Introduction
Rishis or Sages have been rightly valued in India as supreme. They are beyond the celestial beings and have repeatedly set examples of their superiority since ancient times.
Sages guide mankind to inculcate feelings of utmost goodwill for the entire world, animals and birds; trees and creepers; lakes, streams and rivers; hills and dales; rocks and hillocks included. That is why the Upanishads describe rishis as the highest even amongst the Vipras: “rushirvipranam” (Mahanarayanopanishad12.1). Vipra literally means one born in a Brahmin family and eventually becoming a dvija by a sacred ceremony, namely Upanayan. The ceremony gives him the status of a Brahmacharin, i.e. worthy of studying the Vedas and profound by the study and understanding of the Vedas itself in its six limbs, i.e. shadangas, namely shiksha, vyakarana, chhandas, nirukta, kalpa, and jyotisha. Finally, the highest study that leads him to moksha dharma is Pravidya.
The Sanskrit verse of Vipra clearly says:
जन्मनाब्राह्मणोप्रोक्तःसंस्कारैर्द्विजउच्यते।
विद्यतेयातिविप्रत्वंत्रिभिःश्रोत्रियउच्यते॥
Thus it can be observed that on satisfying the above conditions and reaching the stage of Vipra one automatically becomes a Shrotriya. Again, a Shrotriya is the one who is deeply versed in the Vedas. Even among these Vipras of whom the highest is the Shrotriya, the rishi is the noblest, the one enlightened by the Vedas and ennobled by Tapas or penance.
This concept of a rishi is thus a theme reckoned high even in the earliest Vedic hymns. The idea of the Seven-Rishis is already familiar in the Rigveda where they are conceived as our fathers.
अस्माकंपितरःआसन्सप्तर्षयः॥ (Rigveda 4.42.8)
They are enumerated as the sacrificial priests i.e. hotri, potri, neshtri, agnidhri, prashastri, adhvaryu, Brahma, essentially meaning invoker, purifier, leader, kindler, director, ministering priest and praying priest respectively.
तवाग्नेतवहोत्रंतवपोत्रंनेष्ट्रंत्वंअग्नदूतयतः।
तवप्रशास्त्रंत्वमध्वरीयसिब्रह्माचासिगृहपतिश्चनोदमे॥ (Rigveda 2.1.2)
and this is continued thereafter:
सप्तजिव्हासप्तऋषयःधामाप्रियाणि।
(TaittiriyaSamhita 1.5.3)
The Sapta Rishis
Formed on the solid base of Puranas and Upanishads, the seven rishis forming Saptarshis are Gautama, Bhardwaja, Vishwamitra, Jamadagni, Vasistha, Kashyapa and Atri. All these Seven-Rishis are renowned as the mind born sons of Brahma, the creator of the universe as per the Hindu mythology. They are called desired rather than the conceived offspring of the Lord himself. Even today the Brahmin communities are known to be the descendants of these Seven-Rishis.
These rishis were transformed into stars as mentioned in the Vedic legends and other myths especially in the Vedic prose texts as “सप्तर्षिषुहस्मवैपुरारक्षाइत्याचक्षते।” (Shatapatha Brahmana 2.1.2.4). They thereafter formed Rikshas i.e. constellations or stars.
That is why Kalidasa refers to rishis who were invited and assembled for Rama’s Ashvamedha as the ones like luminous spheres, coming from the ends of the earth:
दिग्भ्योनिमंत्रितश्चैनामभिजाद्मुर्महर्षयः।
नभौमन्येवादिश्यानिहित्वाज्योतिर्मयान्यपि॥
Arundhati, the consort of Vasishtha as described in the Vedic and puranic literature especially Taittiriya Aranyaka 3.9.2., also shares an equal status with the seven principle seers (Saptarishis). Evidently, an eastern chalukya frieze of the saptarshis from the Bhimeshvara temple at Draksharama represents her along with them. She is a star like other rishis mentioned as in the Taittiriya Aranyaka.
The meaning of Prajapati
In Hinduism, Prajapati or the ‘Lord of creatures’ is a Hindu deity presiding over procreation. He is also propitiated as the ‘Protector of life’. Many Vedic commentators better identify Prajapati as the creator the way it has been referred to in the famous text Nasadiyasukta.
Prajapati in Veda
As per Veda in the Vedic Era, the Prajapatis were elected in a democratic way. Lord Vishnu was first elected democratically as Prajapati (In the North of Aryavrat) by all the subjects and rishis of that period and ruled the position of Prajapati, thereafter, Lord Brahma was chosen as Prajapati (In the West of Aryavrat), thereafter Lord Shankar (In the South of Aryavrat) was elected as Prajapatis; the throne of Prajapati succeeds further and there were about 26 Prajapatis mentioned as per Veda. As mentioned earlier, Prajapati or the ‘Lord of creatures’ is a Hindu deity presiding over procreation. He is also propitiated as the ‘Protector of life’.
In Rigveda (RV 10), he is given the position above all other Vedic deities and emerges as Supreme Lord Vishvakarman. Many Vedic commentators better identify Prajapati as the creator the way it has been referred to in the famous text Nasadiyasukta. He is also the ideal personification of Fire, Time, and the Sun etc. In recent times he has also been identified as the Hindu Trinity – Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh (Shiva). Most famously, Prajapati has been identified with the mythical progenitors as the ten ‘Lords of Created Beings’. Manu Smriti 1.34 defines how Lord Brahma first created the ten Prajapatis namely, Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Vasishtha, Prachetas or Daksha, Bhrigu, and Narada.
As per the Indian philosophy, Prajapati is called Hiranyagarbha, the one who created the Universe (the manifested cosmos). In Rigveda (RV 10.121), it has also been regarded as ‘Hiranyagarbhasukta’ to indicate the rising monism or monotheism. In the later Vedic period, as Nasadiya Sukta (verse 8: yódevéṣvádhideváékaâsīt) became popular, he became popularly known as the deity who presides over other Gods.
The Upanishads has a different version of the origins of Hiranyagarbha as the text links it to the ‘Soul of the Universe’. As per the Upanishads, after hovering around in the midst of infinite darkness for many days, Hiranyagarbha set off the creation of the Swarga and the Prithvi, i.e. the heaven and the earth respectively.
On the other hand, the classical Puranic Hinduism (Manusmrti 1.9) states that Hiranyagarbha is another name given to Lord Brahma as he was emerged from a golden egg. Again, the epic calls it Manifest.
Vishvakarman has been projected as the leader of the Prajapatis in Srimad Bhagavatam 8.8.16. The text also clarifies that Lord Braham created the Prajapatis to generate progeny and these eleven Lords of created beings are
o Vishvakarman
o Marichi
o Atri
o Angirasa
o Pulastya
o Pulaha
o Kratu
o Vasishta
o Prachetas or Daksha
o Bhrigu and
o Narada
In the epic Mahabharata, the celestial Sage Narada describes the 14 Prajapatis as the caretaker of the Praja (subjects), excluding Vishvakarman namely:
o Kashyap
o Bhrigu
o Atri
o Daksha,
o Marichi
o Vasishtha
o Gautama
o Angirasa
o Prachetas
o Pulaha
o Pulastya
o Kratu
o Prahlad and
o Kardama
These fourteen Parjapatis are the caretakers of the seven lokas and seven talas, altogether fourteen worlds.
Warriors belonging to the community (caste) of potter cum Brahman, commonly known as the Kumhar, are seen as the descendants of Prajapati; Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and Maharaj Manu are considered Prajapatis. Prajapati also means protector & preserver (King).
In South India, Santhalian (a famous King), Wodeyar (Lord or Owner), Nair (means Soldier), the surname Rao are all referred as the members of the Kumhar Community. The Pal or Paul surname, literally meaning protector, is much prevalent in the east and used by the Kumhar community here. Other chief surnames used by the Kumhar community are Verma/Verman, Rana and, Chauhdhary (Thakur). Moreover, Kumhars/ Prajapatis are of Kshatriya origin in Hindu Verna hierarchy and are swarna.
The Mahabharata translated by Krishna Mohan Ganguli (1883-1896), Book 2: SabhaParva: LokapalaSabhakhayanaParva, section:XI. p.25
“Daksha, Prachetas, Pulaha, Marichi, the master Kasyapa, Bhrigu, Atri, and Vasistha and Gautama, and also Angiras, and Pulastya, Kraut, Prahlada, and Kardama, these Prajapatis, and Angirasa of the Atharvan Veda, the Valikhilyas, the Marichipas; Intelligence, Space, Knowledge, Air, Heat, Water, Earth, Sound, Touch, Form, Taste, Scent; Nature, and the Modes (of Nature), and the elemental and prime causes of the world,–all stay in that mansion beside the Lord Brahma. And Agastya of great energy, and Markandeya, of great ascetic power, and Jamadagni and Bharadwaja, and Samvarta, and Chyavana, and exalted Durvasa, and the virtuous Rishyasringa, the illustrious ‘Sanatkumara’ of great ascetic merit and the preceptor in all matters affecting Yoga…”
Possible equivalent
Many scholars have linked the term Prajapati with the Protogonos (Greek: Πρωτογόνος), the Greek Orphic tradition. As maintained by Damasius, Protogonos aka Phanes had four heads, each of a serpent, a man, a god, and a bull. Likewise, in Brahmaṇḍa Puraṇa, Lord Brahma (the creator of Prajapatis) is also reckoned as four-headed, one each of a god, a sage, an ancestor and a human. Again, as per Makrobios the word Prajapati is etymologically equivalent to the oracular God at Kolophon.
About Pulaha
Pulaha was son of Lord Brahma.
मरीचिरङ्गिराऽत्रिः पुलस्त्यः पुलहः क्रतुः।
षडेते ब्रह्मणः पुत्राः वीर्यवन्तो महर्षयः।।
तेषां तु जन्म वक्ष्यामि उत्तरत्र यथा विधिः।
पुलहस्तु प्रजां दृष्ट्वा नातिप्रीतमनाः स्वकाम्।।
In Swayambhuva Manvantara, he was born from navel. He was the husband of Daksha’s daughter Kshama.
केशैस्तु कपिशो जातः पुलस्त्यश्च महातपाः।
केशैः प्रलम्बैःपुलहस्ततो जातो महातपो।।
He was burnt because of Lord Shiva’s curse and born again in Vaivasvata from Agni’s hair.
In Bhagavatpurana, Gati was also referred as his wife. He had many sons.
From Kshama he had Kardama, Kanakapeetha, Urvarivat and a daughter named Peevari.
पुलहस्य गतिर्भार्या त्रीनसूत सती सुतान्।
कर्मश्रेष्ठं वरीयांसं सहिष्णुं च महामते।।
From Gati he had Kardama, Urvarivat and Sahishnu. His wives were Sandhya, Mrugi, Mrugamanda, Haribhadra, Iravati, Kapishaa, Danshtra, Risha, Tirya, Shweta, Sarama and Surasa.
अगस्त्यपुत्रं धर्माज्ञमागस्त्याः क्रतवस्ततः।
पुलहस्य तथा पुत्रास्त्रयश्च पृथिवीपते।।
राक्षसास्तु पुलहस्य वानराः किंनरास्तथा।
पुलहस्य मृगाः सिंहाः व्याघ्राः किंपुरुषस्तथा।।
Pulaha had non-human sons including deer, lion, tiger, etc. As his sons were not well-behaved, he adopted Agastya’s son called Drudhasya.
शिरः प्रावृत्य कर्णौ वा मुक्तकच्छशिरोऽपि वा।
अकृत्वा पादयोः शौचं आचांतोऽप्यशुचिर्भवेत्।।
Published On: 12-02-2014
