BRAHMARISHI VASHISHTAR

BRAHMARISHI VASHISHTAR

The Saptarishi (from saptarṣi, a Sanskrit dvigu meaning "seven sages") are the seven rishis who are extolled at many places in the Vedas and Hindu literature. The Vedic Samhitas never enumerate these rishis by name, though later Vedic texts such as the Brahmanas and Upanisads do so. They are regarded in the Vedas as the patriarchs of the Vedic religion.

The earliest list of the Seven Rishis is given by Jaiminiya Brahmana 2.218-221: Agastya, Atri, Bhardwaja, Gautam, Jamadagni, Vashista and Visvamitra

VASHISHTAR - Introduction

Vashishta (Sanskrit: वशिष्ठ, वसिष्ठ, Thai: Vasit) is one of the Saptarishis (Seven Great Sages Rishi) in the seventh, i.e. the present Manvantara,Vashista is a manasputra of God Brahma. He had in his possession the divine cow Kamadhenu, and Nandini her child, who could grant anything to their owners. Arundhati is the name of the wife of Vashista.

Vashista one of 9 Prajapatis is credited as the chief author of Mandala 7 of the Rigveda. Vashista and his family are glorified in RV 7.33, extolling their role in the Battle of the Ten Kings, making him the only mortal besides Bhava to have a Rigvedic hymn dedicated to him. Another treatise attributed by him is "Vashista Samhita" - a book on Vedic system of electional astrology.

Tales featuring Vashista

Vashista is featured in many tales and folklore, a few of which are briefly described below. In the Ramayana Vashista appears as the court sage of king Dasharatha.

The tale of Vashistha

Sage Vashistha was Ram's guru and the Rajpurohit of Ikshwaku dynasty. He was a peace-loving, selfless, intelligent and great Rishi. He had established Gurukula (residential college) on the banks of the river beas, where he and his wife Arundhati were taking care of thousands of students.
Vashistha was the Sadguru of his time, possessing 20 "kala's" (divine arts) and had complete knowledge of the whole cosmos and the god. Many of his Shlokas are found in Vedas as well.
Vashistha summons Kamadhenu alias Sabala, the cow of abundance, to provide for a feast
Vashista possessed a cow named Nandini daughter of Kamadhenu who could instantly produce food enough for a whole army. The king Kaushika (later called Vishwamitra), who visited Vashistha's hermitage, was very impressed with the cow and tried to take it away from Vashistha by force, but Kamadhenu/Nandini's spiritual power was too great for him.
After being unable to conquer Nandini, Vishwamitra decided to acquire power himself through penance like Vashistha. He gained much power and many divine weapons from Shiva. Once again he attempted to conquer Kamadhenu/Nandini. But even the divine weapons he acquired could not defeat the power of Kamadhenu/Nandini.
Vishwamitra finally decided to become a Brahmarishi himself, he renounced all his possessions and luxury and led the life of a simple forest ascetic.

The tale of King Dileepa

King Dileepa or Dilip was a king of the Raghuvamsha dynasty. He had a wife named Sudakshina, but they had no children. For this reason, Dileepa visited the sage Vashistha in his ashram, and asked him for his advice. Vashistha replied that they should serve the cow Nandini, child of Kamadhenu, and perhaps if Nandini was happy with their service, she would bless them with a child. So, according to Vashistha, Dileepa served Nandini every day, and attended to her every need for twenty-one days. On the twenty-first day, a lion attacks Nandini. Dileepa immediately draws his bow and tries to shoot the lion. But he finds that his arm is paralysed and cannot move. He reasons that the lion must have some sort of divine power. As if to confirm this, the lion started to speak to him. It said that Dileepa had no chance of saving the cow because the cow was the lion's chosen meal. The lion tells Dileepa to return to Vashistha's ashram. Dileepa replies by asking if the lion would let Nandini go if he offered himself in Nandini's place. The lion agreed and Dileepa sacrificed his life for the cow. But then the lion mysteriously disappeared. Nandini explained that the lion was just an illusion to test Dileepa. Because Dileepa was truly selfless, Nandini granted him a son.

Arundhati and Vashishtha pair of stars

In traditional Indian astronomy, pair of Alcor and Mizar in constellation Ursa Major is known as Vashishtha and Arundhati Mizar is known as Vasistha and Alcor is known as Arundhati in traditional Indian astronomy.The pair is considered to symbolize marriage (Vashishtha and Arundhati were a married couple) and, in some Hindu communities, priests conducting a wedding ceremony allude to or point out the constellation as a symbol of the closeness marriage brings to a couple.

Vashista Ashram

Brahmrishi Vashistha had an Ashram in Ayodhya that was spread over 40 acres (160,000 m2) of land. Today all that remains of it is a small ashram in about one fourth of an acre of land. The ashram has within it a well that is believed to be the source of the river Saryu. Brahmarishi Vashistha was the Guru of the Suryavamsha. The King at that time was King Ishvaku who was the king of Ayodhya. He was a noble king and thought of the well being of his subjects. He approached Sage Vashista telling him that the land had no water and requested him to do something to let the kingdom have adequate water. Sage Vashistha performed a special prayer and the river Saryu is said to have started flowing from this well. Sarayu is also known as Ishvaki and Vashisti. It is said that the well is connected underground with the river. Many spiritual people who visit this ashram find an enormous spiritual energy around this well. Some believe that this is one of the better spiritual tirth's in Bharat (India). There is also another ashram past Rishikesh on the way to Kaudiyala on the Devprayag route that is known as Vashistha Guha Ashram. The ashram itself is located on the banks of the River Ganges and it is a very beautiful place. It has a wonderful long cave with a large dark Shivaling installed at the end inside. The head of the ashram is a Sanyasi monk of South Indian origin by the name of Swami Chaitanyanandji. There is also another cave smaller to the side facing the river called 'Arundhati's Cave', also known as 'the Jesus Cave', since the 1930's when Papa Ramdasji had mentioned in his book about his vision of Lord Jesus there.

Vasistha In Buddhism

In the Buddhist Vinaya Pitaka of the Mahavagga (I.245) section the Buddha pays respect to Vasistha by declaring that the Veda in its true form was declared to the Vedic rishis "Atthako, Vâmako, Vâmadevo, Vessâmitto, Yamataggi, Angiraso, Bhâradvâjo, Vâsettho, Kassapo, and Bhagu" and because that true Veda was altered by some priests he refused to pay homage to the altered version.

Vashista head

A copper item representing a human head styled in the manner described for the Rigvedic Vashistha has been dated to around 3700 B.C. in three western universities using among other tests carbon 14 tests, spectrographic analysis, X-ray dispersal analysis and metallography.This indicates that some Rigvedic customs were already known at a very early time. The head was not found in an archaeological context, as it was rescued from being melted down in Delhi.

‘Thiruvathittakudi’ now as ‘Thittakudi’

             
The Yamuna river is one among the most sacred of the rivers that run in Bharata or India from ancient times. Praised to be on par with Yamuna and hence known as ‘Thenyamunai’ (Southern-Yamuna)and also as the ‘Vellhar’ river. Situated on the northern-banks of this holy-river is the Venerated-place known as ‘Thittakudi’. Since the holy venerated Saint,Sage and ‘Brahmarishi’ and the son of the Creator Lord Brahma,’Vashista’ who in chaste-Tamil is known as ‘Vathitta’ munivar lived here,this place is known as ‘Thiruvathittakudi’. The venerated now in its shortened-form is known as ‘Thittakudi’. This place is 13 kilometers east of ‘Tholludhoor’ near Trichy on National Highway – 45. It also lies 12 kilometers west of ‘Pennadam’ which lies on the Villupuram – Trichy railway-line. There also frequent bus-services from Virudhachallam to Thittakudi.

In ancient-times,Lord Brahma’s son Vashista Munivar stayed here in the Tiger-forest that existed then and performed penance. He married the Virtuous-lady Arundhati and together led a pure dharmic-life here.
The heavenly blessed-cow ‘Kamadhenu’ who could provide anything that one wished for,appeared here from heaven and grew up here in Vashista’s ashram. One day as it was grazing in the forests,its hoof it struck a termite-hill and on seeing blood oozing out from it, swooned and fainted! Later,to stem the flow of blood,it stood and secreted copious amount of its own milk upon the termite-hill. Upon realizing this,Vashista went there and noticed that the termite-hill indeed concealed a ‘Suyambulingam’ ( Linga that originated by itself). He requested Kamadhenu to build a temple over the Linga. Kamadhenu immediately did as per his request. This indeed is the present day ‘Karpagraham’ or the Sanctum-Santorium that is enscombed within the Temple. On the outer-side of the Nataraja-Temple and on the upper-reaches there now exists a small sculptured-statue showing Kamadhenu secreting its divine-milk over the Siva-Linga.                                                                                                            
Vashista Munivar performed pujas for the Siva-Linga for a very long time and attained divine-wisdom. During that time Lord Rama’s ancestor the Emperor Manu came here,prayed and got the grace and blessings of Vashista and further requested that he alone should kindly consent to be the ‘Kula-Guru’ (family-Guru or Master) for his ‘Surya-Vamsam’ or the ‘Solar-dynasty’. The Sage graciously accepted to the request. Upon the Sage’s request,the Emperor’s soldiers,cut down the trees and cleared the dense tiger-forest and built a new city at the place. This place is now indeed ‘Thiruvathittakudi’ or ‘Thittakudi’ as it is presently known.
All the foremost ‘Rishis’ who were well versed in the Vedas and Agamas,came over here and settled here. Many a king,prince and learned-person came here to study the Vedas and the other ‘Kalai’ known as the “64 arts” or “64 branches of knowledge” which included
stronomy,astrology,painting,sculpting,engineering,dance,music and sports like archery,sword-fencing,horse-riding,wrestling etc.,. The whole surrounding area constantly reveberated  with the sound-vibrations of the Vedic-mantras chanted day and night by the pupil and Teacher! Since ‘Vidhaya’ or knowledge was taught here,it also became known as ‘Vidhyayaranyapuram’. The Emperor Manu further did a splendid job by extending the work done by Kamadhenu upon the request of Vashista. He built four walls,three ‘Gopurams’ (towers) which greatly pleased the Lord and thereupon The Most Gracious Vaidyanatha Swamy and Most Gracious Asanambigai Amman appeared before Manu and blessed him. The Emperor appealed to the Lord that the “Needhi-Nool” (“book of Justice”) written by him should be followed by the all the beings of the ’14 worlds’ ( there are “7 upper worlds” and “7 lower worlds” (our solar-system is the 7th one known as ‘bhulogam’ or ‘bhuloka’ in the “upper-worlds”, hosting “18 ganangal” or “18 heavenly-hosts” which include ‘Devas’ – Angels; ‘Asuras’ – Titans; Kinnarvas & Ghandarvas – celestial dancers and bards or musicians; man etc.,).  The Lord kindly and graciously accepted and thus was born the present day ‘Manuneedhi-nool’ which is still practiced and followed.
 Sage Vashista stayed here and by praying to The Most Gracious Vaidyanathar and Asanambigai and by performing penance here for a very long time,came to be widely known as ‘Rajarishi’ or the “King of Rishis”. He attained Kamadhenu the divine-cow and was the Kula-Guru of Emperor Manu,Dasaratha and Lord Rama. He also attained the divine-wisdom to write the exalted –text known as ‘Jnana Vashistam’. He explained the texts to Lord Rama which is considered to provide a higher wisdom to even that of the Bhagavad Gita!