Gautama Maharishi

For other uses, see Gotama (disambiguation).

Maharishi Gautama

Maharishi Gautam Mata Ahalya Temple, Pushkar
Titles/honours one of the Saptarishis (Seven Great Sages Rishi)
Known for discoverer of Nyay Sutra
Brahmagiri Mountain

Gautama Maharishi (Sanskrit: महर्षिः गोतम ) is one of the Saptarṣis (Seven Great Sages Ṛṣis of the current Manvantara (seventh).[1] He was one of the Maharishis of Vedic times, known to have been the discoverer of Mantras -- 'Mantra-drashtā', in Sanskrit. The Rig Veda has several suktas (Sanskrit: 'hymns') that go with his name. He was the son of Rahugana, belonging to the line of Angiras. The Devi Bhagavatam says that the river Godavari is so named because of its association with Gotama. He had two sons by name Vamadeva and Nodhas, both themselves discoverers of Mantras. There is a hymn called Bhadra in the Sama Veda which again is ascribed to Gotama Maharishi.


His wife is Ahalya, herself the 'mind born daughter' (Sanskrit: manasa putri) of Creator Brahma. The Puranas speak of the story wherein it is described how Gotama won the hand of Ahalya by circumambulating the divine cow in order to fulfill the stipulation of Brahma that whoever first goes round the whole Earth will win the hand of Ahalya. The 'chief priest' (Sanskrit: Purohita) of King Janaka of Mithila, by name Shatananda, was the son of Gotama and Ahalya. Gotama's sixty-year-long penance is mentioned in the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata. The Narada purana describes the story of the 12-year famine during which Gotama fed all the Rishis and saved them.

Gotama was one of the famous seven rishis termed Saptarshi. He was the progenitor of the Gautama gotra. He was the son of Rahugana.

With Bharadvaja, Gotama shares a common ancestry as they are both descended from Angirasa, and sometimes they are both bracketed together under the name Angirasa.

The sons of Gotama are Vamadeva and Nodha. The 4th book of the Rigveda is that of the Vamadeva Gautama [2] family.

Legends

Gotama is Relieved to Find That His Son Chirakarin Has Not Carried Out His Impulsive Order to Execute Ahalya-from Razmanama

The descendant of Lord Shiva as Trimbakeshvar, that constitutes the source of the Jyotirlinga nearby, happened for the sake of Gotama. The Brahmanda Purana mentions that one of the sub-branches of the Raanaayani branch of Sama Veda was initiated by this Gotama. Some famous disciples of Gotama were Praachina-yogya, Shaandilya, Gārgya, and Bharadvaja.

According to the Ramayana, Rishi Gotama once went to take bath in the river Ganges early morning. The king of the Devas, Indra, was fascinated with Gotama's wife, Ahalya. Indra came in the form of Gotama and made love to Ahalya. As he was escaping, he was caught by Rishi Gotama who was returning to the Ashrama from his bath. Gautam cursed Ahalya and Indra both for this act. Ahalya was converted to stone, while Indra was cursed with one thousands of rebirths (Sahasrayoni). Later, taking pity on both, Gotama converted both these curses to boons. Indra's various cycles of births (yonis) were reduced to one, and he came to be known as Sahasrāksha. As for Ahalya, Gotama granted her the boon that she would be brought back to human form by the touch of the feet of Lord Rama (Lord Vishnu) and would reunite with him.

Author of the earliest Dharma-sutra

Gotama was also the author of Dharma-sutra known as Gautama Dharma sutra[3][4] It is in fact the earliest Dharma Sutra. It contains 28 chapters with 1000 aphorisms. Almost every aspect of the observances of Hindu dharma - including the rules for the four Ashramas, the forty sanskāras, the four varnas, kingly duties, the punishments for various offences, the obsequies for the dead, do's and don'ts of food consumption, the dharmas of women, the rules for Praayaschitta (atonement for sins), and the rules of succession of property. In this sense Gotama's Dharma Shastra may perhaps be considered the oldest law book of the world.

Akṣapāda Gotama, the 2nd century CE founder of the school of philosophy that goes by the name of 'Nyaya' (Logic), is not to be confused with Gotama Maharishi.

References

  1. ↑ Inhabitants of the Worlds Mahanirvana Tantra, translated by Arthur Avalon, (Sir John Woodroffe), 1913, Introduction and Preface. The Ṛṣis 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-prāpnoti sarvaṃ mantraṃ jñānena paśyati saṃsaraparaṃva, etc. The seven great Ṛṣis or Saptarṣis of the first manvantara are Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya, and Vashishtha. In other manvantara there are other sapta-rshi. In the present manvantara the seven are Kashyapa, Atri, Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Gotama, Jamadagni, Bharadvaja. To the Ṛṣis 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 Ṛṣis are the Brahmarshi, born of the mind of Brahma, the Devarshi of lower rank, and Rajarshi or Kings who became Ṛṣis through their knowledge and austerities, such as Janaka, Ritaparna, etc. Thc Shrutarshi are makers of Shastras, as Suśruta. The Kandarshi are of the Karmakanda, such as Jaimini.
  2. ↑ Mandala IV – The book of the Vamadevas
  3. ↑ Introduction to Gautama The Sacred Laws of the Âryas, translated by Georg Bühler (1879), Part I: Âpastamba and Guatama. (Dharma-sutra).
  4. ↑ Gautama, Institutes of the Sacred Law The Sacred Laws of the Âryas, translated by Georg Bühler (1879), Gautama, Chapter I (Dharma-sutra).

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