2402:3A80:165B:2E30:0:3B:8B0:CA01 at 12:34, 1 November 2022

2022-11-01T12:34:36Z

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{{Short description|Sage in Hinduism}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox deity
| type = hindu
| parents = [[Brahma]] (father)
| children = [[Vishrava]], [[Agastya]]
| spouse = Manini (also known as Havirbhu), Priti<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manuscrypts.com/myth/2011/08/25/kuber/|title=History of Kubera|publisher=Manuscrypts|access-date=25 August 2011}}</ref>
}}
'''Pulastya''' ([[Sanskrit language|Sanskrit]]: पुलस्त्य) is one of the ten [[Prajapati]], and one of the [[Mānasaputra|mind-born]] sons of [[Brahma]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m02/m02011.htm|title=''The Mahabharata''|author=[[Kisari Mohan Ganguli]] (1883 - 1896)|publisher=Sacred texts}}</ref> in [[Hinduism]]. He is also one of the [[Saptarishi]] (Seven great sages) in the first age of Manu, the [[Manvantara]].<ref name=Tantra>[http://www.sacred-texts.com/tantra/maha/maha00.htm Inhabitants of the Worlds] Mahanirvana Tantra, translated by Arthur Avalon, ([[John Woodroffe|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, Angira, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulatsya, and Vashishtha'''. In other manvantara there are other ''saptarishi''. 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 Brahmarshi, born of the mind of Brahma, the Devarshi of lower rank, and Rajarshi or Kings who became rishi 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.</ref>

== Legend ==

=== Origin ===
The sage is said to have emerged from the ear of Brahma in the [[Bhagavata Purana]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2019-01-28 |title=Story of Pulastya |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/compilation/puranic-encyclopaedia/d/doc241852.html |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref>

=== Children ===
The [[Ramayana]] describes Pulastya's wedding to Manini, and the birth of his son, [[Vishrava]]. Once, Pulastya was engaged in austerities in the [[Ashram|ashrama]] of Trinabindu, on the slopes of [[Mount Meru]]. Even as he was engaged in a penance in solitude, he was disturbed by a number of youthful maidens, the daughters of other sages, [[Nāga|naga]] maidens, as well as [[Apsara|apsaras]]. They played their musical instruments and danced, seeking to divert his attention. Enraged, Pulastya declared that she among them who fell under his gaze would instantly get impregnated. Terrified of the [[Brahmin|Brahmin's]] curse, the girls vanished. During this moment, Manini, the daughter of Trinabindu, who had not been present when the curse was invoked, wandered near the sage, searching for her friends. She found herself pregnant, and rushed to report her condition to her father. The sage Trinabindu requested Pulastya to marry his daughter, and the latter agreed, and so the two lived together in the ashrama. Pleased with his wife's virtuous conduct, Pulastya declared that their child would inherit her virtue, and would be named Vishrava.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2020-09-27 |title=The Birth of Vishravas [Chapter 2] |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-ramayana-of-valmiki/d/doc424763.html |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref>

Vishrava went on to have two wives: one was [[Kaikesi]] who gave birth to [[Ravana]], [[Shurpanakha]], [[Kumbhakarna]], and [[Vibhishana]]; and another was [[Ilavida]], and had a son named [[Kubera]].

Pulastya also becomes the father of Agastya.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2012-06-15 |title=Agastya, Āgastya: 32 definitions |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/agastya |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref>

=== Meeting Bhishma ===
Once, [[Bhishma]] lived in near the sacred source of the river [[Ganges|Ganga]], called Gaṅgādvāra. Pulastya makes his presence known before Bhishma, pleased by his austerities. Bhishma offers libations of water and pays his respects to the sage. Pleased, Pulastya instructs Bhishma regarding the path of [[dharma]], which itself had been taught to him by Brahma.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2019-07-30 |title=Contents of the Section on Creation (Sṛṣṭi-khaṇḍa) [Chapter 2] |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-padma-purana/d/doc364122.html |access-date=2022-10-28 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v-JZAAAAMAAJ&dq=bhishma+pulastya&pg=PA238 |title="The" Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated Into English Prose |date=1884 |publisher=Bhārata Press |pages=238 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Narrator ===
He serves as the medium through which some of the ''[[Puranas]]'' were communicated to the mankind.<ref name="Dowson2013">{{cite book |author=John Dowson |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=leH7AQAAQBAJ&pg=PA244 |title=A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History and Literature |date=5 November 2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-39029-6 |pages=244–}}</ref> He received the Vishnu Purana from Brahma, and communicated it to [[Parashara]], who made it known to mankind.

Pulastya responds to the questions of [[Narada]] in the [[Vamana Purana]] by reciting legends.

=== Ramakien ===
In Thai [[National epic]] [[Ramakien]], Pulastya is called ''Latsatian''. He was the second king of Lanka and the father of [[Ravana|Thotsakan]].<ref>{{cite web|title=ความรู้เรื่อง'ทศกัณฐ์'จาก อ.อักษรศาสตร์ จุฬาฯ-'วัฒนธรรมย่อมเปลี่ยนไปตามผู้เสพ'|url=https://www.matichon.co.th/social/news_295034|publisher=[[Matichon]] Online|date=22 September 2016|access-date=27 August 2019|language=th}}</ref>

== Archaeology ==
Certain sources claim that the famous granite statue of a king in [[Polonnaruwa]], [[Sri Lanka]], which was first thought to be of King [[Parakramabahu I|Parakramabahu the Great]], might actually be the Pulastya Rishi. This idea was later proven to be false by [[Senarath Paranavithana|Prof. Senarath Paranawithana]]. Apart from this, no other statues, carvings, paintings or friezes of Pulastya Rishi have been found on the island ([[Sri Lanka]]).{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}
<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
King Parakramabahu the great.jpg
</gallery>
However, the city where Parakramabahu reigned from was identified as '''[[Polonnaruwa|Pulastinagara]]''', in the Sinhalese chronicles.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Culawamsa: being the recent version of Mahavamsa|last=Geiger|first=Wilhelm|author-link=Wilhelm Geiger}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* 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).

{{Rishis of Hindu mythology}}
{{Hindu Culture and Epics}}

[[Category:Hindu gods]]
[[Category:Prajapatis]]
[[Category:Nature gods]]
[[Category:Nature gods in Hinduism]]
[[Category:Rishis]]
[[Category:Archaeology of Sri Lanka]]

Pulastya - Revision history

2402:3A80:165B:2E30:0:3B:8B0:CA01 at 12:34, 1 November 2022