RISHI
MUDGAL
![](512px-Rishimugdal.jpg)
Rishi
Mudgal
Affiliation
: Hinduism
Adherents : Vaishnavism
Texts : Mudgal Upanishad, Mudgal Puran, and Ganesh
Puran
Parents : Bhamyarsva (father)
Consort : Nalyani Indrasena
Children : Maudgalya (who became Brahmin), Vadhryasva
(who became King), Divodasa, Ahalya
Dynasty : Panchal
Introduction
:
Sage
Mudgal is the sage who had pronounced the Rig Ved Sukt 10/102. His
wife was known as Mudgalaani. He was a great devotee sage of Lord
Vishnu and his incarnation Lord Ram. He had practiced severe Tap
(austerity and penance) at the holy cite known as Kurukshetra. He
was the father of Ahilya, the wife of sage Gautam, and of King Divodas.
He was a great host and served his guests well. He understood the
importance of Moksh, the final emancipation and salvation of the
soul, so much so that he had once spurned an offer of the Gods to
go to heaven. This is because those who went to heaven had to return
to this world once the good affects of their good deeds wore off;
it was not complete deliverance.
He had performed a great Yagya near the bridge built across the
ocean by Lord Ram in order to reach Lanka where the Lord had slayed
the demon king Ravan and liberated Sita from his captivity. The
epic war fought there is narrated in the ancient classic known as
Ramayan. Lord Vishnu was so pleased at this performance of the Yagya
by the sage that he created a huge pond of pure milk secreted by
the cow of Gods, known as the Kamdhenu cow, for the purpose of offering
oblations in this sacrifice. This pond is known as Kshir-tirtha
or a pilgrim site which has the celestial milk in its pond in a
symbolic manner.
One of the sub-Purans or Up-purans, known as ‘Mudgal-puran’,
is named after him. It is dedicated chiefly to the narration of
the nine main incarnations of Lord Ganapati, or Lord Ganesh who
is the son of Lord Shiv and Parvati, and is the chief deity who
is worshipped first during any religious ceremony or auspicious
activity. This Up-puran was probably written between 900-1100 A.D.
The nine incarnations of Ganapati mentioned in this sub-Puran are
the following—Vakradant, Ekdant, Mahodar, Gajaanan, Lambodar,
Vikat, Vighna-raaj, Dhumra-varna, and Yog. Besides these nine incarnations,
it also lists 23 more forms of Lord Ganesh.
The Mudgal Upanishad belonging to the Rig Ved tradition is also
ascribed to this great sage. It is like a brief commentary on the
‘Purush Sukt’ of the Rig Ved, 10/7/90/1-16.
According to the Ram Rahasya Upanishad, Canto 1, verse no. 1 of
the Atharv Ved tradition, he was one of the sages who had approached
Hanuman, the wisest, the highly enlightened and the most dedicated
devotee of Lord Ram, to enquire about the profound metaphysical
philosophy related to the Lord.
History
:
Rishi
Mudgal was the son of a Chandravanshi / Nagvanshi Kshatriya King
Bhamyarswa of Panchal Rajya, at present the Punjab State of India.
He is considered as one of the Rajarshi in Hinduism next to Vishvamitra.
Mudgal lived in a forest and ruled over his kingdom as well as he
taught as a Kulguru in a Gurukul.
According
to Bhagavad Gita, Mudgal had 50 sons out of which Maudgalya was
the eldest one. Maudgalya's son were rewarded as Rajpurohitas. Among
his sons, he appointed Maudgalya to become the priest and continue
his path towards gods while made his other son
Rishi
Mudgal was married to Nalyani, daughter of Nal Nishad king. Maudgalya,
Vadhryasva, Divodas, and Ahalya were their children. Nalyani served
Mudgal with whole heart even when Mudgal was suffering from leprosy.
Happy with her service Mudgal offered a boon to Nalyani. Nalyani
wanted to consummate their bond properly and Mudgal granted her
wish in five forms. When Rishi Mudgal attained moksh, he left the
mortal life but Nalyani in her next birth, when she could not find
a matching suitor, did penance for Lord Shiv. When Lord Shiv appeared
to give her boon she asked for a husband five times in her eagerness
so Shiv granted her the boon for five husbands with some exceptions.
That is the secret for the birth of Draupadi in Mahabharat and being
married to Pandavs who were incarnations of Yam, Vayu, Indra and
Ashwini devtas who came to earth for restoring peace to Earth.
A
seal from Sumer, (of Mudgal, Lord of Edin, Minister to Uruas) shows
the word Azu, which meant water-divinator (lit. water knower), and
additionally, physician. Lord Mudgal was the son of Uruas the Khad,
who was the first dynasty of Sumeria (via Phoenicia) of the fourth
millennium BCE.
The
Maudgil / Mudgal brahmins of Jodhpur, Rajasthan,are said to have
come from Lanka during Ravan's marriage to Mandodari. They are considered
as descendants of Ravan.
Genealogy
:
Mudgal was a descendant of Ajamidh's dynasty, forming the most prominent
Northern Panchal dynasty of Mahabharat. His genealogy from Ajamidh
goes on as follows:
No. |
Name |
No. |
Name |
1. |
Nil |
10. |
Maitreya
Som |
2. |
Susanti |
11. |
Srnjay |
3. |
Purujanu |
12. |
Cyavan
Pancajan |
4. |
Rksa |
13. |
Sudas
Somdatt |
5. |
Bhrmyasva |
14. |
Sahdev
|
6. |
Mudgal |
15. |
Somak |
7. |
Vadhryasva |
16. |
Jantu |
8. |
Divodas |
17. |
Prishat |
9. |
Mitrayu |
18. |
Drupad
|
This
lineage came up to Drupad, a Mahabharat war character who fought
from the side of the Pandavs.
Mentions
in Bhagavat Puran :
Rishi Mudgal is also mentioned in Bhagavat Puran. The verse goes
:
The
son of Santi was Susanti, the son of Susanti was Puruj, and the
son of Puruj was Ark. From Ark came Bharmyasva, and from Bharmyasva
came five sons — Mudgal, Yavinar, Brhadvisva, Kampilla and
Sañjay.
Bharmyasva prayed to his sons, “O my sons, please take charge
of my five states, for you are quite competent to do so.”
Thus his five sons were known as the Pañcalas. From Mudgal
came a dynasty of brahmanas known as Maudgalya. (S.B. 9.21.31-33).
It
is from these Panchals that the Panchayat System, one of the oldest
practiced political system, was introduced in India and Nepal.
Gotras
:
Mudgal's eldest son Maudgalya's name was used to make one of the
Brahmin Gotra, Maudgalya. People having lineage to Mudgal mainly
have these gotras :
- Mudgal
- Maudgalya
(Moudgalya)
- Moudgil
Source
:
https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Mudgala