Asit Rishi (7)--Notable Mortals Who Lived Through Most of the Four Eras

(This is an excerpt from my book “Four Eras of The Battling Gods & Mortals.” The book can be obtained from Amazon. The is also available at Kitab Ghar, Gaiety, Shimla. The Amazon link is given below):

https://www.amazon.in/dp/9390758173?ref=myi_title_dp

Opening Note : This write-up in installments, is intended to drive home the sole point, hitherto ignored by the historians with utter impunity, that Ramayan and Mahabharat periods were only couple of years apart, almost extending into each other. The study is based on the evidences from 18 Mahapuranas and 18 Uppuranas, along with other Ancient Indian scriptures. Here is the list of at least 106 notable personalities who were alive and present in these two epic periods and even beyond and prior to these periods.  I am confident that one day this truth will have to be accepted by savants of history and general public interested in the study of Ancient India.

 

Here is Asit, one among 116 mortals, who found frequent references in the texts of  Vedas, Puranas and great epic, Mahabharat. A careful, meticulous and sincere study of these ancient literary composition reveals that most of such notables not merely find references in, but they actively interacted with the other people living through periods of Vedas, Ramayan & Mahabharat. 

7. Asit—He was son of Kashyap.

 Once Asit muni explained to King Janak the philosophy of rebirth.[1]

He spoke of Shri Krishan thus: “Shri Krishan himself is the Prajapati (the ruler of creation) during the primal creation of beings, and is the sole creator of all the worlds.”[2]

Deval, son of Asit attended the coronation of Yudhishthir along with Narad and Vyas.[3]

He was one of the many eminent and illustrious sages present at the Vaasudev Yagya performed by Shri Krishan and Balram.[4]

He visited Bhishm while he was lying on the deathbed of arrows erected by Arjun after the conclusion of Mahabharat war.[5]

He was one of the rishis who cursed Saamb, son of Shri Krishan. It so happened that Saamb along with his friends playfully tried to test the knowledge of rishis. He dressed up himself in female attire and tied an iron pestle to his belly to appear like a pregnant woman. He asked the munis and rishis to predict whether the child born would be male or female. Rishis took this vile trick as offending and cursed Saamb that the child he is bearing is a pestle that will be instrumental in exterminating all the Yadu clan. That iron pestle (musal) was reduced to powder and thrown into the sea. Soon the area where iron powder was scattered became full of reed grass called sarkandas whose stems were as strong as iron. By those sarkandas Yaduvanshis killed each other in a fierce brawl, thence exterminating all Yadus.[6]

Asit was one of the Ritviks of the Sarp Yagya (serpant-sacrifice) of Janamejay. Asit, his son Deval, Vaishampayan, Sumantu and Jaimini were disciples of Vyas and mendicants of Vedas.[7]

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[1] Brahmand Puran, Adhyay 47.

[2] Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, by Jayadayal Goyandka, Gita Press, Gorakhpur, Second edition 1973, English version. p. 482.

Mahabharat, Van Parv, Adhyay 12, Shlok 50.

[3] Mahabharat, Sabha Parv, Adhyay 53, Shlok 10.

[4] Bhagvat Puran, Skandh 10, Adhyay 84, Shlok 3-5.

[5] Mahabharat, Shanti Parv, Adhyay 47, Shlok 5-12.

[6] Bhagvat Puran, Skandh 11, Adhyay 1.

[7] Devibhagvat, Skandh 1, Adhyay 20.

Mahabharat, Adi Parv, Adhyay 53, Shlok 8.