98-495: The Kumaras are four sages ( rishis ) from the Puranic texts of Hinduism who roam the universe as children, generally named Sanaka , Sanandana , Sanatana , and Sanatkumara . They are described as the first mind-born creations and sons of the creator-god Brahma . Born from Brahma's mind, the four Kumaras undertook lifelong vows of celibacy ( brahmacharya ) against the wishes of their father. They are said to wander throughout
196-538: A Mimamsa scholar, "thinks of the Veda as something to be trained and mastered to be put into practical ritual use", noticing that "it is not the meaning of the mantras that is most essential [...] but rather the perfect mastering of their sound form." According to Galewicz, Sayana saw the purpose ( artha ) of the Veda as the " artha of carrying out sacrifice", giving precedence to the Yajurveda . For Sayana, whether
294-402: A Brahmin last name. In Carnatic music , "Rishi" is the seventh chakra (group) of Melakarta ragas . The names of chakras are based on the numbers associated with each name. In this case, there are seven rishis and hence the 7th chakra is "Rishi". The descendant families of these Rishis, refer to their ancestral lineage through their family " gotra ". This is a common practice among
392-454: A Kumara and then multiply into the four Kumaras in each kalpa (eon) as sons of Brahma of that kalpa . In the 29th kalpa, Shveta Lohita is the main Kumara; where they are named as Sananda, Nandana, Vishvananda, and Upananadana of white colour; then in the 30th kalpa, they are named as Virajas, Vivahu, Visoka and Vishvabhavana, all of the red colour; and in the 31st kalpa in yellow colour; and in
490-464: A common noun means "knowledge". The term in some contexts, such as hymn 10.93.11 of the Rigveda , means "obtaining or finding wealth, property", while in some others it means "a bunch of grass together" as in a broom or for ritual fire . The term "Vedic texts" is used in two distinct meanings: The corpus of Vedic Sanskrit texts includes: While production of Brahmanas and Aranyakas ceased with
588-651: A connection to ṛṣ "pour, flow" ( PIE *h 1 ers ), rather one with German rasen "to be ecstatic, be in a different state of mind" (and perhaps Lithuanian aršus ). In the Vedas , the word denotes an inspired poet of Vedic hymns. In particular, Ṛṣi refers to the authors of the hymns of the Rigveda . Some of the earliest lists of Rishi are found in Jaiminiya Brahmana verse 2.218 and Brihadaranyaka Upanishad verse 2.2.4. Post-Vedic tradition regards
686-501: A great sage, who dispels doubts and the preceptor in all matters affecting Yoga Also mentioned is the Tirtha of Kanakhala near Gangadwara or Haridwar , where through extensive tapas , he attained great ascetic powers. The four Kumaras are the eldest sons of the creator-god Brahma . When Brahma undertook the task of creating the universe, he first created some beings from different parts of his body to aid him. The Kumaras were
784-565: A hymn. Vaishnavism (the devotees that worships Vishnu as the Supreme) is divided into four sampradaya s or traditions. Each of them traces its lineage to a heavenly being. The Kumara Sampradaya , also known as the Nimbarka Sampradaya, Catuḥ Sana Sampradaya and Sanakadi Sampradaya, and its philosophy Dvaitadvaita ("duality in unity") is believed to be propagated in humanity by the four Kumaras. The swan avatar of Vishnu Hamsa
882-409: A knowledge-debate (jnana-vivada) amongst them would settle this matter. The goddess Saraswati was appointed as the judge. The four Kumaras posed very complicated questions to Shiva and were very confident of their victory. But Shiva, as the supreme deity of wisdom, answered each and every question. The Kumaras accepted their defeat gracefully and asked for forgiveness. The Atharva Veda was thus added to
980-622: A number of older Veda manuscripts in Nepal that are dated from the 11th century onwards. The Vedas, Vedic rituals and its ancillary sciences called the Vedangas , were part of the curriculum at ancient universities such as at Taxila , Nalanda and Vikramashila . According to Deshpande, "the tradition of the Sanskrit grammarians also contributed significantly to the preservation and interpretation of Vedic texts." Yāska (4th c. BCE ) wrote
1078-511: A particular area, or kingdom. Each school followed its own canon. Multiple recensions (revisions) are known for each of the Vedas. Thus, states Witzel as well as Renou, in the 2nd millennium BCE, there was likely no canon of one broadly accepted Vedic texts, no Vedic “Scripture”, but only a canon of various texts accepted by each school. Some of these texts have survived, most lost or yet to be found. Rigveda that survives in modern times, for example,
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#17327717563691176-875: A region spanning the Indian subcontinent, Persia and the European area, and some greater details are found in the Vedic era texts such as the Grhya Sūtras. Only one version of the Rigveda is known to have survived into the modern era. Several different versions of the Sama Veda and the Atharva Veda are known, and many different versions of the Yajur Veda have been found in different parts of South Asia. The texts of
1274-535: A significant role in a number of Hindu spiritual traditions, especially those associated with the worship of Vishnu and his avatar Krishna , sometimes even in traditions related to Shiva . The group is known by various names: "Kumaras" (the boys/male children/young boys), "Chatursana" or "Chatuh Sana" (the four with names starting with Sana) and "Sanakadi" (Sanaka and the others). Individual names usually include Sanaka (ancient), Sanatana (eternal), Sanandana (ever-joyful) and Sanatkumara (ever-young). Sometimes, Sanatana
1372-441: A single god , agnosticism , and monistic beliefs where "there is an absolute reality that goes beyond the gods and that includes or transcends everything that exists." Indra , Agni , and Yama were popular subjects of worship by polytheist organizations. Each of the four Vedas were shared by the numerous schools, but revised, interpolated and adapted locally, in and after the Vedic period, giving rise to various recensions of
1470-468: Is attested to by the preservation of the most ancient Indian religious text, the Rigveda , as redacted into a single text during the Brahmana period, without any variant readings within that school. The Vedas were orally transmitted by memorization, and were written down only after 500 BCE, All printed editions of the Vedas that survive in the modern times are likely the version existing in about
1568-637: Is derived from the root vid- "to know". This is reconstructed as being derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *weyd- , meaning "see" or "know". The noun is from Proto-Indo-European *weydos , cognate to Greek (ϝ)εἶδος "aspect", "form" . This is not to be confused with the homonymous 1st and 3rd person singular perfect tense véda , cognate to Greek (ϝ)οἶδα ( (w)oida ) "I know". Root cognates are Greek ἰδέα , English wit , Latin videō "I see", Russian ве́дать ( védat' ) "to know", etc. The Sanskrit term veda as
1666-439: Is followed by artha - bodha , perception of their meaning." Mukherjee explains that the Vedic knowledge was first perceived by the rishis and munis . Only the perfect language of the Vedas, as in contrast to ordinary speech, can reveal these truths, which were preserved by committing them to memory. According to Mukherjee, while these truths are imparted to the student by the memorized texts, "the realization of Truth " and
1764-465: Is in only one extremely well preserved school of Śåkalya, from a region called Videha , in modern north Bihar , south of Nepal . The Vedic canon in its entirety consists of texts from all the various Vedic schools taken together. There were Vedic schools that believed in polytheism in which numerous gods had different natural functions, henotheistic beliefs where only one god was worshipped but others were thought to exist, monotheistic beliefs in
1862-541: Is narrated in the Uttarakanda of the Ramcharitmanas . The Kumaras once stayed in the hermitage of the sage Agastya , who told them about the glory of Rama. So to meet Rama, they went to a forest grove where Rama with his brothers and disciple Hanuman had come. Rama and his brothers were so delighted in meeting the four enlightened sages that they paid obeisance to them. The sages were wonderstruck looking at
1960-538: Is paramount that one surrenders to God (as Vishnu or Krishna ), said Sanatkumara ending his counsel. Prithu worships the Kumaras again, who blessed him. The first section or Purvabhaga of Naradiya Purana , an upapurana has 4 pada s or sections, each told by the four Kumaras respectively to Narada. Brahma, who had received the knowledge of the Puranas from Vishnu, imbibed this to his Four Kumaras, who then taught
2058-514: Is remembered"). This indigenous system of categorization was adopted by Max Müller and, while it is subject to some debate, it is still widely used. As Axel Michaels explains: These classifications are often not tenable for linguistic and formal reasons: There is not only one collection at any one time, but rather several handed down in separate Vedic schools; Upanişads [...] are sometimes not to be distinguished from Āraṇyakas [...]; Brāhmaṇas contain older strata of language attributed to
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#17327717563692156-538: Is replaced by Sanatsujata. A fifth Kumara named Ribhu is sometimes added. Sometimes, the Kumaras are enumerated as six with Sana and Ribhu or Sanatsujata added. Though in Mahabharata , a total of seven sons are mentioned, namely: 1) Aniruddha, 2) Sana, 3) Sanatsujata, 4) Sanaka, 5) Sanandana, 6) Sanatkumara and 7) Sanatana and further mentions that, "Knowledge comes to these seven rishis, of itself (without being dependent on study or exertion). These seven are wedded to
2254-533: Is the Vedic period itself, where incipient lists divide the Vedic texts into three (trayī) or four branches: Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. Each Veda has been subclassified into four major text types – the Samhitas (mantras and benedictions), the Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies such as newborn baby's rites of passage, coming of age, marriages, retirement and cremation, sacrifices and symbolic sacrifices),
2352-481: The Saṃhitās ; there are various dialects and locally prominent traditions of the Vedic schools. Nevertheless, it is advisable to stick to the division adopted by Max Müller because it follows the Indian tradition, conveys the historical sequence fairly accurately, and underlies the current editions, translations, and monographs on Vedic literature." Among the widely known śrutis include the Vedas and their embedded texts –
2450-527: The Nirukta , which reflects the concerns about the loss of meaning of the mantras, while Pāṇinis (4th c. BCE) Aṣṭādhyāyī is the most important surviving text of the Vyākaraṇa traditions. Mimamsa scholar Sayanas (14th c. CE) major Vedartha Prakasha is a rare commentary on the Vedas, which is also referred to by contemporary scholars. Yaska and Sayana, reflecting an ancient understanding, state that
2548-542: The Veda s at the age of four or five. They thus became great jnani s (learned beings), yogis , and Siddha s (the perfect enlightened ones). The Kumaras remained in the form of children due to their spiritual virtues. The age of the sages varies in sacred texts. While five is the most popular, they are also mentioned as being five-year-old boys. They practised the vow of renunciation ( sannyasa ) and celibacy ( brahmacharya ) and remained naked. They wander together throughout
2646-572: The Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices and symbolic-sacrifices), and the Upanishads (texts discussing meditation , philosophy and spiritual knowledge). Some scholars add a fifth category – the Upāsanās (worship). The texts of the Upanishads discuss ideas akin to the heterodox sramana traditions. The Samhitas and Brahmanas describe daily rituals and are generally meant for
2744-822: The Brahmacharya and Gr̥hastha stages of the Chaturashrama system, while the Aranyakas and Upanishads are meant for the Vānaprastha and Sannyasa stages, respectively. Vedas are śruti ("what is heard"), distinguishing them from other religious texts, which are called smr̥ti ("what is remembered"). Hindus consider the Vedas to be apauruṣeya , which means "not of a man, superhuman" and "impersonal, authorless", revelations of sacred sounds and texts heard by ancient sages after intense meditation. The Vedas have been orally transmitted since
2842-550: The Brahmanas (commentaries on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices), and the Upanishads (text discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge). The Upasanas (short ritual worship-related sections) are considered by some scholars as the fifth part. Witzel notes that the rituals, rites and ceremonies described in these ancient texts reconstruct to a large degree the Indo-European marriage rituals observed in
2940-651: The Buddhist Jataka scriptures , this Ruesi is mentioned as the bodhisatta and practiced his ascetism in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia . Veneration of Ruesis is a notable practice in Southeast Asian Buddhism . The name "Rishi" (pronounced "ruesi") is also the basis of one of the letters of the Thai alphabet , so reu-si ( Thai : ษ ฤๅษี ). Rishi is also a male given name , and less commonly
3038-680: The Buddhist texts . In Pali , they are known as "Isi"s. A Rishi can also be called a Buddha, Paccekabuddha, Arhat or monk of high rank. In Buddhist Pali literature , Buddha is called many times as "Mahesi"(Pali; Sanskrit: Maharṣi; meaning the greatest sage). The Isigili Sutta in Pali Canon , mentions the name of Five hundred Rishis (Paccekabuddhas). The Buddhist text, Mahamayuri Tantra , written during 1–3rd centuries CE, mentions Rishis throughout Jambudvipa (modern day India , Pakistan , Afghanistan , Bangladesh , Nepal ) and invokes them for
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3136-643: The Puranas to Narada. Narada transmitted it to Vyasa , who scripted them into the Puranic texts. The Vishnu Purana is recorded in two parts, the Vishnu Purana and Naradiya Purana . The teachings of Sanaka of the Kumara brothers are contained in the Naradiya Purana which is also divided into two parts, the first part containing the teachings of Sanaka and others. The four Kumaras roamed around at their free will with their cosmic powers all over
3234-516: The Samhitas , the Upanishads , the Brahmanas and the Aranyakas . The well-known smṛtis include Bhagavad Gita , Bhagavata Purana and the epics Ramayana and Mahabharata , amongst others. Hindus consider the Vedas to be apauruṣeyā , which means "not of a man, superhuman" and "impersonal, authorless". The Vedas, for orthodox Indian theologians, are considered revelations seen by ancient sages after intense meditation, and texts that have been more carefully preserved since ancient times. In
3332-505: The Vedas . The Post-Vedic tradition of Hinduism regards the rishis as "great yogis " or "sages" who after intense meditation ( tapas ) realized the supreme truth and eternal knowledge, which they composed into hymns. The term appears in Pali literature as Ishi; in Buddhism they can be either Buddhas , Paccekabuddhas , Arahats or a monk of high rank. According to Indian tradition,
3430-499: The Ŗik (words) without understanding their inner meaning or essence, the knowledge of dharma and Parabrahman . Mukherjee concludes that in the Rigvedic education of the mantras "the contemplation and comprehension of their meaning was considered as more important and vital to education than their mere mechanical repetition and correct pronunciation." Mookei refers to Sayana as stating that "the mastery of texts, akshara-praptī ,
3528-536: The "correct tradition" ( sampradaya ) has as much authority as the written Shastra", explaining that the tradition "bears the authority to clarify and provide direction in the application of knowledge". The emphasis in this transmission is on the "proper articulation and pronunciation of the Vedic sounds", as prescribed in the Shiksha , the Vedanga (Vedic study) of sound as uttered in a Vedic recitation, mastering
3626-527: The 14th century BCE, the only epigraphic record of Indo-Aryan contemporary to the Rigvedic period. He gives 150 BCE ( Patañjali ) as a terminus ante quem for all Vedic Sanskrit literature, and 1200 BCE (the early Iron Age ) as terminus post quem for the Atharvaveda. The Vedas were orally transmitted since their composition in the Vedic period for several millennia. The authoritative transmission of
3724-419: The 16th century CE. The canonical division of the Vedas is fourfold ( turīya ) viz., Of these, the first three were the principal original division, also called " trayī vidyā "; that is, "the triple science" of reciting hymns (Rigveda), performing sacrifices (Yajurveda), and chanting songs (Samaveda). The Rig Veda most likely was composed between c. 1500 BCE and 1200 BCE. Witzel notes that it
3822-503: The 2nd millennium BCE with the help of elaborate mnemonic techniques . The mantras, the oldest part of the Vedas, are recited in the modern age for their phonology rather than the semantics , and are considered to be "primordial rhythms of creation", preceding the forms to which they refer. By reciting them the cosmos is regenerated, "by enlivening and nourishing the forms of creation at their base." The various Indian philosophies and Hindu sects have taken differing positions on
3920-496: The 32nd kalpa, as of black colour. The four sages, Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, Sanatkumara were learned Brahmins. They were the sons of Brahma. They were very proud of their father, Brahma, because he was the creator of the holy books, Vedas. They were aware of three Vedas - Rigveda , Yajurveda , and Samaveda and considered that the whole knowledge is complete in these three books. Sage Atharva approached Shiva to gain his approval of his collected knowledge, which he gathered from
4018-621: The Brahmin communities considered study to be a "process of understanding". A literary tradition is traceable in post-Vedic times, after the rise of Buddhism in the Maurya period , perhaps earliest in the Kanva recension of the Yajurveda about the 1st century BCE; however oral tradition of transmission remained active. Jack Goody has argued for an earlier literary tradition, concluding that
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4116-398: The Brahmin sects of the current Hindu society. Veda Divisions Sama vedic Yajur vedic Atharva vedic Vaishnava puranas Shaiva puranas Shakta puranas The Vedas ( / ˈ v eɪ d ə z / or / ˈ v iː d ə z / ; Sanskrit : वेदः , romanized : Vēdaḥ , lit. 'knowledge'), sometimes collectively called
4214-608: The Hindu Epic Mahabharata , the creation of Vedas is credited to Brahma . The Vedic hymns themselves assert that they were skillfully created by Rishis (sages), after inspired creativity, just as a carpenter builds a chariot. The oldest part of the Rig Veda Samhita was orally composed in north-western India ( Punjab ) between c. 1500 and 1200 BCE, while book 10 of the Rig Veda, and
4312-425: The Indo-European dictionary of Julius Pokorny connects the word to a PIE root *h 3 er-s meaning "rise, protrude", in the sense of "excellent" and thus cognate with Ṛta and right and Asha . In Sanskrit, forms of the root rish become arsh- in many words, (e.g., arsh ) Modern etymological explanations such as by Manfred Mayrhofer in his Etymological Dictionary leave the case open, and do not prefer
4410-465: The Kumaras are respective examples of the above colours. Sanatkumara elaborates further how a Jiva (living entity) journeys from dark to white in his various births, ultimately gaining moksha if he does good deeds, devotion and yoga. The Bhagavata Purana narrates the visit of the four Kumaras to the court of King Prithu , the first sovereign in Hindu mythology and an avatar of Vishnu. The king worships
4508-900: The Rishis as "sages" or saints , constituting a peculiar class of divine human beings in the early mythical system, as distinct from Asuras , Devas and mortal men. Swami Vivekananda described "Rishi"s as Mantra-drashtas or "the seers of thought". He told— "The truth came to the Rishis of India — the Mantra-drashtâs, the seers of thought — and will come to all Rishis in the future, not to talkers, not to book-swallowers, not to scholars, not to philologists, but to seers of thought." The Rig Veda mentions female rishikas such as Romasha, Lopamudra , Apala , Kadru , Visvavara, Ghosha , Juhu, Vagambhrini, Paulomi, Yami , Indrani , Savitri and Devayani . The Sama Veda adds Nodha, Akrishtabhasha, Sikatanivavari and Gaupayana. In Mahabharata 12, on
4606-509: The Upanishads discuss ideas akin to the heterodox sramana -traditions. Nasadiya Sukta (Hymn of non-Eternity): Who really knows? Who can here proclaim it? Whence, whence this creation sprang? Gods came later, after the creation of this universe. Who then knows whence it has arisen? Whether God's will created it, or whether He was mute; Only He who is its overseer in highest heaven knows, He only knows, or perhaps He does not know. — Rig Veda 10.129.6–7 The Rigveda Samhita
4704-444: The Upanishads. This has inspired later Hindu scholars such as Adi Shankara to classify each Veda into karma-kanda (कर्म खण्ड, action/sacrificial ritual-related sections, the Samhitas and Brahmanas ); and jnana-kanda (ज्ञान खण्ड, knowledge/spirituality-related sections, mainly the Upanishads'). Vedas are śruti ("what is heard"), distinguishing them from other religious texts, which are called smṛti ("what
4802-673: The Veda , are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India . Composed in Vedic Sanskrit , the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism . There are four Vedas: the Rigveda , the Yajurveda , the Samaveda and the Atharvaveda . Each Veda has four subdivisions – the Samhitas ( mantras and benedictions ), the Brahmanas (commentaries on and explanation of rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices – Yajñas ),
4900-454: The Veda can be interpreted in three ways, giving "the truth about gods , dharma and parabrahman ." The pūrva-kāņda (or karma-kanda ), the part of the Veda dealing with ritual, gives knowledge of dharma , "which brings us satisfaction." The uttara-kanda (or jnana-kanda ), the part of the Veda dealing with the knowledge of the absolute, gives knowledge of Parabrahma , "which fulfills all of our desires." According to Holdrege, for
4998-429: The Vedas bear hallmarks of a literate culture along with oral transmission, but Goody's views have been strongly criticised by Falk, Lopez Jr,. and Staal, though they have also found some support. The Vedas were written down only after 500 BCE, but only the orally transmitted texts are regarded as authoritative, given the emphasis on the exact pronunciation of the sounds. Witzel suggests that attempts to write down
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#17327717563695096-450: The Vedas is by an oral tradition in a sampradaya from father to son or from teacher ( guru ) to student ( shishya ), believed to be initiated by the Vedic rishis who heard the primordial sounds . Only this tradition, embodied by a living teacher, can teach the correct pronunciation of the sounds and explain hidden meanings, in a way the "dead and entombed manuscript" cannot do. As Leela Prasad states, "According to Shankara ,
5194-480: The Vedas. Schools of Indian philosophy that acknowledge the importance or primal authority of the Vedas comprise Hindu philosophy specifically and are together classified as the six "orthodox" ( āstika ) schools. However, śramaṇa traditions, such as Charvaka , Ajivika , Buddhism , and Jainism , which did not regard the Vedas as authoritative, are referred to as "heterodox" or "non-orthodox" ( nāstika ) schools. The Sanskrit word véda "knowledge, wisdom"
5292-414: The Vedic texts towards the end of 1st millennium BCE were unsuccessful, resulting in smriti rules explicitly forbidding the writing down of the Vedas. Due to the ephemeral nature of the manuscript material (birch bark or palm leaves), surviving manuscripts rarely surpass an age of a few hundred years. The Sampurnanand Sanskrit University has a Rigveda manuscript from the 14th century; however, there are
5390-457: The advent of writing in the early first millennium CE. According to Staal , criticising the Goody -Watt hypothesis "according to which literacy is more reliable than orality", this tradition of oral transmission "is closely related to Indian forms of science" and "by far the more remarkable" than the relatively recent tradition of written transmission. While according to Mookerji, understanding
5488-488: The alphabet as a mnemotechnical device , "matching physical movements (such as nodding the head) with particular sounds and chanting in a group" and visualizing sounds by using mudras (hand signs). This provided an additional visual confirmation, and also an alternate means to check the reading integrity by the audience, in addition to the audible means. Houben and Rath note that a strong "memory culture" existed in ancient India when texts were transmitted orally, before
5586-410: The cosmos is regenerated, "by enlivening and nourishing the forms of creation at their base. As long as the purity of the sounds is preserved, the recitation of the mantras will be efficacious, irrespective of whether their discursive meaning is understood by human beings." Frazier further notes that "later Vedic texts sought deeper understanding of the reasons the rituals worked", which indicates that
5684-400: The creator and destroyer of all beings. He equates Vishnu's body parts with parts of the universe and the elements, for example, the earth is Vishnu's feet and water is his tongue. All gods are described as being Vishnu. Then Sanatkumara categorizes all beings into six colours depending upon the proportion of the three gunas : sattva (pure), rajas (dim) and tamas (dark). From the lowest to
5782-707: The curse and bow to the Kumaras and beg for their forgiveness. Vishnu who learnt of the incident, appeared before the Kumaras in all his glory with his retinue. The four Kumaras, who were on their first visit to Vaikuntha, took in by the sight and the glittering divine figure of Vishnu. With deep devotion, they appealed to him to accept them as his devotees and allow them to offer worship at his feet for all time to come and let his feet be their final emancipation. Vishnu complied with their request and also assured Jaya and Vijaya that they will born as demons on earth but will be released from all births (killed) by an avatar of Vishnu. The two guards were dismissed by Vishnu to go and suffer
5880-616: The curse of the Kumaras on earth and then only return to his abode, after the end of the curse. The two banished guards were then born on earth in the Satya Yuga at an inauspicious hour, to the sage Kashyapa and his wife Diti (daughter of Daksha ) as asuras . They were named Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha . Vishnu undertook the Varaha Avatar to kill Hiranyaksha , and the Narasimha avatar to kill Hiranyakasipu . In
5978-621: The deity Shiva . As per a variant, Brahma practised tapas (austerities) and pleased Vishnu , and so the latter appeared in the form of the four infant Kumaras as Brahma's sons. Some texts like the Devi Bhagavata Purana and the Bhavishya Purana narrates the four Kumaras appeared even before the Brahma of the present age (In a cycle of time, some texts say that a Brahma dies and is reborn.) The four Kumaras learnt
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#17327717563696076-423: The divinity of Rama that they prostrated before him and out of great ecstasy started shedding tears of happiness. Rama looking at the sages was deeply impressed and asked them to be seated and praised them for their great achievements and their erudite knowledge of the Vedas and Puranas. The four Kumaras were also delighted to hear the words of praise showered on them by Rama. They in turn extolled his great virtues in
6174-600: The end of the Vedic period, additional Upanishads were composed after the end of the Vedic period. The Brahmanas , Aranyakas , and Upanishads , among other things, interpret and discuss the Samhitas in philosophical and metaphorical ways to explore abstract concepts such as the Absolute ( Brahman ), and the soul or the self ( Atman ), introducing Vedanta philosophy, one of the major trends of later Hinduism . In other parts, they show evolution of ideas, such as from actual sacrifice to symbolic sacrifice, and of spirituality in
6272-476: The exponents of karma-kandha the Veda is to be "inscribed in the minds and hearts of men" by memorization and recitation, while for the exponents of the jnana-kanda and meditation the Vedas express a transcendental reality which can be approached with mystical means. Holdrege notes that in Vedic learning "priority has been given to recitation over interpretation" of the Samhitas. Galewicz states that Sayana,
6370-413: The first such beings. They were created from his mind and appeared as infants. Brahma ordered them to aid in the creation, but as manifestations of sattva (purity), and uninterested in worldly life, they refused and instead devoted themselves to God and celibacy, against the wishes of their father. The Bhagavata Purana narrates further that their refusal made Brahma angry and his wrath manifested into
6468-454: The foremost beings, the colours are dark (tamas is high, rajas is mid, sattva is low), tawny (tamas is high, sattva is mid, rajas is low), blue (rajas is high, tamas is mid, sattva is low), red (rajas is high, sattva is mid, tamas is low), yellow (sattva is high, tamas is mid, rajas is low) and white (sattva is high, rajas is mid, tamas is low). The Vishnu Purana mentions non-living things, lower animals and birds, humans, Prajapatis , gods and
6566-548: The form of Dakshinamurti , the great teacher and meditating facing South observing a vow of silence. The four Kumaras approached Shiva for self-realisation. He taught them about the Supreme Reality, Brahman , by making the chin mudra gesture with his hand. The index finger is touched to the thumb, indicating the union of Brahman and jiva . Thus, Shiva made the Kumaras as his disciples. The Linga Purana describes that Shiva, or his aspect Vamadeva , will be born as
6664-537: The four Kumaras and laughed at them since they looked like children and were also naked, and did not permit them to enter through the seventh gate. The four Kumaras were perplexed by the behaviour of the gatekeepers as they had not faced such a situation and ridicule anywhere else. They expected Jaya and Vijaya to be like their master Vishnu, who does not differentiate among beings. Enraged, the Kumaras cursed them to be born on earth thrice, as three villains with characteristics of "lust, anger and greed". The gatekeepers accept
6762-534: The four kinds of mantras into four Samhitas (Collections). The Vedas are among the oldest sacred texts . The bulk of the Rigveda Samhita was composed in the northwestern region (Punjab) of the Indian subcontinent , most likely between c. 1500 and 1200 BCE, although a wider approximation of c. 1700–1100 BCE has also been given. The other three Samhitas are considered to date from
6860-409: The great (Sanskrit-to-Sanskrit) dictionary named "ṛṣati jñānena saṃsāra-pāram" (i.e., "one who reaches beyond this mundane world by means of spiritual knowledge"). Before Monier-Williams' work was published, Yāska suggested it came from "drish" and quotes Aupamanyava to support his opinion. However, the root has a close Avestan cognate ərəšiš "an ecstatic " (see also Yurodivy , Vates ). Yet
6958-589: The knowledge of paramatman as revealed to the rishis is the real aim of Vedic learning, and not the mere recitation of texts. The supreme knowledge of the Absolute, para Brahman - jnana , the knowledge of rta and satya , can be obtained by taking vows of silence and obedience sense-restraint, dhyana , the practice of tapas (austerities), and discussing the Vedanta . The four Vedas were transmitted in various śākhā s (branches, schools). Each school likely represented an ancient community of
7056-489: The list of Vedas, making the total four. The Kumaras went to their brother, the Prajapati Daksha , who was a bitter rival of Shiva. On listening about the defeat of his four brothers, he cursed them to become small children. The Kumaras thanked Daksha for this curse, reasoning that it would instil a great passion for learning within them. An incident about the meeting of the four Kumaras with Vishnu's avatar Rama
7154-445: The mantras had meaning depended on the context of their practical usage. This conception of the Veda, as a repertoire to be mastered and performed, takes precedence over the internal meaning or "autonomous message of the hymns." Most Śrauta rituals are not performed in the modern era, and those that are, are rare. Mukherjee notes that the Rigveda, and Sayana's commentary, contain passages criticizing as fruitless mere recitation of
7252-691: The materialistic and spiritualistic universe without any desire but with a purpose to teach. They are sometimes included in the list of Siddhars (Tamil practitioners of Siddha ). The four Kumaras are said to reside in Janaloka or Janarloka ( loka or world of the intellectuals in the present parlance) or in Vishnu's abode of Vaikuntha . They constantly recite the mantra Hari Sharanam (Refuge in Vishnu) or sing Vishnu's praises. These hymns and glories of Vishnu serve as their only food. Another son of Brahma,
7350-461: The materialistic and spiritualistic universe without any desire but with the purpose of teaching. All four brothers studied Vedas from their childhood, and always travelled together. The Bhagavata Purana lists the Kumaras among the twelve mahajanas (great devotees or bhaktas ) who although being eternally liberated souls from birth, still became attracted to the devotional service of Vishnu from their already enlightened state. They play
7448-502: The meaning ( vedarthajnana or artha - bodha ) of the words of the Vedas was part of the Vedic learning , Holdrege and other Indologists have noted that in the transmission of the Samhitas , the emphasis is on the phonology of the sounds ( śabda ) and not on the meaning ( artha ) of the mantras. Already at the end of the Vedic period their original meaning had become obscure for "ordinary people", and niruktas , etymological compendia, were developed to preserve and clarify
7546-525: The meaning of the mantras, in contrast to the number of commentaries on the Brahmanas and Upanishads, but states that the lack of emphasis on the "discursive meaning does not necessarily imply that they are meaningless". In the Brahmanical perspective, the sounds have their own meaning, mantras are considered as "primordial rhythms of creation", preceding the forms to which they refer. By reciting them
7644-598: The original meaning of many Sanskrit words. According to Staal, as referenced by Holdrege, though the mantras may have a discursive meaning, when the mantras are recited in the Vedic rituals "they are disengaged from their original context and are employed in ways that have little or nothing to do with their meaning". The words of the mantras are "themselves sacred", and "do not constitute linguistic utterances ". Instead, as Klostermaier notes, in their application in Vedic rituals they become magical sounds, "means to an end". Holdrege notes that there are scarce commentaries on
7742-574: The other Samhitas were composed between 1200 and 900 BCE more eastward, between the Yamuna and the Ganges rivers, the heartland of Aryavarta and the Kuru Kingdom ( c. 1200 – c. 900 BCE ). The "circum-Vedic" texts, as well as the redaction of the Samhitas, date to c. 1000 –500 BCE. According to tradition, Vyasa is the compiler of the Vedas, who arranged
7840-842: The other hand, there is the post-Vedic list of Marīci , Atri , Angiras , Pulaha , Kratu , Pulastya and Vashista . The Mahābhārata list explicitly refers to the saptarshis of the first manvantara and not to those of the present manvantara. Each manvantara had a unique set of saptarshi. In Harivamsha 417ff, the names of the Rishis of each manvantara are enumerated. In addition to the Sapta rṣi , there are other classifications of sages. In descending order of precedence, they are Brahmarshi , Maharshi , Rajarshi . Deva rṣi , Param rṣi , Shruta rṣi and Kānda rṣi are added in Manusmriti iv-94 and xi-236 and in two dramas of Kālidasa. The Chaturvarga-Chintāmani of Hemādri puts ' riṣi ' at
7938-694: The protection of the Buddhadharma . Many Jatakas also mentions various Rishis. The Naḷinikā Jātaka (Jā 526) introduces a past life of the Buddha , a Rishi(Isi), living alone in the Himālayas. His son, who was also a Rishi, was named Isisiṅga ( Pali ; Sanskrit: Ṛṣyaśṛṅga ). The Agastya Jataka (Sanskrit; Pali: Akitta Jataka) story, mentions Bodhisattva , named Agastya(Sanskrit; Pali: Akkhata) as Rishi. Most medieval era Hindu temples of Java , Indonesia show Rishi Agastya statues or reliefs, usually guarding
8036-707: The religion of Nivritti (inward contemplation). Sanatkumara in Sanskrit means "eternal youth". He is the author of the Sanatkumara Samhita , which is part of the Shiva Purana , and has 59 chapters. It is also taken as a part of the Pañcaratra , Vaishnavite devotional texts. He taught Bhishma the mental and spiritual sciences. The Chandogya Upanishad , Chapter seven, is about Sanatkumara's Instructions on Bhuma-Vidya to celestial sage Narada , Sanatkumara finds mention across Mahabharata , as
8134-458: The sacred Vedas included up to eleven forms of recitation of the same text. The texts were subsequently "proof-read" by comparing the different recited versions. Forms of recitation included the jaṭā-pāṭha (literally "mesh recitation") in which every two adjacent words in the text were first recited in their original order, then repeated in the reverse order, and finally repeated in the original order. That these methods have been effective,
8232-556: The sage Narada , who is described as their disciple, extolls their virtues in the Padma Purana . Narada says though they appear as five-year-old children, they are the great ancestors of the world. They are possessed also of deep knowledge of the Samkhya philosophy. They are preceptors of the scriptures on duty and it is they that introduce the duties of the religion of Nivritti (inward contemplation), and cause them to "flow in
8330-430: The sages and asked them about the way of emancipation ( moksha ) that can be followed by all people who are caught in the web of worldly things. Sanatkumara tells the king that Vishnu is the refuge to all and grants liberation of the cycle of births and rebirths. His worship frees one from material desires and lust. One should be freed from material objects, live a simple life of non-violence and devotion of Vishnu and follow
8428-535: The second life, during the Treta Yuga , they were born as Ravana and Kumbhakarna and defeated and killed by Rama avatar as mentioned in the epic Ramayana . Finally, in their third and final life in Dvapara Yuga , they were born as Shishupala and Dantavakra during the time of Krishna avatar and got killed by him, which is also mentioned in epic Mahabharata . Shaivas believe that Shiva assumed
8526-446: The seventh place in the eightfold division of Brāhmanas. Amarakosha (the famous Sanskrit synonym lexicon compiled by Amarasimha) mentions seven types of riṣi s : Shrutarshi, Kāndarshi, Paramarshi, Maharshi, Rājarshi, Brahmarshi and Devarshi. Amarakosha strictly distinguishes Rishi from other types of sages, such as sanyāsi, bhikṣu , parivrājaka, tapasvi, muni, brahmachāri, yati, etc. The term Rishi found mentions throughout
8624-670: The southern side of Shaivite temples. Some examples include Candi Sambisari and the Prambanan temple near Yogyakarta . Ruesi (Sanskrit: ṛṣi , Khmer : តាឥសី , Thai : ฤๅษี , Lao : ລືສີ ) is a hermit sage , the equivalent of Rishi in India . In Myanmar , there are some known as ရေသ့ Rase . Rishi Akkhata(Pali; Sanskrit: Agastya), known as Phra Reusi Akkhot in Thailand , is an important Ruesi in Southeast Asia , as in
8722-414: The teachings of a good guru and undergo self-realisation . One should realize that all living things are forms of God. Without devotion and knowledge, humans are incomplete. Out of four purushartha s ("goals of life"), only moksha is eternal, while religious duty , wealth and pleasure decay with this life. While all beings are subject to destruction, the soul and God in our bodies are eternal. So it
8820-484: The text. Some texts were revised into the modern era, raising significant debate on parts of the text which are believed to have been corrupted at a later date. The Vedas each have an Index or Anukramani , the principal work of this kind being the general Index or Sarvānukramaṇī . Prodigious energy was expended by ancient Indian culture in ensuring that these texts were transmitted from generation to generation with inordinate fidelity. For example, memorization of
8918-407: The texts "literally forward and backward in fully acoustic fashion". Houben and Rath note that the Vedic textual tradition cannot simply be characterized as oral, "since it also depends significantly on a memory culture". The Vedas were preserved with precision with the help of elaborate mnemonic techniques , such as memorizing the texts in eleven different modes of recitation ( pathas ), using
9016-526: The time of the Kuru Kingdom , approximately c. 1200–900 BCE. The "circum-Vedic" texts, as well as the redaction of the Samhitas, date to c. 1000 –500 BCE, resulting in a Vedic period , spanning the mid 2nd to mid 1st millennium BCE, or the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age . The Vedic period reaches its peak only after the composition of the mantra texts, with the establishment of
9114-420: The universe using his divine powers. Shiva, impressed by his creation, blessed Sage Atharva, stating that his book of knowledge would be added to the list of Vedas, and would be called the Atharvaveda . When this news reached the sons of Brahma, they protested, believing that there was no need for a fourth Veda. They argued with Shiva and challenged his authority to certify the fourth Veda. The parties decided that
9212-463: The universe. During one of their sojourns, they arrived at Vaikuntha , the abode of Vishnu. The city, with the residence of Vishnu located at the center of seven circular walls, is considered as a place of bliss and purity. It has seven gates of entry. The four Kumaras passed through the first six gates without any hindrance. The seventh gate was guarded by Jaya and Vijaya , the two dvarapalas (door-guards) of Vishnu's palace. The angry guardians stopped
9310-569: The various shakhas all over Northern India which annotated the mantra samhitas with Brahmana discussions of their meaning, and reaches its end in the age of Buddha and Panini and the rise of the Mahajanapadas (archaeologically, Northern Black Polished Ware ). Michael Witzel gives a time span of c. 1500 to c. 500 –400 BCE. Witzel makes special reference to the Near Eastern Mitanni material of
9408-524: The word may be derived from two different meanings of the root 'rsh' ( ṛṣ ). Sanskrit grammarians derive this word from the second meaning: "to go, to move". V. S. Apte gives this particular meaning and derivation, and Monier-Williams also gives the same, with some qualification. Another form of this root means "to flow, to move near by flowing". (All the meanings and derivations cited above are based upon Sanskrit English Dictionary of Monier-Williams). Monier-Williams also quotes Tārānātha who compiled
9506-556: The worlds". The discourses of the four Kumaras are found in the Hindu epic Mahabharata as well as the Bhagavata Purana . The Shanti Parva book of the Mahabharata describes the discourse given by the four Kumaras to the demon king Vritra and his guru – the sage Shukra . The king and his guru worship the Kumaras and then Shukra asks them to describe the greatness of Vishnu. Sanatkumara starts by describing Vishnu as
9604-406: Was the origin of this philosophy and taught it to the four Kumaras, who in turn taught Narada, who finally passed it to the earthy Nimbarka , the main exponent of the sampradaya. Rishis In Indian religions , a rishi ( Sanskrit : ऋषि IAST : ṛṣi ) is an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mention in various Vedic texts . Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of
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