The great sages of India - Shri Pippalaada Maharishi

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On Shri Pippalaada Maharishi

I consider myself as very fortunate to write about this great sage of India. The parental branch of this great sage remains always worth saluting. Sage Chyavan and his wife Sukanya gave birth to sage Dadhichi. Sage Chyavan is famous for his medicinal theories which are being followed today by all branches of medicine. Dadhichi was to sacrifice his body for the welfare of mankind and the bones to be used by Divine forces. His wife Suvarcha was pregnant at the time of his body sacrifice. Suvarcha sat under Pippala Tree and gave birth to a male child, while cursing the divine forces to remain childless all times for all the trouble they gave to a pregnant lady and thus she sacrificed her life leaving the tree to take of the new born child.

Wonder it is, even a non movable like a tree could take care with all its diligence, of the new born and as a result the new born was named as Pippala or Pippalaada. Pippalaada Maharishi intended to take revenge against divine forces and thus he preached Lord Shiva and with the Lords blessings he used Krutya on the Divine forces. At the request of the Divine forces, Lord Shiva withdrew Krutya and blessed Pippalaada to reach physically the Divine world to take the blessings of his parents there. Later he entered his Ashram.

He performed penance for long time and attained Brahma Gnana. He desired to have his marriage and incidentally met Padma daughter of King Anavanya who relates to the dynasty of Swayabhuva Manu. Under the guidance of Sage Bhrugu, King Anavanya conquered Indra Loka etc but they refused to have the powers of Indra. Such a great person agreed to offer his daughter to the Sage and ultimately performed the marriage. After sometime of the marriage, Dharma Devata – the God of Dharma – desired to test Padma and he was cursed by Padma Saadhwi to remain with four legs, three legs, two legs and one leg during Krita, Treta, Dwapara, and Kaliyugaas. Later she narrated all this to her husband Pippalaada Maharishi who was much pleased to know all that happened. Subsequently during the course of the period they gave birth to many children and ultimately walked to Vaanaprastaasharama.

It is certain, we call it our fortune to recollect, remember and narrate the incidents in the life of Pippalaada Maharishi once we know how he narrated the facts and truth of life and death besides what is Brahma Gnana to Sage Kabandha Rishi of Katyayana Maharishi dynasty; Vaidarbhi Rishi of Bhrugu Maharishi Dynasty; Sowryaayana Rishi of Garga Maharishi Dynasty; Saibya Rishi of Satya Kaama Maharishi Dynasty; Sukesa Rishi of Bharadwaja Maharishi Dynasty; Kowsilya Rishi of Aswalaayana Maharishi Dynasty- when the six of them were under the guidance of the Great Rishi Pippalaada for one year. He was pleased with all the six disciples and on one occasion, he clarified how the life and death cycle takes place to Sage Kabandha; about the life cycle, how it glows and who makes it to glow etc. to Sage Vaidarbhi; about the placement of angaas and their function in each body to Sage Kowsalya; about the happiness and the sorrow and how peace can be derived etc to Sage Sowryayani;

about the pranavopaasana to Sage Saibya; and about the sixteen characters of a human body to Sage Sukesi. The references for all this can be had from Garbhopanishat and Para Bhramopanishat. He is the Sage who narrated what is Moksha Sastra and how Moksha can be attained to his disciples.

He opened the doors for Bhrahma vidya to all of us through Sage Sownaka and this can be found in Para Bhrahmopanishat. There is nothing for all of us to learn beyond what has been clarified by the great Bhrahma Gnani Pippalaada Maharishi and his life alone is totality of human existence.