The Guru of the devas.
1) Birth. The father of Brhaspati was Angiras, the son of Brahma. Brahma grew amorous, at the sight of some celestial maids who were present at a sacrifice performed by Rudra and he had seminal flow. Brahma put the semen in fire. From that fire the devas such as Marici, Bhrgu, Angiras and others were born. The name Angiras was given because he was born out of angara (live-coal). Eight sons were born to Angiras by his wife Vasuda. They were Utathya, Brhaspati, Vayasya, Santi, Ghora, Virupa, Samvarta and Sudhanva.
All of them were sages who had attained liberation by knowledge, and who had been free from worldly pain. Of them Brhaspati, Utathya and Samvarta became famous through all the worlds. In some Puranas Vasuda, the mother of Brhaspati, is given the name Sraddha also.
It is stated that Brhaspati had a sister named Angirasi. She was a follower of the Brahma cult. She became the wife of Prabhasa the last one of the eight Vasus. Visvakarma was her son.
(Bhagavata Skandha 4, Mahabharata, Adi Parva, Chapter 66).
2) Brhaspati is the son of Agni?
In some puranas Brhaspati is described as the son of Agni. Its authority is given below. Angiras, the father of Brhaspati was once doing penance in his hermitage. When the fire of penance increased the brightness of the real fire decreased. Agni (fire) stood before Angiras and said “Oh Lord ! your brightness surpasses mine. From this day onwards you are the real fire. So you shall be the first fire and I will be the fire of Prajapati which is the second fire.”
Because of this boon of Agni, the devas (gods), recognized Angiras also as a fire-god. So in some Puranas Brhaspati is mentioned as the son of Agni. (Bhagavata, Skandha 4) .
It is stated in Mahabharata, Vana Parva, Chapter 218 that the mother of Brihaspati had anither name, Subha, and that Brihaspati had six more brothers, born later, named Brhatkirti, Brhatjyoti, Brihadbrahma, Brihadmana, Brihadmantra and Brihadbhasa and that Agirasi had the name Bhanumati also.
3) Guru of the Devas.
The story of how Brhaspati became the teacher of the devas, is given in the Maha-bharata, Chapter 76 as shown below
“The Suras and the asuras (the gods and the demons) became enemies from time immemorial, regarding the possession of wealth and prosperity in the three worlds. To secure victory in the battles the gods made Brhaspati their teacher and likewise the asuras made Sukra their teacher.”
4) The conjugality of Brhaspati.
Tara was the wife of Brhaspati. She was very beautiful. Seeing Candra’s handsome figure she doted on him. There arose several quarrels over this affair. Finally the devas intervened and Tara was given back to Brhaspati. Budha was born to Candra by Tara.
The individual called Tara in the family of the monkeys, was a son of Brhaspati. It is mentioned in Valmiki Ramayana, BalaKanda, Sarga 17, Stanza 10 as follows, which proves this fact.
“Brhaspati begot the mighty monkey Tara.”
In the Rgveda, Mandala 1, Anuvaka 19, Sukta 126, it is mentioned that Brhaspati had a daughter named Romasa. When her husband teased her Romasa said to her husband:
You please come and feel your hand on my body. Don’t think that my organs are small. Though I am hairy like the goats of Gandhara, I have got all the organs fully grown.”
This is the statement in the Rgveda. In the Uttara Ramayana, it is stated that Brhaspati had a Brahmana son named Kusadhvaja, and that a daughter named Devavati was born to Kusadhvaja. Devavati was born from his mouth while Kusadhvaja was engaged in devotional recitation of the Vedas.
Sita was the rebirth of this Devavati.
It is stated in the Mahabharata, Adi Parva, Chapter 67, Stanza 69, that Drona, the son of Bharadvaja, was born from a portion of Brhaspati.
Kaca was another son of Brhaspati. For full particulars of the story how Devayani (daughter of Sukra) hankered after Kaca, see `Kaca’.
Mention is made in Mahabharata, Vana Parva, Chapter 219, Stanza 1, that Brhaspati had a wife called Candramasi and that she gave birth to six Agnis. In Kampa Ramayana, Yuddhakanda mention is made that Brhaspati had a daughter named Sulekha. Six sons and a daughter were born to Candramasi. The six sons were six Agnis: In sacrifices the burnt offerings and the ghee were the portions meant for the great and mighty fire 8amyu, the son of Brhaspati. It is to satisfy this great fire which blazes with numberless pointed tongues, that in sacrifices such as Caturmasya, A~vamedha etc. animals are slaughtered. The daughter of Dharma was the wife of Samyu. The name of the wonderful being (Samyu’s wife) is Satya. A son named Dipti and three daughters were born to Samyu. The son of Dipti is Bharadvaja who is the recipient of first portion of Glace oblated in sacrifice. On all full-moon days offerings of sacrifices are meant for Bharata. Bharata had a son named Bharata and a daughter named Bharati. Bharata the Agni is said to be the son of the Agni who is Prajapati Bharata.
Thus Bharata got the famous name `the great’.
Bharata married Vira and a son was born to them called Vira. This Vira like Soma is the recipient of sacrificial ghee, according to the belief of the Brahmanas. As this Vira is the recipient of the second ghee offered in sacrifice, as Soma, he is known by names such as Rathaprabhu, Rathadhvana and Kumbharetas. Vira married Sarayu and became the father of Siddhi – Siddhi the Agnidevata – who is remembered in all fire songs. Fire which has no action on prosperity, fame and vigour has the name Niscyavana. Niscyavana praises the earth. Satya is the son of Niscyavana. Satya which blazes by flame determines time. Satya is known by another name Niskrti. The Agni Svana spreads diseases. The Agnis called Vipulaprabha, Yatatma and Brahmacari are invoked in simple domestic sacrifices by Brahmanas. The awful fire Badavagni is supported by life.
The sixth son of Brhaspati and Tara is called Svetakrt. The oblation ofiered to this Agni is known as Udadvara. Svaha was the daughter of Candramasi. Svaha had three sons. They are three Agnis called Kamagni, Amogha, and Ukthya.
(Bhagavata, Skandha 4).
5) Growing amorous on the wife of elder brother.
A story stating how Brhaspati begot a son by the wife of Utathya is given in Skandha 9 of Bhagavata. Mamata, the wife of Utathya, was pregnant. Brhaspati had coition with her when her husband was away. The mother and the child in the womb who opposed the act of Brhaspati were cursed. Mamata gave birth to two children. Fearing that her husband might cast her out she left the son of Brhaspati in the forest and was about to go, when there was a divine voice from above,
“Mudhe, Bharadvajamimam bhara dvajam Brhaspate.” “You senseless woman, bring up this one born of the two. Brhaspati, bring up this one born of the two.”
Hearing this ethereal voice Brhaspati took the child and gave him the name Bharadvaja and brought him up. After that the child was given to emperor Bharata. The famous archer Drona was the son of this #Bharadvaja.
6) Personation of Brhaspati.
The enmity between the devas and asuras increased day by day. Sukracarya the teacher of the asuras began to do penance before Siva in the Himalayas, with a view to get a divine spell or incantation to destroy the devas. The duration of the penance was thousand years. Indra came to know of this secret and sent his daughter Jayanti to set the spell from Sukra by deceit. She stayed with Sukra as his disciple and servant. Thousand years passed by. Siva appeared before Sukra and gave him the spell, capable of destroying the devas. When he was about to return Jayanti accepted him as her husband. Because of his familiarity with her, of a long standing, he could not refuse her request. Sukra told her that he would become her husband, for a period of ten years and that during that period both of them would be invisible to the world. Thus the couple began an invisible life.
Brhaspati thought of making the best use of this period. He personated himself as Sukracarya and went to the Asuras, who thinking that their teacher had returned after a long penance gave him a loving and sincere welcome. Brhaspati sat on the seat of Sukracarya and began to exhort the asuras in such a manner that within the period of ten years he was able to remove factionalism and hatred from them.
At the expiry of ten years’ invisible life Sukra returned having sent Jayand away. The asuras saw two Sukras together and were amazed. They declared that the real Sukra was he who had been teaching them for the last ten years. Being dismayed at the ingratitude of the asuras he cursed them that they would shortly be destroyed and then left the place. At this juncture Brhaspati also assumed his real form and returned to heaven. Thus the asuras became a people without a leader like sheep without a shepherd. At last they approached their teacher Sukra who became their teacher again, when they begged for his pardon. But he said that his curse could not be recalled. But he gave them absolution by saying that they would regain their lost power during the time of Manu Savarni.
(Devi Bhagavata, Skandha 4).
7) Cursing Ravana.
Once Ravana was returning haughty and proud after having defeated the devas and conquered heaven, when Sulekha the daughter of Brhaspati, got terrified and ran away to hide herself from him. Ravana chased her and when she was caught he tried to ravish her. Brhaspati got angry and cursed him. “You, who have grown rank by the dart of Cupid, will meet with death by the dart of Rama”.
(Ramayana, Yuddha Kanda).
8) Brhaspati and Hanuman. Anjana the mother of Hanuman was a servant of Brhaspati in her previous birth. Her name then was Punjikasthali. She once went to fetch water. At that time many Vidyadhara young people, both male and female, came there and engaged in amorous acts. Punjikasthali witnessed these love scenes for a long time and then returned home. It is mentioned in Ramayana that Brhaspati cursed her to be born in the next birth as a female monkey.
Anjana gave birth to Hanuman. When he grew up Hanuman desired to learn Vedas and Sastras (scriptures). Hanuman approached Brhaspati to learn from him. But Brhaspati was not prepared to teach a monkey who jumped about everywhere. The disappointed Hanuman went to the Sun, who asked him how it could be done by him as he was engaged in travelling without stop. Hanuman said that he would move in front of the sun always. Thus Hanuman who had been rejected by #Brihaspati became the disciple of the Sun.
(Uttara Ramayana).
9) Other information.
(1) It is mentioned in Devi Bhagavata, Skandha 1, that Brhaspati was the teacher of the hermit Suka.
(2) In Agni Purana, Chapter 51, it is instructed that Brhaspati should be consecrated in temples as wearing a necklace of beads (Elaeo carpus seeds) and a water pot.
(3) Mention is made in the Mahabharata, Adi Parva, Chapter 169, Stanza 21 that Brhaspati gave Bharadvaja Agneyastra (the arrow of fire).
(4) During the period of emperor Prthu, when the Earth-goddess was changed into a cow the gods employed Brhaspati to milk the cow to obtain the things they needed. (M.B. Drona Parva, Chapter 69) .
(5) Once Brhaspati gave Subrahmanya a stick as a present. (Maha-bharata Salya Parva, Chapter 46) .
(6) Once Brhaspati advised Indra to use sweet words. Purana that Nfirada had taught Brhatsena, Brahma
(M.B. Santi Parva, Chapter 84).
(7) Once Brhaspati got angry with Visnu at the sacrificial hall of Uparicaravasu. (M.B. Santi Parva, Chapter 336, Stanza 14).
(8) Brhaspati cursed the Jaladevatas (goddesses of water). (Maha-bharata Santi Parva, Chapter 242, Stanza 27) .
(9) Brhaspati and Candra are said to be Brahmana Kings. (M.B. Asvamedha Parva, Chapter 9, Stanza 8).
10) Conclusion: Brhaspati was a deep thinker and one who had firm convictions in many matters. He was a man of vast knowledge. Every movement of the gods had its origin in the brains of Brhaspati. There is no philosophy which does not contain the exhortations made by #Brhaspati at various times to the devas (gods) or kings or hermits.
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