Pulastya

Pulastya (Sanskrit: पुलस्त्य) is one of the ten Prajapati, and one of the mind-born sons of Brahma in Hinduism. He is also one of the Saptarishi (Seven great sages) in the first age of Manu, the Manvantara.Inhabitants of the Worlds
Mahanirvana Tantra, translated by Arthur Avalon, (Sir John Woodroffe), 1913, Introduction and Preface. The Rishi 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-prapnoti sarvvang mantrang jnanena pashyati sangsaraparangva, etc. The seven great Rishi or saptarshi of the first manvantara are Marichi, Atri, Angira, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulatsya, and Vashishtha. In other manvantara there are other ''saptarishi''. In the present manvantara the seven are Kashyapa, ''Atri, Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Bharadvaja''. To the Rishi 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 rishi are the Brahmarshi, born of the mind of Brahma, the Devarshi of lower rank, and Rajarshi or Kings who became rishi through their knowledge and austerities, such as Janaka, Ritaparna, etc. Thc Shrutarshi are makers of Shastras, as Sushruta. The Kandarshi are of the Karmakanda, such as Jaimini.

Legend

Origin

The sage is said to have emerged from the ear of Brahma in the Bhagavata Purana.

Children

The Ramayana describes Pulastya's wedding to Manini, and the birth of his son, Vishrava. Once, Pulastya was engaged in austerities in the ashrama of Trinabindu, on the slopes of Mount Meru. Even as he was engaged in a penance in solitude, he was disturbed by a number of youthful maidens, the daughters of other sages, naga maidens, as well as apsaras. They played their musical instruments and danced, seeking to divert his attention. Enraged, Pulastya declared that she among them who fell under his gaze would instantly get impregnated. Terrified of the Brahmin's curse, the girls vanished. During this moment, Manini, the daughter of Trinabindu, who had not been present when the curse was invoked, wandered near the sage, searching for her friends. She found herself pregnant, and rushed to report her condition to her father. The sage Trinabindu requested Pulastya to marry his daughter, and the latter agreed, and so the two lived together in the ashrama. Pleased with his wife's virtuous conduct, Pulastya declared that their child would inherit her virtue, and would be named Vishrava.

Vishrava went on to have two wives: one was Kaikesi who gave birth to Ravana, Shurpanakha, Kumbhakarna, and Vibhishana; and another was Ilavida, and had a son named Kubera.

Pulastya also becomes the father of Agastya.

Meeting Bhishma

Once, Bhishma lived in near the sacred source of the river Ganga, called Gaṅgādvāra. Pulastya makes his presence known before Bhishma, pleased by his austerities. Bhishma offers libations of water and pays his respects to the sage. Pleased, Pulastya instructs Bhishma regarding the path of dharma, which itself had been taught to him by Brahma.

Narrator

He serves as the medium through which some of the ''Puranas'' were communicated to the mankind. He received the Vishnu Purana from Brahma, and communicated it to Parashara, who made it known to mankind.

Pulastya responds to the questions of Narada in the Vamana Purana by reciting legends.

Ramakien

In Thai National epic Ramakien, Pulastya is called ''Latsatian''. He was the second king of Lanka and the father of Thotsakan.

Archaeology

Certain sources claim that the famous granite statue of a king in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka, which was first thought to be of King Parakramabahu the Great, might actually be the Pulastya Rishi. This idea was later proven to be false by Prof. Senarath Paranawithana. Apart from this, no other statues, carvings, paintings or friezes of Pulastya Rishi have been found on the island (Sri Lanka).

King Parakramabahu the great.jpg

However, the city where Parakramabahu reigned from was identified as Pulastinagara, in the Sinhalese chronicles.

References

* Buck, William. Ramayana. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976.
* Dowson, John (1820–1881). A classical dictionary of Hindu mythology and religion, geography, history, and literature. London: Trübner, 1879 eprint, London: Routledge, 1979 This book is in the public domain (and no copyright notice appears in the latest edition).

{{Hindu Culture and Epics

Hindu gods
Prajapatis
Nature gods
Nature gods in Hinduism
Rishis
Archaeology of Sri Lanka