Brahmarshi

In Hinduism, a Brahmarshi (Sanskrit "IAST|brahmarṣi", a tatpurusha compound of "IAST|brahma" and "IAST|ṛṣi") is a member of the highest class of Rishis (the Hindu sages), one who has understood the meaning of Brahman or has attained the highest divine knowledge Brahmajnana..

Order

The superlative title of "Brahmarshi" is not attested in the Vedas themselves and first appears in the Sanskrit epics.

According to thisFact|date=July 2007 division, a Brahmarshi is the ultimate expert of religion and spiritual knowledge known as 'Brahmajnana'. Below him are the "Maharshis" ("Great Rishis").

The "Saptarshis" created out of Brahma's thoughts are perfect brahmarshis. They are often cited to be at par with the Devas in power and piety in the Puranas.

Bhrigu, Angiras, Atri, Vishwamitra, Kashyapa, Vasishta, and Agastya are the seven brahmarshis.Fact|date=July 2007 But there is another list of Saptarshi also who are also Gotra-pravartakas, i.e.,founders of Brahamanical clans, and this second list appeared somewhat later, but belongs to ancient period.

All the hymns of third mandala of the Rg Veda is ascribed to Vishwamitra who is mentioned as son of Gathi, including the Gayatri mantra. According to Puranic stories,Fact|date=July 2007 Vishwamitra was the only brahmarshi who rose to the position out of pure tapas. Originally belonging to the kshatriya caste of kings and warriors, he rose by pure merit to a Brahmarshi. Vishwamitra is also referred to as Kaushika, because he attained Brahmajnana on the banks of the river Koshi.

ource and Power

The source of a brahmarshi's power is the Brahman, or Supreme Godhead. The knowledge of the Supreme is attained after years of tapasya, medidation, study and dedicated service to the Supreme,resulting in total self-purification. It is a combination of physical, mental and spiritual exertion, as per the accounts in works of Hindu mythology and religion.

Brahman has no female counterpart, because the word 'Brahman' is neuter in gender according to Sanskrit grammar. Parashakthi is a later concept, equivalent to male counterparts like Brahmaa, Vishnu or Shiva. Parashakthi is the supreme deity in Shakta sampradaya, Vishnu or his incarnations like Rama or Krishna is the supreme deity in Vaishnava sampradaya, and Shiva is the supreme deity in Shaiva sampradaya. Brahman is neuter and Brahmaa is male. Brahman is pure consciousness, equivalent to Weltanschaaung of Hegel, and has no human attributes but possesses divine attributes which cannot be attained by mortals. Brahman has no incarnations like those of Vishnu. The concept of brahmarshi depends upon the concept of Brahman, for which Brahma-sutra of Badarayana is considered to be the most authoritative source. Brahma-sutra is more popular as Vedanta, which is one of the six ancient schools of Indian philosophy. The concept of supreme deity as expounded in original upnishadas is perfectly in harmony with the concept of Brahman, and is therefore a part of the Vedas. Ishopanishada,for instance, is the 40th chapter of the Yajurveda (of both recensions,namely Taittiriya Samhita or TS and Vajsaneyi Samhita or VS). Thus, the concept of one formless supreme deity is a vedic concept, expounded in Rg Veda too (ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti : 'Truth is one,told variously by the wise'). The last verse of both recensions of Yajurveda is 'Om kham Brahma', which means "Brahma (a grammatical form of Brahman) is (formless like) the sky".This very Brahman is also called "Dyu-pitr"(Literally, 'Sky-Father' in the oldest Vedic hymns at countless places, which has been identified by all indologists as a cognate of Ju-piter. But semantically,Dyu-pitr is nearer to the Christian concept of God-the-Father than to the material planet Jupiter of later ages. Thus, the concept of a formless God may be traced bact to PIE period which may be the common source of all Abrahamaic and Vedic religions. Gita extols the worship of this formless God in the face of murti-pooja(which is distinct from idolatry).In entire Vedic literature ,idol has been mentioned only once, and there too in disapproval : (na tasya "pratima" asti)"He(the Supreme Being) has no idol"(Ch.32,YV). This supreme deity was called variously by different sages,and gradually the word Brahman gained currency for the supreme deity. One who knows and lives in communion with the Brahman is a brahmrishi. Therefore,a brahmrishi could not be an idolator. In the Vedas, brahmrishi was called brähmana .Purush-sukta (in RV,TS,VS) mentions that at the beginning of Creation, other varnas were either created(rajanya or kshatriya) or were born(vaishya and shudra), but brähmanas "were present in the head of the God or Godhead" (mukham aasit). The Vedic term brähmana became brahmrishi later, because during the post Vedic period the term brähmana came to be used for lesser mortals too (for caste brähmanas).

Brahmarshis are capable to defeating all human and magical weapons and dangerous phenomena. They are not influenced by the material world, nor the cycle of life and death, and karma.

In the "Ramayana", Guru Vasishta flayed all of king Kaushika's celestial weapons with a single wooden stick that imbibed the power of Brahman. Kaushika, who became Vishwamitra after tens of thousands of years of penance created an entire, separate universe for Trishanku.

Modern Relevance

A "Brahmarshi" is a perfect example that may be taken from Hindu scriptures to describe the essential unity with Brahman that is necessary for spiritual realization and moksha. Once with the Supreme Being, nothing may affect the person, who has thus reached a perfect state of pure consciousness. A communion (which is literal meaning of yoga) with Brahman is called samādhi, and when samādhi becomes a normal habit of mind for a sage, he is said to be fit for kaivalya or moksha. There are four types of moksha, explained in Brahmasutra (more famous as Vedānta) of Bādarayana, commented extensively by Shankarāchārya. All types of rishis, besides a lot of other sages, are believed to have attained moksha.

The relevance of rishi (IAST|ṛshi is a better transcription) status is restricted to the Vedas of Hindu mythology. Rishi is strictly defined as one to whom Vedic hymns were originally revealed (mantra-drshtā). Other sages can never be called rishis, maharshis or brahmarshis, whatever be their merits.

Since the order was created divinely, and is appointed by Lord Brahma, it is impossible for Hindu priests and scholars, or contemporary society to anoint a rishis, maharshis or brahmarshis, although many persons use such epithets for themselves or for their gurus.

Moreover, in the Kali yuga it is considered impossible for ordinary humans to accumulate as much spiritual merit, or live as long to do so, if the mythical accounts are to be referred to.

ee also

* Hinduism
*Rishi
*Hindu mythology
*Vasishta
*Vishwamitra