Aruṇi

Compared to the life of Maharṣis such as Aṅgirasa, the life of Aruṇi Maharṣi is brief. In some Purāṇas, he is also mentioned as one of the Brahmā Mānasa Putras. The Purāṇas do not elaborate on his birth story or lineage, only mentioning that he is a Brahmā Mānasa Putra. There is a mention of Aruṇi Maharṣi in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad.

Aruṇi Maharṣi is also known by the name Uddālaka. Some sources say he was the father of Uddālaka. His āśrama was on the banks of the river Devikā, where he practiced severe penance. He was a jitendriya (one who had conquered his senses) and a parama sāttvika (extremely pure and calm individual). However, in penance, he was intense and strict. The Purāṇas few narratives about him.

Encounter with and transformation of the Niṣāda

One day, as he was leaving his āśrama to bathe in the Devikā river, a niṣāda (hunter) stopped him, saying, “Stand there, O boy!” This niṣāda was cruel by nature, living by killing animals and birds and even taking the lives of people for petty gains, devoid of any compassion. Standing in front of the imposing niṣāda, Aruṇi Maharṣi looked at him without fear. Like water quenching fire, the cruel tendencies of the niṣāda were calmed by that gaze. The Maharṣi did not speak a word, but a great transformation occurred in the niṣāda, who began trembling with an unusual feeling.

Transformation of the Niṣāda

The niṣāda immediately fell at the feet of the Maharṣi and pleaded:

“I do not know who you are, O Mahātmā, but you must be a great saint. My way of life has always been to rob and kill those like you with matted hair and engaged in penance, hoping to sell your kamaṇḍalu for a few coins. I have killed many for their gold ornaments and never had compassion in my heart. But as soon as your gaze fell upon me, all my cruelty vanished. Please bless me and guide me on the right path.”

Aruṇi Maharṣi did not even lift his eyes to look at him. Without replying, he moved on with a slight smile. The niṣāda began following him, his previous cruelty gone. He accompanied the Maharṣi to the river and the āśrama, convinced that the Maharṣi would not rebuke him. He began assisting the Maharṣi, tidying the āśrama surroundings and offering unasked services.

Although Aruṇi Maharṣi accepted his service, he remained detached and silent, not speaking to him. Years passed in this manner, with the niṣāda never returning to his home, eating whatever was available, or remaining without food, continuing to follow the Maharṣi in his tapovṛtti (life of penance). Being near a person engaged in penance is also a form of penance. Just as listening attentively to the recitation of the Vedas grants merit, merely being near such powerful vibrations has its effects.

The Tiger Episode

One day, as Aruṇi Maharṣi was drying his clothes after bathing, a large tiger roared and charged at him. The niṣāda saw this as an opportunity to serve and, without hesitation, shot an arrow that split the tiger’s belly, killing it instantly. The Maharṣi had never witnessed such a violent act, though the tiger was indeed coming to kill him. Watching the tiger’s agony, the Maharṣi, moved with compassion, loudly chanted:

“Nārāyaṇa, Nārāyaṇa!”

On hearing this mantra, the tiger’s suffering ended, and a divine being emerged from its body, glowing with brilliance, standing before the Maharṣi, and said:

“O Mahātmā! By your compassion and the nectar of your Nārāyaṇa mantra, my curse has been lifted. Now, I will proceed happily to Vaikuṇṭha. It is all your mercy.”

The Tiger’s Past Life

The Maharṣi asked, “Who are you?”. The being replied:

“In my past life, I was a Kṣatriya warrior, proud of having defeated many enemies, but I insulted many sāttvika brāhmaṇas, questioning the worth of their penance. They cursed me to be born as a tiger, and they told me that I would be liberated when I approached a Maharṣi with a cruel intention but would die at the hands of a hunter, hearing the Nārāyaṇa mantra and attaining Vaikuṇṭha.”

Having said this, the being disappeared, expressing gratitude.

The Initiation of the Niṣāda

Witnessing this event, the Nārāyaṇa mantra also reached the ears of the niṣāda. Until then, Aruṇi Maharṣi had never spoken to him. Acknowledging that the niṣāda had saved his life and feeling indebted, the Maharṣi spoke:

“Once, you had asked me for initiation, but at that time, you were cruel and unworthy of it. You would not have understood my words then. Now, the Nārāyaṇa mantra that spontaneously emerged from my lips has reached your ears. Accept it as your initiation and let it guide your path, abandoning cruel acts and engaging in penance. There is no higher path for a jīva in this world than the Nārāyaṇa mantra.”

The niṣāda, thus initiated, went away to engage in penance.

Blessings of Durvāsā Maharṣi

While engaged in penance, the niṣāda had the darśana of Durvāsā Maharṣi, who took pity on him, granting him jñāna (knowledge) and teaching him vratas and jīvana mārga (way of life), stabilizing his penance and concentration. The niṣāda eventually attained jīvanmukti, and the cause of this transformation was Aruṇi Maharṣi.

Aruṇi Maharṣi as Father of Śvetaketu’s

Later, Aruṇi Maharṣi married a girl in the presence of Agni and had a son named Śvetaketu. He sent Śvetaketu to the gurukula for education, where he mastered the Vedas and Vedāṅgas over 12 years and returned home, declaring with pride that he had learned everything and had nothing more to learn.

Śvetaketu’s Humbling and Upadeśa

Seeing the pride in his son, Aruṇi Maharṣi asked him:

“Has your guru taught you that knowledge, knowing which everything else is known?”

Śvetaketu was surprised, admitting that he had never heard of such knowledge. Aruṇi Maharṣi explained that the Parabrahma vastu (Supreme Being) is the substratum of all existence and that realizing it frees one from all bondage, as taught in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad. He explained the creation process, trivṛtkaraṇa (threefold combination), and how the apparent diversity in the universe is rooted in one substance. Through tapas and meditation on this truth, one can realize the presence of the Brahman underlying all diversity.

Teachings of Aruṇi Maharṣi

Aruṇi Maharṣi illustrated with the example of the nyagrodha (banyan tree), explaining that though the seed appears empty when split, it contains the potential for the vast tree, just as the subtle essence of Brahman pervades the entire universe. He instructed Śvetaketu that the inquiry into this ultimate reality itself becomes tapas and that true peace comes from recognizing the underlying unity in all diversity. Using the analogy of salt dissolved in water, he explained that though imperceptible, the essence exists and can only be realized through purified antaḥkaraṇa (inner instrument) and deep concentration, ultimately depending on the grace of Īśvara.

Concluding, Aruṇi Maharṣi told Śvetaketu that he was like a foreigner abandoned blindfolded in a forest, needing a compassionate person to remove the blindfold and show the path, emphasizing the necessity of a guru for liberation. Aruṇi Maharṣi, with parental affection free from attachment, blessed Śvetaketu to undertake penance, explaining that love without attachment guides children on the right path while attachment (moha) brings sorrow. By the influence of this upadeśa and the blessings of his father, Śvetaketu eventually became a Brahmarṣi, and a svaraśāstra related to the study of breath was written to him.

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Aruṇi Maharṣi is a beacon of jñāna, bhakti, and tapas, who transformed lives around him through silence, compassion, and the power of the Nārāyaṇa mantra, guiding his son Śvetaketu and others toward the path of mokṣa.