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The oral history, regarded today as merely myth, has it that spiritual realization was introduced to humankind by Shiva, who appeared suddenly in the Himalayas aeons ago and sat down in deep meditation. Recognizing his presence as something extraordinary, many came from far and wide and gathered to watch. But he just sat there and, as the years and decades passed, most of those gathered grew tired and went away. Eventually, there were just seven who remained, sitting in meditation, emulating what Shiva was doing. In the stillness of their meditation, they successfully reached their inner selves and, guided by Shiva, learned of their true nature and the nature of the world. In that realisation, they learned the meaning of this life and beyond. These seven, honoured as the sapta rishi, then set forth to teach what they had learned to the people of the world. They are said to have travelled far and wide but no records exist chronicling their individual journeys.
One of the seven, named Agasthiya, is believed to have been the most prolific. He is even recorded as having contributed some of the hymns of the Rig Veda. He is also believed to be the father of Southern mysticism. The oral history records him as having brought literacy and the thamizh language to the people of the South. The siddha school of healing is also attributed to him.
The Jains attribute their founding to a mystical person referred to as Rishabanath. Rishabam is the bull of the vedic zodiac and Siva is sometimes represented as sitting astride a bull: Lord of the Bull – rishaba-nath. The founder of Jainism could well have been another of the sapta rishi, but this has not been recorded. Mahavira Jain (circa BCE 599-527), historically recorded as the founder of Jainism, was probably the last in a line of seers who had kept the learning refreshed.
In a culture within which seeking inwards is widely encouraged, there have been many rishis who have explored the inner spaces and some of them have shared their explorations with those who sought guidance. Their expounding can be found in numerous volumes in multiple Indic languages. The volumes that form the foundation of all Dharmic rituals are the four Vedas – the work of countless rishis, believed to have been revealed over many millennia, initially carried orally in the Sanskrit language but later captured in writing. The philosophical explorations of the Vedas have been captured in the Upanishads. The Epic Poems that talk about the people of the ancient past, such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha, are considered by many to be historical records. Whether or not they are accurate records of history, they certainly serve as vehicles for important social and philosophical lessons. It is these allegorical meanings that seekers should investigate. Demanding recognition as authentic history is self-defeating, unless unmistakable archaeological evidence is found.
The sapta rishi have been named in several of these ancient books that were revealed in widely different time periods. It is unlikely that they were all references to the same persons. More likely, the tradition of sapta rishi was continued and, in each period, seven eminent seers were identified as the sapta rishi. The repetition of some individual names probably indicates that the same names were either taken up by or assigned to some among those in each group of seven. But beyond these sets of seven, there were many more notable seers who contributed to the wisdom of the dharma. The greatest of the seers recorded in history must surely be Siddhartha Gautama (circa BCE 563-483), who is even regarded by some as the ninth avatar of Vishnu. Dissatisfied with the meaninglessness of the rich trappings of his royal heritage, he left his home in search of answers, which he finally found in deep meditation. Presumably, he too reached the inner core of his Self where the sapta rishi had been guided to discover their truths – the Divinity embedded within each of us. He was called The Buddha – The Enlightened One.
When the followers of the Buddha went around teaching what they had learned, they found ready acceptance from the castes that had been denigrated and discarded by the then much deviated and ritualistic remnants of the Vedic Dharma. This was around the time when the followers of Mahavira were also spreading Jain teachings. The logical arguments and practical lifestyle for personal liberation that were presented by the Jain and Buddhist monks met minimal effective rebuttals from the unthinking followers of traditional Vedic rituals. As a consequence, the followings of the new religions grew rapidly among the masses.
Notes:
- Shiva, one of the Vedic Trinity, is the Cosmic Dancer who energises the cosmos and gives rise to all motion and action.
- Sapta – seven; rishi – sage or seer who, through deep meditation, has gained insights about this world.
- Ramayana - the story of Rama who, under the most severe of conditions, remained steadfast in upholding dharma, thereby serving as an example to humankind.
- Mahabharatha - the struggles of a moral family assailed by enemies within, allegorical description of the challenges faced by individuals in the internal battle to uphold dharma.
- Avatar - Another of the Vedic Trinity, Vishnu intervenes in the human timeline by being born as a child and growing to adulthood. Each of these births is called an avatar. There have been 9 avatars, each born to achieve a specific purpose. These avatars also represent the evolution of the human form from marine to amphibious and so on. The Buddha represents the evolution into becoming enlightened beings. The 10th avatar is awaited.
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