Rushi Panchami

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Rushi Panchami

 

1. When we have to observe the Rushi Panchami?

It is to be observed on Bhadrapada Masa Shukla paksha panchami.

2.Who can perform Rushi Panchami?

Ladies –

a) Any lady who has passed 50 years and above (Monthly menses period process having been completed) have to perform Perform Rushi Panchami.

b) That lady may be either Muthaide or widow (Madi hengasu – i.e., following sampradaya of getting shaving her head and following daily madi achaara, etc).

Gents – Gents can do for on and behalf of their mother, grand mother, if they are not there or if they are not capable of doing it.

3. What is the procedure of performing Rushi Panchami?

On the Rushi Panchami Day, devotees perform bath in holy rivers or wells or sarovaras. On this day, we have to worship Saptarishis alongwith Arundathi, the wife of Vasistaru.

4. How many years this Vratha to be observed? –

Seven Years.  Udyaapane to be done in the initial period of Vratha or in the middle or in the last period.  They have to fast the whole day. They have to do the pooja of saptarshis and Arundathi.

5. What will we get by doing this vratha?

By doing this vratha, one will get 10000 Yagna phala. Sakala Theertha yathra phala also will be available by doing this vratha.  Even if we have the  darshana of Saptarshi on this, we will get all our sins destroyed.

6.  Who are those sapta Rushees, their father  and their wives?

Rushi	Father	Wife	Children
Kashyapa	Mareechi	Diti, Aditi, etc	Hiranyakashipu, Vamana, Indra
Atri	Brahma	Anusuya	Datta, Soma, Durvasa
Bharadwaja	Brahaspatyacharya	Susheela	Dronacharya
Vishwamitra	Gadhiraja	Kumudhwathi
Gautama	Rahogana Maharaja	Ahalya	Vamadeva, Nodha
Jamadagni	Brugu	Renuka	Parashurama
Vasista	Brahma	Arundati	Shakthi

7. Is there any story which tells the importnce of Rushi Panchami ?

Once Dharmaraja asked Krishna to tell him a Vratha which can purify one from all the sins. Then Krishna told Dharmaraja, the vratha which if performed by ladies can free them from all their sins, which is termed as “Rushi Panchami”.

Krishna tells – Ladies during their menses period are not supposed to do any work pertaining to the house/family. They have to take rest for the all the four days invariably. If a lady does all these works, she is sure of going to Naraka. That is why the ladies during their menses period should be kept far from us irrespective of whether he is Brahmana or Kshatriya or Vaishya or Shoodra. All the four varnaas must follow the rules.  That is why if one does Rushi Panchami pooja, their sins during Rajaswala Dosha will be purified.

What is this menses period– Earlier once Indra had a terrible fight with Vrutrasura and he finally killed that Asura. Indra got Brahmahatya dosha, as Vrutrasura, though he was a daithya, he was a son of a brahmana. Killing a brahmana will fetch us Brahmahatya dosha. Indra got the dosha. Then Indra went to Brahma seeking some remedy to remove the Brahmahatya dosha.

Then Brahma removed his Brahmahatya dosha as follows :  He divided the Brahmahatya dosha into four parts.   1. First part in Fire flame.   2.   Second part in river water  3. Third in Mountain and trees    4. In the Rajas of ladies.

That is why Rajaswala ladies are supposed to be far from all the chaturvarna people. On the first day of her menses period she will be impure like a Chandala stree. On the second day, she is impure like a Brahma Ghatini and on the third day impure like a dobhi. Fourth day, she will be pure – but can’t do all the puja, pitru karya, cooking, etc. However, she can attend to her daily duties other than god’s seva, cooking. Fifth day only, she will be pure.

Krishna tells one more story. In Vidarba desha, there lived a king called Shenajith. There was a Brahmin called Sumitra in his kingdom, whose wife was Jayashree, who was also looking farming work. Once she had menses period. Still, she did all her regular work, and she touched everything and every one without informing others that she was on the menses period. After some time, she died. And her husband also died after some time. After some time, in the same house these Sumitra and Jayashree were born as Ox and Dog respectively and they had the remembering capacity of their previous janma.

Second story – Sumitra’s son was Sumathi and his wife Chandravathi. She was a sahadharmini wife for her husband.

One day, Sumathi’s father Shradha day came and he told his wife Chandravathi to cook for the brahmana suvasini bhojana, which she did. She had kept the payasam vessel on the stove itself. A snake and kept its poison in the payasam. The dog which saw that the payasam has been poisoned, thought that if the Brahmans eat the payasam, they may die and their son would get Brahmahatya dosha. So, the dog came and touched the payasam vessel. Seeing that the dog had touched the vessel, Chandravathi got angry and beat the dog, threw the payasam in the vessel and prepared separate dishes for the shraddha. Sumathi did the shraddha with enthusiasm and the brahmanas had good bhojana. Chandramathi dig a pit and kept all the left overs after the bhojana in the pit without even giving to the dog or the ox.

But the dog was not given anything on that day. Similarly the ox was also not given anything on that day even after ploughing the land. The Ox was telling the dog, that their son had done the shraddha but not given anything to them. Their conversation was heard by Sumathi, their son, who went to some sages nearby and asked them to tell what is behind the conversation between the dog and the ox.

Then the sage told Sumathi that his mother had ignored her menses period and done everything of her daily work, so she has been born again as dog. His father even after knowing that his wife was in menses period had the samparka dosha, so he has been born as an ox.

Then Sumathi asked the sages as to what is the remedy to free his parents from the sins. The sages suggested the vratha titled “Rushi Panchami”, doing the pooja of saptarshees, if done will purify them.

Rushi Namaskara Stotra

Kashyapa ಕಶ್ಯಪ

ಕಶ್ಯಪ: ಸರ್ವಲೋಕಾಡ್ಯ: ಸರ್ವಭೂತಹಿತೇ ರತ: |
ನರಾಣಾಂ ಪಾಪನಾಶಾಯ ಋಷಿರೂಪೇಣ ತಿಷ್ಯತಿ |
कश्यप: सर्वलोकाड्य: सर्वभूतहिते रत: ।
नराणां पापनाशाय ऋषिरूपेण तिष्यति ।

kashyapa: sarvalOkaaDya: sarvabhUtahitE rata: |

naraaNaaM paapanaashaaya RuShirUpENa tiShyati |

Kashyapa is a Brahmarshi and a son of Kala, the daughter of Kardama Prajapathi. And Mareechi, the son of Chaturmukha Brahma.  Kashyapa married the thirteen daughters of Daksha Prajapathi.  From Kashyapa all the prajas, creatures were born.    The thirteen wives of Kashyapa are Aditi, Diti, Danu, Kaala, Danau, Simhika, Krodha Pradha, Viswa, Vinata, Kapila, Muni and Kadru.

From Aditi Kashyapa had Dwadashadityaas, and saakshaat Srihari was born as the son of Aditi – Kashyapa in the roopa of Vamana to control the daithya Balichakravarthi.

Dwadashadityas, the 12 sons of Kashyapa from Aditi are Dhata, Mitra, Aryaman, Shakra, Varuna, Amsa, Bhaga, Vivaswan, Pusha, Saavitri, Tvashtri, Vishnu.

Kashyapa – Diti Santaana – Children of Diti are all daithyaas – like Hiranyakashipu, Hiranyaksha.  His daughter Sinhika was married to Viprachitti

Kashyapa – Danu – They had forty sons – All are called as Daanavaas

Kashyapa – Kaala – They had many sons like Vinasana, Krodha, Krodhashanthri, Krodasatru.

Kashyapa– Vinuta –The sons of Vinata are Tarkshya, Aristanemi, Garuda, Aruna, Aruni & Varuni

Kashyapa – Kadru – From Kadru Kashyapa Rushi had Shesha, Vasuki, Tashaka, etc., snakes.

Kashyapa got from Muni – Apsaraas

There is a tradition that whenever if a person does not know to which Gotra he belongs, it is said that he would be treated as from Kashyapa Gotra.

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atri ಅತ್ರಿ

ಅತ್ರಯೇ ಚ ನಮಸ್ತುಭ್ಯಂ ಸರ್ವಭೂತಹಿತೇಷಿಣೇ |
ತಪೋರೂಪಾಯ ಸತ್ಯಾಯ ಬ್ರಹ್ಮಣೇಮಿತತೇಜಸೇ |

अत्रये च नमस्तुभ्यं सर्वभूतहितेषिणे ।
तपोरूपाय सत्याय ब्रह्मणेमिततेजसे ।

atrayE cha namastubhyaM sarvabhUtahitEShiNE |

tapOrUpaaya satyaaya brahmaNEmitatEjasE |

 

ಅಗ್ನಿಹೋತ್ರರತಂ ಶಾಂತಂ ಸದಾ ವ್ರತಪರಾಯಣಂ |

ಸತ್ಕರ್ಮನಿರತಂ ದಾಂತಂ ಚಿಂತಯೇದತ್ರಿಮವ್ಯಯಂ |

• Atri’s  father    –   Brahma
• Atri’s wife       –   Anusuya (recognised as sati anusuya)
  
•                               (daughter of Kardama prajapathi)
• Atri’s sons       –  Datta, Durvasa and Chandra
  
• Atri is included in the saptarshi Mandala

Atri Rushi is also a Brahmarshi married Anusuya, the daughter of Kardama Rishi and had three sons viz.,  Dattatreya (saakshaat Srihari), Durvasa (Rudramsha)  and Chandra (with the amsha of Brahma).  All the three sons were born  when prayed by Anusuya worshipped the Brahma-Vishnu-Maheshwara to be born as her children.

Patrivratya of Sati Anusuya, the wife of Atri –    Once the Brahma – Vishnu and Maheshwara, the trio decided the test the pativratya of Anusuya, when Atri was away..  They know her pativratya prabhava.  But in order to make the world know of her importance only, then did like that, not with any other ajnaana.    The trio came in the disguise of Brahmins and asked for the Bhiksha from Anusuya with the condition that she shall serve the bhiksha nude.   Anusuya agreed   Now, Anusuya was confused as to what to day.  She prayed her’s idol, which she was worshipping when he was away and with her paativratya prabhaava, she converted the Brahmins trio (in disguise) into Children and offered them food without her dress (in nude style).    After some time, the wives of the trio, Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Parvathi came in search of their husbands to the house of Saraswathi.    They told that the Brahmins who had come were none other than Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara.    Then she pleaded with her paativratya prabhaava once again and the trio got the original roopa.

Once sage Atri was doing penance severely.    The yogaagni, which came out of the penance was burning the three lokaas.  In order to cool the yogaagni, Hari – Hara and Brahma came on Garuda, Rushaba and Hamsava vaahana respectively.    Here Atri was worshipping sarvaantaryaami Srihari only, but came the trio.    Because, Atri was worshipping Brahma Rudraantaryaami Vishnu.     He was worshipping Vaikunta vaasi Vishnu separately.  He was pleading for sons like Brahma Rudra Vishnu.     When the trio came, Atri asked.  I had asked for Jagadeeshwara only, but how come the trio have come.    Vishnu replied, – ” you have done the dhyana of Srihari in Trimurthy.  That is why we have come.  But like Vishnu roopa, the roopaas of Brahma and Shiva  will not be seen separately.    While sage Atri got Srihari in the Datta roopa.    Shiva was born as Durvaasa.  As Brahma has no avatara,  Chandra who has the special avesha of Brahma was born.  As such, Brahma – Shiva – and Hari were born as the children of Atri.

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Bharadhvaaja ಭರಧ್ವಾಜ

ಭರಧ್ವಾಜ ನಮಸ್ತುಭ್ಯಂ ಸದಾ ಧ್ಯಾನಪರಾಯಣ |
ಮಹಾಜಟಿಲಧರ್ಮಾತ್ಮನ್ ಪಾಪಂ ಸಂಹರ ಮೇ ಸದಾ |
भरध्वाज नमस्तुभ्यं सदा ध्यानपरायण ।
महाजटिलधर्मात्मन् पापं संहर मे सदा ।

bharadhvaaja namastubhyaM sadaa dhyaanaparaayaNa |

mahaajaTiladharmaatman paapaM saMhara mE sadaa |

 

• Bharadhwaja’s father   –  Bruhaspatyacharya

• Bharadhwaja’s mother – Mamatha

• Bharadhwaja’s wife        – Suseela

• Bharadhwaj’a son           –  Gargacharya

• Bharadhwaja was brought up by – Bharatha Chakravarthi, the son of Dushyanta – Shakuntala.

• In the vamsha of Bharadhwaja, there are many veda drashtaara Rushees.

• Ramachandra had stayed in Bharadhwaja;s ashrama during his vanavaasa

• In Pancharatra, there is one grantha named Bharadhwaja samhita

• There is Bharadhwaja smruti referred in Padmapurana

ಜಟಿಲಂ ತಪಸಾ ಸಿದ್ಧಂ ಯಜ್ಞಸೂತ್ರಾಕ್ಷಧಾರಿಣಂ |
ಕಮಂಡಲುಧರಂ ನಿತ್ಯಂ ಭರದ್ವಾಜಂ ನತೋಽಸ್ಮ್ಯಹಂ |

Bharadhwaja Rushi was born as the son of Brihaspatyacharya, the guru of Devataas.  Later Brihaspatyacharya himself was born as the son of Bharadhwaja with the name Dronacharya, the guru for Pandavas-Kauravas.

Bharadhwaja Rushi was born to the relationship of Bruhaspatyacharyaru and Mamatha.  After his birth, the mother Mamatha refused to take care of the child.  Even the father Bruhaspatyacharya refused to take care of the child.  So, the Marud Gana came forward to look after the child and was handed over to Bharata Chakravarthi.    Bharata Chakravarthi had three wives, all had one child each, but none was so smart as Dushyanta.   To ensure that Bharatha Chakravarthi is not angry at them, they killed the children.  As such, Bharatha Chakravarthi was issuless and he was worried that his successor will not be there.  Then the gods gave the child Bharadhwaja to the king, who brought him up like his son only and he was declared as successor.    But Bharadhwaja was not interested in the political affairs, he made the king Bharatha do several yajna and yagaas and he got one more son by name Brumanyu, for whom the kingdom was given and Bharadhwaj left for penance.

 

vishvaamitra ವಿಶ್ವಾಮಿತ್ರ –

ವಿಶ್ವಾಮಿತ್ರ ನಮಸ್ತುಭ್ಯಂ ಜ್ವಲನ್ಮುಖ ಮಹಾಬಲ | ಪ್ರತ್ಯಕ್ಷೀಕೃತಗಾಯತ್ರ ತಪೋರೂಪೇಣ ಸಂಸ್ಥಿತ: |

विश्वामित्र नमस्तुभ्यं ज्वलन्मुख महाबल ।

प्रत्यक्षीकृतगायत्र तपोरूपेण संस्थित: ।

vishvaamitra namastubhyaM jvalanmuKa mahaabala |

pratyakShIkRutagaayatra tapOrUpENa saMsthita: |

Sage Vishwamitra had the distinction of becoming the guru for Sri Ramachandra in Ayodhya.  Vishwamitra was born as a Kshatriya to Gadhiraja and obtained the status of a Brahmana .  He is termed as “vishwa mitra” – the friend of the world.  Took Ramachandra and Lakshmana to Siddashrama and did the samarpana of all his vidyas to him and requested Ramachandra to kill Tataki, Maricha, Subahu.  He is known for his very hard, steady and tremendous tapas.

Gautama ಗೌತಮ –

ಗೌತಮ: ಸರ್ವಲೋಕಾನಾಂ ಋಷೀಣಾಂ ಚ ಸದಾ ಪ್ರಿಯ: |

ಶ್ರೌತಾನಾಂ ಕರ್ಮಣಾಂ ಚೈವ ಸಂಪ್ರದಾಯಪ್ರವರ್ತಕ: |

गौतम: सर्वलोकानां ऋषीणां च सदा प्रिय: ।
श्रौतानां कर्मणां चैव संप्रदायप्रवर्तक: ।

gautama: sarvalOkaanaaM RuShINaaM cha sadaa priya: |

shroutaanaaM karmaNaaM chaiva saMpradaayapravartaka: |

Gauthama is the author of Tarka – Logic and wrote sutras called “Gautama Sutras” pertaining to Nyayashastra.  Sri Ramachandra by virtue of just touching his foot on the rock turned Ahalya, the wife of Gautama, who had become a stone as a human again.  Gauthama had done excess penance, beyond his capacity, Srihari made him to curse at Indra and loose his tapa phala and he cursed Indra and Ahalya

Jamadagni ಜಮದಗ್ನಿ

ಅಕ್ಷಸೂತ್ರಧರಂ ಶಾಂತಂ ಜಮದಗ್ನಿಮೃಷೀಶ್ವರಂ |

ದರ್ಭಪಾಣಿಂ ಜಟಾಯುಕ್ತಂ ಮಹಾತೇಜಸ್ವಿನಂ ಭಜೇ |

ಜಮದಗ್ನಿರ್ಮಹಾತೇಜಾ: ತಪಸಾ ಕಲ್ಪಿತಂ ಧನಂ |
ಲೋಕೇಷು ಧರ್ಮಸಿದ್ದ್ಯರ್ಥಂ ಸರ್ವಪಾಪಂ ನಿವರ್ತಯ |

जमदग्निर्महातेजा: तपसा कल्पितं धनं ।
लोकेषु धर्मसिद्द्यर्थं सर्वपापं निवर्तय ।

jamadagnirmahaatEjaa: tapasaa kalpitaM dhanaM |

lOkEShu dharmasiddyarthaM sarvapaapaM nivartaya |

• Jamadagni’s father    –   Sage Rucheeka
• Jamadagni’s mother –   Satyavathi
• Jamadagni’s wife       –   Renuka
• Jamadagni’s sons       –  Parashurama, Rumanvanta, SuShENa, Vasu, Vishvavasu
• Jamadagni’s asset      –  Kaamadhenu & his penance

Birth of Jamadagni –    

Once there lived a king named Gadhi Maharaaja.  He had a beautiful daughter by name Satyavathi.  Rucheeka Muni asked the king to get her married to him.  For this Gadhi Raaja asked for kanyaa shulka.  (kanyaa dakshine) – which is as follows –    One who wish to marry his daughter must bring in 1000 horse, which has one of its ears black colour and the remaining body of the horse shall be white.  Rucheeka agreed and went to Varuna, who in turn agreed to give the required number of horses in the desired quality.   Then Sage Rucheeka handed over all the horses to the Gadhi Maharaja and got his daughter married to him.  

Gadhi Maharaja realised the “Tapas” of the sage Rucheeka and he sought the sage to get a male child through yajna, as he did not had male issues.  Sage Rucheeka agreed and did different abhimantrana of “charu” and gave one for his wife and one for his mother in law.    Both the wife and mother in law took the “charu” separately meant for them.  Here Rucheeka’s mother in law thought –  As the husband has more love for his wife, he would have kept more mantrashakthi for his wife and she asked his daughter to interchange the same, which she agreed.  So, Gadhi Maharaja’s wife took the charu meant for Satyavathi and Satyavathi took the charu meant for her mother.

Sage Rucheeka came to know about this later.  He had done the abhimantrana of charu with the intention of kshatriya quality son for his father in law and Brahma varchasvi son for him.    He didnot liked the interchange which his wife and her mother had done.   However, with his mantra power, he got Brahma varchasvi son in the form of Jamadagni.  In this way, Sage Rucheeka got sage Jamadagni as his son, who in turn got Parashurama with Kshatriya Tejassu.  Gadhi maharaja got son by name Kaushika, who is famous as sage Vishwamitra.

Jamadagni Rushi had the distinction of becoming the father of Srihari roopa of Parashurama.  

Jamadagni & Parashurama –  Once Renuka had gone for bringing water.  At the same time, Chitraratha named Gandharva who had come with his wives for jalakreede in the river.    Renuka on seeing them also dreamed of such a sukha, for a fraction of a second.    Sage Jamadagni on seeing her realised that she had maanasika vyabhichaara.  Jamadagni rejected Renuka and asked his sons to remove her head.  The first four sons refused to do so.   As they refused the pitru vaakya paripaalana, sage Jamadagni cursed them to die.  So, all the first four sons of Jamadagni died. Now, came the fifth son, Parashurama, who had gone to forest for bringing samittu.  Jamadagni ordered to do kill his mother.    Parashurama, without hesitation removed his mother’s head.  Jamadagni was pleased, asked his son to seek boon.  Parashurama sought the boon that his mother and brothers to get re-life.  He also  sought the boon that his mother shall not have the sin of vyabhichaara and his brothers shall not have the sin of having pitru vaakya refusal.  Jamadagni offered the book and all their sins were removed and they got life again.  

Jamadagni & Karthaveeryarjuna – 

Once the king by name Karthaveeryarjuna, who had the blessings of Dattatreya, went for hunting to forests.   There he was tired and to take rest, went to the ashrama of Jamadagni, who called his Kamadhenu cow and gave him a very good treatment with food and other athithya.  The king asked the sage as to how he could give such a great treatment to them all.  Sage told the importance of the kaamadhenu with him, which has the powers to offer all that is required.  Karthaveeryarjuna wished to have the cow for him.  Then he took the Kamadhenu and calf with him to his palace.  Sage Jamadagni could not do any thing and he was still in the peace of mind.  Parashurama, who came later, went to the King and killed them all and brought back the Kamadhenu and the calf.    Karthaveeryarjuna’s sons then came to Sage Jamadagni’s house and  killed the sage Jamadagni, who was on his penance.  This time also Parashurama was not there in the house.  Later Parashurama on his return,  took the oath that the entire Kshatriya parampare would be killed.  He did the same by killing all the “dusta kshtriyas” and constructed the “samantapanchaka” named pond for Rakta tarpane for the pitrus in Kurukshetra. 

In this way, sage Jamadagni was included in the saptarshi group.

VasiShTha ವಸಿಷ್ಠ – &  AruMdhatI ಅರುಂಧತೀ

ನಮಸ್ತುಭ್ಯಂ ವಸಿಷ್ಟಾಯ ಜಟಿಲಾಯ ಮಹಾತ್ಮನೇ |
ಧರ್ಮರೂಪಾಯ ಸತ್ಯಾಯ ಲೋಕಾನಾಂ ಹಿತಕಾರಿಣೇ |

नमस्तुभ्यं वसिष्टाय जटिलाय महात्मने ।
धर्मरूपाय सत्याय लोकानां हितकारिणे ।

namastubhyaM vasiShTaaya jaTilaaya mahaatmanE |

dharmarUpaaya satyaaya lOkaanaaM hitakaariNE |

ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಣಪತಿಕಾ ದೇವೀ ವಸಿಷ್ಟಸ್ಯ ಪ್ರಿಯ: ಸದಾ |
ಅರುಂಧತೀತಿ ವಿಖ್ಯಾತಾ ತಾಂ ನಮಸ್ಯಾಮಿ ಸರ್ವದಾ |

अभ्यर्णपतिका देवी वसिष्टस्य प्रिय: सदा ।
अरुंधतीति विख्याता तां नमस्यामि सर्वदा ।

abhyarNapatikaa dEvI vasiShTasya priya: sadaa |

aruMdhatIti viKyaataa taaM namasyaami sarvadaa |

Vasista Rushi was a great Maharshi and he had the distinction of getting Sri Vedavyasa as his great grandson.  Vasistha’s son was Sakthi.  His son was Parasara.  Vedavyasa was born to Parasara-Satyavati Devi.  Vasista was the chief priest and advisor for Dasharatha Maharaja.  Under his pourohithya only Sriramachandra married Seetadevi.