant of ṛh貹پ in her previous birth. Her name then was Puñjikāsthalī. She once went to fetch water. At that time many վ young people, both male and female, came there and engaged in amorous acts. Puñjikāsthalī witnessed these love scenes for a long time and then returned home. It is mentioned in Kampa 峾ⲹṇa that ṛh貹پ cursed her to be born in the next birth as a female monkey.
ñᲹ gave birth to Ჹū. When he grew up Ჹū desired to learn Vedas and Śٰ (scriptures). Ჹū approached ṛh貹پ to learn from him. But ṛh貹پ was not prepared to teach a monkey who jumped about everywhere. The disappointed Ჹū went to the Sun, who asked him how it could be done by him as he was engaged in travelling without stop. Ჹū said that he would move in front of the sun always. Thus Ჹū who had been rejected by ṛh貹پ became the disciple of the Sun. (Uttara 峾ⲹṇa).
Other information.
(1) It is mentioned in ٱī 岵ٲ, Skandha 1, that ṛh貹پ was the teacher of the hermit Śܰ첹.
(2) In Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 51, it is instructed that ṛh貹پ should be consecrated in temples as wearing a necklace of beads (Elaeo carpus seeds) and a water pot.
(3) Mention is made in the Ѳٲ, Ādi Parva, Chapter 169, Stanza 21 that ṛh貹پ gave 屹Ჹ ĀԱٰ (the arrow of fire).
(4) During the period of emperor ṛt, when the Earth-goddess was changed into a cow the gods employed ṛh貹پ to milk the cow to obtain the things they needed. (Ѳٲ ٰṇa Parva, Chapter 69).
(5) Once ṛh貹پ gave ܲṇy a stick as a present. (Ѳٲ Śⲹ Parva, Chapter 46).
(6) Once ṛh貹پ advised Indra to use sweet words. (Ѳٲ ŚԳپ Parva, Chapter 84).
(7) Once ṛh貹پ got angry with Ѳ屹ṣṇ at the sacrificial hall of Uparicaravasu. (Ѳٲ ŚԳپ Parva, Chapter 336, Stanza 14).
(8) ṛh貹پ cursed the Jaladevatās (goddesses of water). (Ѳٲ ŚԳپ Parva, Chapter 242, Stanza 27).
(9) ṛh貹پ and Candra are said to be ṇa Kings. (Ѳٲ ś Parva, Chapter 9, Stanza 8).
Conclusion.
ṛh貹پ was a deep thinker and one who had firm convictions in many matters. He was a man of vast knowledge. Every movement of the gods had its origin in the brains of ṛh貹پ. There is no philosophy which does not contain the exhortations made by Bhaspati at various times to the devas (gods) or kings or hermits.
*) It is stated in Ѳٲ, Vana Parva, Chapter 218 that the mother of ṛh貹پ had another name, Śܲ, and that ṛh貹پ had six more brothers, born later, named Bṛhatkīrti, Bṛhatjyoti, Bṛhadbrahmā, Bṛhadmanā, Bṛhadmantra, and Bṛhadbhāsa and that Āṅgī had the name Գܳī also.