Vasishtha: Difference between revisions

| title              = [[Saptarshi]]

| parents            = [[Bramha]]<br>or<br>[[Mitra]]-[[Varuna]] and [[Urvashi]]

'''Vasishtha''' ({{lang-sa|वसिष्ठ}}, [[IAST]]: ''{{transl|sa|Vasiṣṭha}}'') is one of the oldest and most revered  Vedic rishis or sages,<ref>{{cite book|author=James G. Lochtefeld|title=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism: N-Z |url=https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch |url-access=registration |year=2002|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-8239-3180-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/illustratedencyc0000loch/page/742 742]}}</ref><ref name="dhavamony50">{{cite book|author=Mariasusai Dhavamony|title=Hindu Spirituality|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=58UZWWzqglMC&pg=PA50|year=1999 |publisher=Gregorian| isbn=978-88-7652-818-7| pages=50 with footnote 63}}</ref> and one of the [[Saptarishi]]s (seven great [[Rishis]]). Vashistha is credited as the chief author of [[Mandala 7]] of the ''[[Rigveda]]''.<ref name="jamisonvash1681">{{cite book|author1=Stephanie Jamison|author2=Joel Brereton|title=The Rigveda: 3-Volume Set |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fgzVAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA1681|year=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-972078-1|pages=1681–1684}}</ref> Vashishtha and his family are mentioned in Rigvedic verse 10.167.4,{{refn|group=note|Kasyapa is mentioned in RV 9.114.2, Atri in RV 5.78.4, Bharadvaja in RV 6.25.9, Vishvamitra in RV 10.167.4, Gautama in RV 1.78.1, Jamadagni in RV 3.62.18, etc.;<ref>{{cite book|author= Gudrun Bühnemann|author-link=Gudrun Bühnemann |title=Pūjā: A Study in Smārta Ritual|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=44bXAAAAMAAJ| year=1988| publisher=Brill Academic|isbn=978-3-900271-18-3|page=220}}</ref> Original Sanskrit text: प्रसूतो भक्षमकरं चरावपि स्तोमं चेमं प्रथमः सूरिरुन्मृजे । सुते सातेन यद्यागमं वां प्रति '''विश्वामित्र'''जमदग्नी दमे ॥४॥<ref>[https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/ऋग्वेद:_सूक्तं_१०.१६७ Rigveda 10.167.4], Wikisource</ref>}} other Rigvedic mandalas and in many Vedic texts.<ref>"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}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=bHIpvQDlazAC&lpg=PA109]</ref><ref>{{citation|title=Rigveda|translator=Ralph T.H. Griffith|quote=A form of lustre springing from the lightning wast thou, when Varuṇa and Mitra saw thee;<br>Tliy one and only birth was then, Vashiṣṭha, when from thy stock [[Agastya]] brought thee hither.<br>Born of their love for Urvasi, Vashiṣṭha thou, priest, art son of Varuṇa and Mitra;<br> And as a fallen drop, in heavenly fervour, all the Gods laid thee on a lotus-blossom |url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv07033.htm }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Maurice Bloomfield|title=Atharvaveda |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.180555 |year=1899 |publisher=K.J. Trübner|pages=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.180555/page/n35 31], 111, 126}}</ref> His ideas have been influential and he was called the first sage of the [[Vedanta]] school of Hindu philosophy by [[Adi Shankara]].{{sfn|Chapple|1984|page=xi}}

The ''[[Yoga Vasistha|Yoga Vasishtha]]'', ''Vasishtha Samhita'', as well as some versions of the ''[[Agni Purana]]''<ref name="wilsonxxxvi">{{cite book|author=Horace Hayman Wilson|title=The Vishńu Puráńa: A System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=satCAAAAcAAJ|year=1840 |publisher=Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland|page=xxxvi}}</ref> 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]].<ref name="dhavamony50" /><ref>{{cite book|author=Horace Hayman Wilson|title=The Vishńu Puráńa: A System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=satCAAAAcAAJ |year=1840 |publisher=Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland|page=lxix}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Adheesh A. Sathaye|title=Crossing the Lines of Caste: Vishvamitra and the Construction of Brahmin Power in Hindu Mythology |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rrm6BwAAQBAJ&pg=PA254 |year=2015|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-934111-5|pages=254–255}}</ref> In the [[Ramayana]], he was the family priest of the [[Raghu dynasty]] and teacher of [[Rama]] and his brothers.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-18|title=Rishi Vasistha - One of the Mind-born Sons of Lord Brahma|url=https://vedicfeed.com/rishi-vasistha/|access-date=2021-12-03|website=vedicfeed.com|language=en-US}}</ref>

Vasishtha is also spelled as ''{{transl|sa|Vasiṣṭha}}'' and is Sanskrit for "most excellent", "best" or "richest". According to Monier-Williams, it is sometimes alternatively spelt as Vashishta or Vashisht (''{{transl|sa|vaśiṣṭha}}'', {{lang|sa|वशिष्ठ}}).<ref>{{MWSD|vaśiṣṭha}}, [http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia/ebooks/mw/0900/mw__0963.html Archive 2]</ref>

Historically, Vasishtha was a Rigvedic poet and the [[purohita]] of [[Sudas|Sudās Paijavana]], chief of the [[Bharatas (tribe)|Bharata tribe]]. In Rigvedic hymn 7.33.9, Vashishtha is described as a scholar who moved across the [[Saraswati river]] to establish his school.<ref>{{cite book|author=Michael Witzel|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SXHXAAAAMAAJ|title=Inside the Texts, Beyond the Texts: New Approaches to the Study of the Vedas: Proceedings of the International Vedic Workshop, Harvard University, June 1989|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1997|isbn=978-1-888789-03-4|pages=289 with footnote 145}}</ref> At some point, he replaced [[Vishvamitra|Viśvāmitra Gāthina]] as the purohita of Sudās. In later Hindu texts, Viśvāmitra and Vasiṣṭha have a long-standing feud, and scholars have stated they historically had a feud regarding the position of the Bharata purohita. However, this view has been criticized due to lack of internal evidence and the projection of later views onto the Rigveda.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Witzel|first=Michael|title=The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia: Language, Material Culture and Ethnicity|publisher=De Gruyter|year=1995|editor-last=Erdosy|editor-first=George|pages=248–249, 251|chapter=Ṛgvedic history: poets, chieftains and polities}}</ref>{{Sfn|Jamison|Brereton|2014|p=1015-1016}} Under Sudās and Vasiṣṭha, the Tṛtsu-Bharatas won the [[Battle of the Ten Kings]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite book|last=Witzel|first=Michael|url=|title=The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia: Language, Material Culture and Ethnicity|publisher=De Gruyter|year=1995|isbn=978-3-11-081643-3|editor-last=Erdosy|editor-first=George|series=Indian Philology and South Asian Studies|location=|pages=85–125|language=en|chapter=4. Early Indian history: Linguistic and textual parametres|doi=10.1515/9783110816433-009|s2cid=238465491 |chapter-url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110816433-009/html}}</ref> Sudās decisively won against a [[Puru (Vedic tribe)|Puru]]-led alliance by the strategic breaching of a (natural) dyke on the Ravi river thereby drowning most of the opponents; the victory is attributed to the benevolence and strategizing of [[Indra]], the patron-God of Bharatas, whose blessings were secured by Vasistha's poetics.<ref name=":023">{{Cite book|last=Witzel|first=Michael|url=|title=The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia: Language, Material Culture and Ethnicity|publisher=De Gruyter|year=1995|isbn=978-3-11-081643-3|editor-last=Erdosy|editor-first=George|series=Indian Philology and South Asian Studies|location=|pages=85–125|language=en|chapter=4. Early Indian history: Linguistic and textual parametres|doi=10.1515/9783110816433-009|s2cid=238465491 |chapter-url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110816433-009/html}}</ref><ref name=":32">{{Cite book|title=The Rigveda: The Earliest Religious Poetry of India|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2014|isbn=9780199370184|editor-last=Brereton|editor-first=Joel P.|volume=I|pages=880, 902-905, 923-925, 1015-1016|editor-last2=Jamison|editor-first2=Stephanie W.}}</ref>

==Mythology==

Vasishtha's birth story is retold in many later Hindu scriptures. The ''[[Puranas]]'' state that he has three births. In the first, he is a [[Manasputra]] (mind-born son) created by the god [[Brahma]]. After the destruction of the [[Daksha yajna|Daksha Yajna]], Vasishtha is killed, but is recreated by Brahma. Vashishtha became the royal guru of [[Nimi (Vedic king)|Nimi]], a king. However, Nimi forgot to invite Vashishtha in a yajna and in rage, Vashishtha cursed Nimi to die soon. Nimi responded by offering him with the same curse. Frightened, Vashishtha ran towards his father, Brahma. Brahma suggested him to emerge in [[Varuna]] and [[Mitra (Vedic)|Mitra]]. When [[Urvashi]] was seen by Varuna and Mitra, Vashishtha remerged from them.<ref name="Satyamayananda">{{Cite book |last=Satyamayananda |first=Swami |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1iGKDwAAQBAJ&q=vashishtha+birth&pg=PT35 |title=Ancient Sages |date=2019 |publisher=Advaita Ashrama (A publication branch of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math) |isbn=978-81-7505-923-8}}</ref><ref name="wisdomlib">{{Cite web |date=2019-01-28 |title=Story of Vasiṣṭha |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/compilation/puranic-encyclopaedia/d/doc242047.html |access-date=2020-10-14 |website=www.wisdomlib.org}}</ref>

 

===Rivalry with Vishwamitra===

Vashishtha is known for his feud with Vishwamitra. The king Vishwamitra coveted Vashistha's divine cow Nandini ([[Kamadhenu]]) that could fulfil material desires. Vashishtha destroyed Vishwamitra's army and sons. Vishwamitra acquired weapons from Lord Shiva and incinerated Vashishtha's hermitage and sons, but Vashistha baffled all of Vishwamitra's weapons. There is also an instance mentioned in the Mandala 7, of the Rigveda about the Dasharadnya Battle. This battle was fought as King Sudas of Bharata tribe appointed Vashishtha instead of Vishwamitra as his main priest. However later, Vishwamitra betook severe penances for thousands of years and became a Brahmarshi. He eventually reconciled with Vashishtha.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Kanuga|first=G. B.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zHgW9SezCqoC&q=vishwamitra+Kamdhenu&pg=PA88|title=Immortal Love of Rama|date=1993|publisher=Lancer Publishers|isbn=978-1-897829-50-9}}</ref>

Vashishtha is best known as the priest and preceptor, teacher of the Ikshvaku kings clan. He was also the preceptor of Manu, the progenitor of Kshatriyas and Ikshvaku's father. Other characters like Nahusha, Rantideva, lord Rama and Bhishma were his disciples. When the Bharata king Samvarta lost his kingdom to the Panchalas, he became the disciple of Vashistha. Under Vashistha's guidance, Samvarta regained his kingdom and became the ruler of the earth.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rishi Vasishtha : Ishta Guru Of Lord Ram - Humans Of Uttarakhand|date=3 June 2021 |url=https://www.humansofuttarakhand.com/rishi-vasishtha-ishta-guru-of-lord-ram/|access-date=2021-12-03|language=en-US}}</ref>

A copper casting of a human head styled in the manner described for Vashishtha was discovered in 1958 in Delhi. This piece has been dated to around 3700 BCE, plus minus 800 years, in three western universities (ETH Zurich, Stanford and UC) using among other methods carbon-14 dating tests, spectrographic analysis, [[X-ray]] dispersal analysis and [[metallography]].<ref name="Bryant2003p164"/><ref>Harry Hicks and Robert Anderson (1990), [http://www.jies.org/docs/jies_index/Vol18.html Analysis of an Indo-European Vedic Aryan Head – 4500-2500 B.C.], in ''Journal of Indo European studies'', Vol. 18, pp 425–446. Fall 1990.</ref> This piece is called "Vashishtha head", because the features, hairstyle, [[tilak]] and other features of the casting resembles the description for Vashishtha in Hindu texts.<ref name="Bryant2003p164">{{cite book|author=Edwin Bryant|title=The Quest for the Origins of Vedic Culture: The Indo-Aryan Migration Debate |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y2jfHlinW4UC&pg=PA164 |year=2003|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-516947-8|page=164}}</ref>