RISHI MUDGAL

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:

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 :

Source :

https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Mudgala