Angiras

{{#invoke:other uses|otheruses}} Template:Distinguish Template:Short description Template:Infobox Hindu leader Template:Contains special characters Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates

Angiras (Template:Langx (stem), Template:IAST3, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, nominative singular Template:Langx, Template:IAST3, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, rendered Angirā in Hindi) was a Vedic rishi (sage) of Hinduism. He is described in the Rigveda as a teacher of divine knowledge, a mediator between men and gods, as well as stated in other hymns to be the first of Agni-devas (fire gods).<ref name="Dalal2010p29">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Williams2008p55">Template:Cite book</ref> In some texts, he is considered to be one of the seven great sages or Saptarishis, but in others he is mentioned but not counted in the list of seven great sages.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In some manuscripts of Atharvaveda, the text is attributed to "Atharvangirasah", which is a compound of sage Atharvan and Angira.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The student family of Angira are called "Angira",<ref name="Dalal2010p29"/><ref name=Wilkins/> and they are credited to be the authors of some hymns in the first, second, fifth, eighth, ninth, and tenth books of the Rigveda.<ref name=jamisonangiras>Template:Cite book</ref> By the time of the composition of the Rigveda, the Angirases were an old Rishi clan, and were stated to have participated in several events.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>

Texts

Many hymns of the Rigveda credit the Angirases as their authors,<ref name=jamisonangiras/> mainly in Mandalas I and VIII.<ref name=":0" /> Various Angirasa sub-clans, including the Śunahotras, the Gautamas, and the Bhāradvājas composed Mandalas II, IV, and VI respectively.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Other than crediting authorship, the Vedic texts mention sage Angiras in various roles such as a fire priest or a singer. For example, the allegorical hymn 3.31 of the Rigveda calls him a singer:

According to Max Muller—a professor of Sanskrit and Indology at the Oxford University—the sage Angiras in Vedic literature is different from the plural term Angirasa, and these terms refer to different people. The Angiras rishi is different from the group of sorcerers in Atharvaveda also named Angirasa, and according to Muller, the Vedic rishi is also different from a class of divine beings who too are called Angirasa in the Vedic texts and described as "sprung from coals (angara)".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In Buddhist Pali canonical texts such as Digha Nikaya, Tevijja Sutta describes a discussion between the Buddha and Vedic scholars of his time. The Buddha names ten rishis, calls them "early sages" and makers of ancient verses that have been collected and chanted in his era, and among those ten rishis is Angiras.<ref name=walshe188f>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Refn

Life in Puranas

The name Angirasas is applied generically to several Puranic individuals. Further, the Vedic sage Angiras appears in medieval Hindu texts with contradictory roles as well as many different versions of his birth, marriage and biography.<ref name="Williams2008p55"/> In some, he is described to be the son of Brahma, in others he is one of many Prajapatis. Depending on the legend, he has one, two or four wives.<ref name="Williams2008p55"/> In one myth, his wife is stated to be Surūpa and his sons are Utathya, Samvartana and Brahaspati.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Other accounts say that he married Smriti (memory), the daughter of Daksha and later married Svadha (oblation).<ref name=Wilkins>Template:Cite book</ref> Yet other Puranic accounts state, he married Shubha and they had seven daughters named after aspects of "fire" and a son named Brihaspati.<ref name="Dalal2010p29"/> In some legends, sage Brihaspati is his son.<ref name="Williams2008p55"/>

According to one legend, Angirasa turned his senses inwards and meditated on Para Brahman, the creator of the creator, for several years. The great Tejas he got by birth had multiplied infinitely by his penance. He attained many divine qualities, powers, and riches, and control over many worlds. But he was oblivious of all the worldly attainments and did not stop his penance. Due to this penance he became one with the Para-Brahman and thus attained the state of “Brahmarishi”. He had visions of many Vedic Mantras and brought them to this earthly world. He is credited as being the source of great number of Vedic Hymns and mantras and also believed to have introduced fire-worship along with sage Bhrigu.<ref name=Wilkins/>

He is one of Saptarishis in the Puranas.<ref>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, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya, and Vashishtha. In other manvantara there are other sapta-rishi. 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 Brah-marshi, born of the mind of Brahma, the Devarshi of lower rank, and Rajarshi or Kings who became Rishis through their knowledge and austerities, such as Janaka, Ritaparna, etc. Thc Shrutarshi is makers of Shastras, as Sushruta. The Kandarshi are of the Karmakanda, such as Jaimini.</ref>

Ghora of the Angiras family is identified by some scholars as Neminatha, the twenty-second tirthankara in Jainism.Template:Sfn

See also

• Angra Mainyu ("wrong spirit" or "enemy spirit", according to Zoroastrianism)
• Dirghatamas (grandson of Angiras, a great sage born blind. Father of Gautama Maharishi)
• Bhrigu (father of Shukracharya, guru of asuras)

References

Sources

• Template:Citation

External links

• The First Maṇḍala of the Ṛig-Veda, Frederic Pincott (see discussion on Angiras)