Maitreya

Maitreya Maharṣi was born in the lineage of Atri Maharṣi. After several generations—beginning with Candra, followed by Budha, Purūravas, Bhīmaratha, and Divodāsa—Maitreya emerged as a renowned ṛṣi. His life is detailed in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa.

Parāśara’s Teachings

Maitreya Maharṣi became a disciple of Parāśara Maharṣi, a sage of extraordinary trikāla-jñāna (knowledge of past, present, and future). Maitreya always appeared as a boy of about twelve years of age, radiating spiritual innocence and wisdom. Maitreya approached Parāśara Maharṣi with a deep desire to learn all the Vedas, Vedāṅgas, and the mysteries of sṛṣṭi rahasya (the secrets of creation). Parāśara possessed unparalleled knowledge of the universe, beyond the comprehension of ordinary sages. Among his many disciples, Parāśara found Maitreya alone to be worthy of receiving his complete knowledge. After rigorous tutelage, Maitreya Maharṣi mastered all the knowledge imparted by Parāśara and became equal to his guru in terms of vijñāna. Parāśara said to Maitreya, “You have learned all the śāstras. There is nothing more I can teach you.”

However, Maitreya continued to ask questions about sṛṣṭi, its causes, its evolution, and the easiest means for human beings to attain mokṣa. He inquired about yoga, vairāgya, tapas, and whether there exists a simpler path that leads to the ultimate fruits of vaidika karma.

Viṣṇu Purāṇa

In response, Parāśara revealed that the entire universe is Viṣṇumaya—pervaded by Bhagavān Viṣṇu, who is the embodiment of all deities, the trimūrti-s, prakṛti, puruṣa, the individual jīva, bandhana, and mokṣa. All of this was taught to Maitreya Maharṣi and forms the central discourse of the Viṣṇu Purāṇa. The Viṣṇu Purāṇa contains not only the history of sages and various yugas, but also detailed accounts of gandharva-s, deva-s, vidyādhara-s, and the structure of time and creation. This entire Purāṇa is structured as a dialogue between Parāśara and Maitreya.

Origin of Parāśara’s Knowledge

Maitreya once asked Parāśara how he came to possess such profound knowledge. Parāśara replied that Pulastya Brahmā bestowed this wisdom upon him out of gratitude for sparing his lineage. Parāśara, having received kāla-jñāna (the knowledge of cosmic time cycles), transmitted it entirely to Maitreya. At the conclusion of this teaching, Maitreya humbly sought forgiveness for his repeated questions and for occasionally interrupting his guru. Parāśara, pleased with Maitreya’s sincerity, bid him farewell.

Maitreya’s Tīrtha Yātrā and Encounters with the Pāṇḍavās & Kauravās

After learning from Parāśara, Maitreya set out on a tīrtha yātrā, visiting sacred rivers, ṛṣi āśrama-s, and holy sites to witness in person what he had heard through śravaṇa. His journey led him to the Kāmyakavana in the Kuru Jāṅgala region—a forested area with patches of plains, known today by the word “jungle,” derived from Jāṅgala.

There he encountered Dharma-rāja Yudhiṣṭhira and the other Pāṇḍava-s, who were enduring great hardship due to the injustices inflicted upon them. Maitreya’s heart melted at their plight. He saw that they had exhausted all diplomatic efforts with the Kaurava-s, and that war was imminent.

Yudhiṣṭhira expressed to Maitreya that he desired peace and had even asked for just five villages, yet was refused. He lamented that he would be held responsible for the suffering of his brothers, wife, and the entire family.

Moved by compassion, Maitreya decided to counsel Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the blind king. Sage Vyāsa foresaw Maitreya’s arrival and advised Dhṛtarāṣṭra to listen to him carefully, warning that Maitreya’s words were equivalent to brahma-vākya and held the power of ultimate truth.

When Maitreya arrived, Dhṛtarāṣṭra welcomed him with great reverence. Maitreya informed him that he came from the Pāṇḍava-s, who remained steadfast in dharma despite their sufferings.

Maitreya urged Dhṛtarāṣṭra to make peace, warning him of the catastrophic consequences of war. He described the might of Bhīma, who alone could vanquish powerful asuras, and stressed that the Kaurava-s had no strength equal to the Pāṇḍava-s, especially lacking the strength of dharma.

Despite this counsel, Duryodhana, intoxicated with arrogance, mocked Maitreya, ridiculing him by striking his thighs and laughing sarcastically. This gross disrespect angered the sage. Maitreya cursed Duryodhana:

“In the impending war, you shall be defeated. Your thighs will be broken, and you will die rolling on the earth in utter disgrace, but even then your arrogance will not cease.”

Dhṛtarāṣṭra begged for forgiveness, but Maitreya declared that unless they walked the path of dharma, the curse would not be nullified.

Vidura’s Quest

Refusing to stay longer in what he called a pāpakṣetra (place of sin), Maitreya left the Kuru court. He advised Dhṛtarāṣṭra to seek Vidura’s counsel, for Vidura would later guide the king after Maitreya’s departure. Later, Vidura set out to find Maitreya Maharṣi. Crossing the Yamunā, visiting sacred rivers and harikṣetra-s, Vidura reached the Gaṅgā where he found Maitreya seated in padmāsana, absorbed in yoga-niṣṭha.

Vidura respectfully questioned Maitreya: “People act constantly for pleasures, but karma only leads to bondage and suffering. How can karma, which itself binds, be a means to remove sin?”

Maitreya explained that true prāyaścitta (atonement) is not just a mechanical act but involves genuine repentance and a change of heart. Performing karma with the right inner attitude leads to purification, but no karma can itself destroy other karma without inner transformation.

Teachings on Kṛṣṇa’s Avatāra Rahasya

Vidura further asked about Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, his avatāra-s, the mystery of his actions, and how even righteous actions result in rebirth unless one realizes their true nature.

Maitreya revealed to Vidura that at the time of Kṛṣṇa’s departure from the world, Kṛṣṇa had personally instructed him in the avatāra rahasya (the supreme secret of divine incarnation). He explained that all of creation, karma, and karma-phala are within Viṣṇu, and that Kṛṣṇa performed actions for loka-kṣema (the welfare of the world), while remaining untouched by their fruits.

Maitreya emphasized that performing karma with the attitude of īśvarārpaṇa (offering to God) severs the binding chain of karma. He explained that kṛṣṇa-tattva allows for karma to produce benefit to the world without resulting in bondage to the doer. This profound knowledge was entrusted solely to Maitreya at the end of Kṛṣṇa’s life.

Maitreya’s Legacy and the Avatāra Rahasya

Maitreya Maharṣi is revered as the custodian of Kṛṣṇa’s tattva rahasya, which includes the secret of action without attachment, and the nature of puruṣottama. Maitreya explained the subtle difference between kāmyakarma (desire-driven action) and niṣkāma karma (desireless action). Even actions performed for loka-kalyāṇa are technically kāmya unless performed with total surrender, seeing oneself as an instrument of the divine.

His teachings to Vidura are preserved as the Vidura–Maitreya Saṃvāda, found in the Mahābhārata, Bhāgavata Purāṇa, and Jaimini Bhārata.

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Maitreya Maharṣi remains eternally young in form, symbolizing the ever-renewing wisdom of the Sanātana Dharma. He is the guru for future yugas, having received directly from Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa the secrets of action, detachment, and realization. His dialogues with Vidura, his interactions with Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the Pāṇḍava-s, and his reception of Kṛṣṇa’s teachings constitute a sacred legacy that guides seekers to this day.