Devapi (, , lit. ''friend of Gods'') or Devāpi Arṣṭiṣeṇa, is an immortal sage. According to the

Nirukta ''Nirukta'' (, , "explained, interpreted") is one of the six ancient Vedangas, or ancillary science connected with the Vedas – the scriptures of Hinduism.James Lochtefeld (2002), "Nirukta" in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Vol. 2: ...

(ii.10), the '' Brihaddevata'', the

Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...

, and the

Puranas Puranas (Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature
(1995 Editio ...

, he was a Kuru prince and the eldest son of King Pratipa of

Hastinapura Hastinapur is a city in the Meerut district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Uttar Pradesh. ''Hastinapura'' is described as the capital of the Kuru Kingdom in Hindu texts such as the ''Mahabharata'' and the Puranas; it is ...

. He was a noble and well-liked prince but he was not allowed to succeed Pratipa, because he was affected with

leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...

and the council of Brahmanas and elderly citizens were opposed to this proposal. As a result of this, his younger brother

Shantanu Shantanu (, ) was the King of Kuru Kingdom with his capital at Hastinapura, in the epic ''Mahabharata''. He was a descendant of the Bharata race, a forebear of the lineage of the Chandravamsha, the father of Bhishma and the great-grandfather ...

succeeded Pratipa as the king of Hastinapura.Misra, V.S. (2007). ''Ancient Indian Dynasties'', Mumbai: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, , pp. 83–4 Later Devapi retired to the forest for penance. According to the

Matsya Purana The ''Matsya Purana'' (IAST: Matsya Purāṇa) is one of the eighteen major Puranas (Mahapurana), and among the oldest and better preserved in the Puranic genre of Sanskrit literature in Hinduism. The text is a Vaishnavism text named after the h ...

and the

Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' (; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam)'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' () or simply ''Bhagavata (Bhāgavata)'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen major Puranas (''Mahapuranas'') and one ...

, he along with the sage Maru will remain alive till the end of the present

Kali Yuga ''Kali Yuga'' (Devanagari: कलियुग), in Hinduism, is the fourth, shortest, and worst of the four '' yugas'' (world ages) in a '' Yuga cycle'', preceded by '' Dvapara Yuga'' and followed by the next cycle's '' Krita (Satya) Yuga''. I ...

at a place called Kalapagrama and will revive the Paurava dynasty in the next

Satya Yuga ''Satya Yuga'' ( ''Krita Yuga'', IAST: ''Kṛta-yuga''), in Hinduism, is the first and best of the four '' yugas'' (world ages) in a '' Yuga Cycle'', preceded by '' Kali Yuga'' of the previous cycle and followed by '' Treta Yuga''. ''Satya Yug ...

.Pargiter, F.E. (1972). ''Ancient Indian Historical Tradition''. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. pp.165, 165ff

Drought in Kuru realm

According to the ''Brihaddevata'' of

Shaunaka Shaunaka (, ) is the name applied to teachers, and to a Shakha of the Atharvaveda. It is especially the name of a celebrated Sanskrit grammarian, author of the , the , the , six Anukramaṇīs (indices) to the Rigveda, and the Vidhāna of the Rig ...

, when Devapi abdicated the throne in favour of Shantanu and left for the forest, the realm of Kuru suffered from severe drought for twelve years, as

Parjanya Parjanya (, ) according to the Vedas is a deity of rain, thunder, lightning, and the one who fertilizes the earth. It is another epithet of Indra, the Vedic deity of the sky and heaven. Description It is assumed Parjanya is the udder and lightning ...

did not rain. Finally, Shantanu along with his subjects went to the forest and offered him the Kuru throne, which he declined. Instead, he agreed to become Shantanu's '' purohita'' (priest) and conduct a ''

yajna In Hinduism, ''Yajna'' or ''Yagna'' (, Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐd͡ʒɲə ) also known as Hawan, is a ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras. Yajna has been a Vedas, Vedic tradition, described in a layer of Vedic literature ...

'' (sacrifice) for him to produce rain. A later version of this narrative is found in the

Vishnu Purana The Vishnu Purana () is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, a genre of ancient and medieval texts of Hinduism. It is an important Pancharatra text in the Vaishnavism literature corpus. The manuscripts of ''Vishnu Purana'' have survived into ...

(IV.20) According to the Vishnu Purana, the reason for drought, as explained to Shantanu by his

brahmin Brahmin (; ) is a ''Varna (Hinduism), varna'' (theoretical social classes) within Hindu society. The other three varnas are the ''Kshatriya'' (rulers and warriors), ''Vaishya'' (traders, merchants, and farmers), and ''Shudra'' (labourers). Th ...

ministers, was the displeasure of the gods because of Shantanu's ascending the throne in place of his elder brother, a violation of the law of primogeniture. When a wily minister of Shantanu heard this, he dispatched a number of heretics to the forest, who perverted the simple-minded prince Devapi in anti-Vedic doctrines. When the Brahmins sent by Shantanu came to the forest to offer him the throne, he advanced arguments contrary to the precepts of the Vedas. As a result, Brahmins declared him degraded and unfit to rule, whereupon there was rain.

In Rigveda

Rigveda The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' (, , from wikt:ऋच्, ऋच्, "praise" and wikt:वेद, वेद, "knowledge") is an ancient Indian Miscellany, collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canoni ...

, Devapi is always mentioned as Devāpi Arṣṭiṣeṇa.The

(X.98) mentions that Devapi conducted

for rain in

's kingdom. Modern scholars are not unanimous about the true meaning of ''Arṣṭiṣeṇa''. Modern scholars, which include S.N. Pradhan and V.S. Misra believe, that, Devapi after becoming a

brahmana The Brahmanas (; Sanskrit: , International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Brāhmaṇam'') are Vedas, Vedic śruti works attached to the Samhitas (hymns and mantras) of the Rigveda, Rig, Samaveda, Sama, Yajurveda, Yajur, and Athar ...

, entered Ṛṣṭiṣeṇa

gotra In Hindu culture, the term gotra (Sanskrit: गोत्र) is considered to be equivalent to lineage. It broadly refers to people who are descendants in an unbroken male line from a common male ancestor or patriline. Generally, the gotr ...

Notes

{{reflist Characters in the Mahabharata Rishis