Notable Mortals Who Lived Through Most of the Four Eras--Angira Rishi (4)

 

(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 only, 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 Angira rishi, one among 116 mortals, who found frequent references in the texts of Vedas, Puranas and great epics, Ramayan and 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 lived through periods of Vedas, Ramayan, Mahabharat, and even post Mahabharat period when Kalki avtar took place. 

 

4. Angira—Angira was one of the mind born sons of Brahma. He was eleventh Prajapati after Pulastay.[1]

His wife Smriti was the daughter of Daksh Prajapati and his son was Brihaspati. Daksh gave his two daughters in marriage to Angira.[2]

Angira blessed Dhruv who had been doing penance.[3] He was invited by King Nimi, the son of Ikshwaku, to participate in a Yagya organized on the occasion of creating a new township Vaijyant.[4]

Angira Rishi

He spoke of Shri Krishan thus: “He is the Creator of all beings and worlds. He is given the equilent description to Daksh Prajapati.”[5]

Shri Krishan after extreme endurance learnt Pashupat Yog from Angira, at the ashram of Vyaghrapaad, one of the twelve sons of Vasisth.[6]

While the Pandavas were in exile in forest, Angira had been chanting and meditating by the shores of river Alaknanda near Badrikashram in the region of the mount Gandhamadan.[7]

Along with Agastay he was one of the many eminent and illustrious sages present at the Vaasudev Yagya performed by Shri Krishan and Balram.[8]

In the Mahabharat battle an effort was made by Angira and others to dissuade Dron from the battle. However, it was in vain.[9] He visited Bhishm when he was lying on the deathbed of arrows erected by Arjun.[10]

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.[11]

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[1] Valmiki Ramayan, Aranay Kand, Sarg 14, Shlok 8.

[2] Shiv Puran, Rudra Sanhita, Sati Khand, Adhyay 14.

Devibhagvat, Skandh 7, Adhyay 1.

[3] Vishnu Puran, Ansh 1, Adhyay 11.

[4] Valmiki Ramayan, Uttar Kand, Sarg 55, Shlok 6-9.

[5] Shrimad Bhagavad Gita, by Jayadayal Goyandka, Gita Press, Gorakhpur, Second edition 1973, English version. p. 481.

Mahabharat, Bhishm Parv, Adhyay 68, Shlok 6.

[6] Sant Ank, Kalyan, Gita Press, Gorakhpur. p. 209.

[7] Mahabharat, Van Parv, Adhyay 142, Shlok 6.

[8] Bhagvat Puran, Skandh 10, Adhyay 84, Shlok 3-6.

[9] Mahabharat, Dron Parv, Adhyay 190, Shlok 33-36.

[10] Mahabharat, Shanti Parv, Adhyay 47, Shlok 4, 10.

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