Pulastya

Birth and Early Life

In ancient times, Brahmā created the four great sages Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanātana, and Sanatkumāra from his mind. When Brahmā requested them to enter into saṃsāra and propagate the world, they refused, choosing instead a life of devotion to Hari, immersed in jñāna and vairāgya. Disappointed, Brahmā then created Svāyambhuva Manu and the beautiful Śatarūpā from his left side. From their lineage, the kṣatriya race was born. Brahmā further created the Ekādaśa Rudra-s from his forehead, embodiments of krodha (wrath). From his eyes, he created the sages Atri and Kratu; from his mouth, Aṅgiras; from his nostrils, Aruṇi; from his left and right sides, Bhṛgu and Dakṣa; from his throat, Nārada; and from his ears, he created Pulastya and Pulaha. All of these sages were born directly from Brahmā’s body.

Among these sages, Pulastya Maharṣi was renowned as a parama-sāttvika. In wisdom and stature, he was considered equal to Brahmā himself. He performed intense tapas for the welfare of the world, conquering kāma and krodha, and lived as a pure jñānī. These sages are collectively called the Nava Brahmā-s (nine Brahmās). As per Brahmā’s instruction, Kardama Prajāpati gave his nine daughters in marriage to these sages. Pulastya married Havirbhuvī (Havirbhū). Pulastya followed the gṛhastha-dharma, and in time, Havirbhuvī became pregnant and gave birth to Agastya. After growing for some time, Agastya left his physical body and took another form as jaṭharāgni (the digestive fire) present in all beings, as described in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa (Caturtha Skandha). Agastya is said to have been reborn as Kumbhasambhava, emerging from a pot. This is the Agastya known widely in Purānas.

Desiring to perform severe tapas, Pulastya went to the āśrama of Ṛṣi Tṛṇabindu. While engaged in austerities, two celestial women came to his āśrama, engaging in playful songs and dances, attempting to distract and mock him.Angered by their disrespect, Pulastya cursed that any woman who came before him would immediately lose her virginity and conceive a child.

The Birth of Viśravas

Tṛṇabindu had a daughter who, unaware of Pulastya’s curse, once came before the sage and gazed upon him. Pulastya inadvertently looked back, and immediately she became pregnant. Realizing what had happened, Tṛṇabindu approached Pulastya and pleaded, “Whether by your curse or your grace, my daughter has conceived. She is innocent and knows no sin. Please accept her as your wife.” Though Pulastya initially wanted to avoid contact with women, he had no choice but to marry her. Fearing further transgression, she adopted mauna-vrata, maintaining silence, obeying his commands, and never acting independently. In time, she gave birth to a son named Viśravas. Even while in the womb, Viśravas listened to his father’s recitation of the śruti-s and memorized the Vedas, earning the name Viśravas, meaning “one who has absorbed knowledge through hearing.” Viśravas grew into a learned sage like his father. He married Devavarṇī, who gave birth to Kubera. Later, Viśravas married another woman named Kaikasī, and from this union, Rāvaṇa was born.

Pulastya and the Release of Rāvaṇa

Rāvaṇa, empowered by boons from Brahmā, became arrogant, challenging everyone to battle. Once, he approached Kārtavīryārjuna, the king of the Haihaya dynasty, who was an incarnation of Viṣṇu’s Sudarśana Cakra. Kārtavīryārjuna was immensely powerful, possessing a thousand arms. During battle, Kārtavīryārjuna captured Rāvaṇa with a single hand and imprisoned him. Hearing of this, Pulastya Brahmā went to Kārtavīryārjuna and said, “Rāvaṇa is my grandson. Please release him from captivity.” Respecting Pulastya’s request, Kārtavīryārjuna immediately freed Rāvaṇa.

Intervention in Parāśara’s Yajña

Once, the sage Viśvāmitra, driven by enmity, caused the death of Vasiṣṭha’s hundred sons. Among them was Śakti, who perished due to this feud. While still in his mother’s womb, Parāśara, the son of Śakti, absorbed knowledge of the Vedas, śāstra-s, and Purāṇa-s. After his birth, Parāśara came to know of his father’s death from his mother and resolved to perform a yajña to annihilate the entire rākṣasa race that had been involved. In that yajña, numerous rākṣasa-s perished as sacrificial oblations. To save the remaining rākṣasa-s from Parāśara’s fiery sacrifice, Pulastya Maharṣi went to Vasiṣṭha, and through him, convinced Parāśara to abandon the destructive yajña.Pulastya succeeded in pacifying Parāśara’s anger. Respecting the words of his grandfather Vasiṣṭha, Parāśara stopped the yajña.

Pleased with Parāśara’s restraint, Pulastya granted him boons. He asked Parāśara, “What do you desire, my child?” Parāśara replied with humility,

“Ārya! My mind constantly longs for the Veda-s, Purāṇa-s, and śāstra-s. Kindly bless me with bhavya-jñāna-siddhi—the complete attainment of knowledge. I seek the gift of vācā-mādhurya (sweetness of speech), mahāpratibha (great brilliance), and vaidagdhyam (skillfulness). I wish to know everything—from the beginning of creation: the origin of the sages, the deities, the rākṣasa-s, the different Indra-s and Brahmā-s who have come and gone, and all events that have unfolded. Let me hold the entire corpus of śāstra-s in my grasp like a karatalāmalaka (a gooseberry in the palm of the hand). Grant me the full expanse of Vedic knowledge that has emerged from Brahmā. Kindly bestow this on me.”

Pulastya Brahmā, filled with compassion and gratitude—knowing that Parāśara had spared many of his own descendants among the rākṣasa-s—granted him this boon.

Vasiṣṭha too blessed Parāśara, saying, “Through you, many great beings in this world will come to know the yathārtha—the true events of the universe, the tattva (essence), the nature of Parameśvara, and why the jīva is bound. They will understand who taught what to whom and when. By hearing these sacred truths from you, countless souls will attain śāśvata (eternal) knowledge. Your kīrti (glory) will be everlasting.”

Thus, the mysteries of creation, the secrets of karma, the nature of mokṣa, and all related topics became known to Parāśara in unparalleled detail—more so than to anyone else. This was made possible by the combined vara-prabhāva (boon-power) of Pulastya and Vasiṣṭha.

From that moment onward, Parāśara held all knowledge as clearly as if it were an āmalaka fruit in the palm of his hand.

Visit to Bhīṣma

Once, Bhīṣma was engaged in adhyayana-vrata on the banks of the Gaṅgā, rendering devoted service to his father. His pitr̥-bhakti (devotion to father) was immense. Bhīṣma was a parama-dhārmika, steadfast in dharma. Hearing of Bhīṣma’s fame, Pulastya Maharṣi came to see him. Bhīṣma welcomed Pulastya with arghya and pādya, worshipped him, and with great humility asked the sage the reason for his visit.

Pulastya replied,
“Dear child! I am pleased with your kīrti and your humility. I am an amogha-darśī (one whose vision is never fruitless). My visit should not go in vain. Ask for a boon you desire.”

Bhīṣma then said,
“Mahātmā! My mind desires to undertake tīrtha-sevā. I wish to see the entire world, to visit all kṣetra-s, to meet many sages, to learn their ways of penance, their teachings, and their practices.”

Pulastya then taught Bhīṣma the secrets of kṣetra-sandarśana (pilgrimage to sacred places). He said,
“Those who are free from ahaṅkāra, who have conquered their senses, who are without expectations of gifts, who eat sparingly, who have no attachments, who are ever-content, who are committed to satya-vrata, who follow pure conduct, who are free from anger, and who are always immersed in dharma—such people obtain the fruits of sarva-tīrtha-sevā. Visiting the āśrama-s of sages, learning from them, and understanding their tapas, such persons attain mokṣa.”

Pulastya Maharṣi and the Rākṣasa Lineage

Pulastya Maharṣi was born in the Brahmavaṁśa. He was a mahātmā, a sage of profound power, who granted amogha-varas (infallible boons) to sages like Parāśara. In the beginning, the Pulastya-vaṁśa gave rise to the rākṣasa lineage. Why did this happen? It is said that since Pulastya was born from Brahmā’s body, this outcome emerged. Originally, rākṣasa-s were also brāhmaṇa-s, but not all brāhmaṇa-s are rākṣasa-s. However, sometimes due to misfortune, rākṣasa-lakṣaṇa-s (demonic tendencies) may arise in brāhmaṇa-s. This is described as a śāpa (curse) in the ancient texts.

The Nature of Rākṣasa Tendencies

What are these rākṣasa tendencies?

• Dharma-vyatireka (opposition to dharma)
• A-kāraṇa dveṣa (baseless hatred toward others)
• A rākṣasa desires to devour others merely upon seeing them, without cause.
• When someone is inclined toward mokṣa or dharma-pravṛtti, a rākṣasa feels compelled to obstruct them or cause them suffering.

Additional rākṣasa traits include:

• Coveting others’ wealth
• Being unable to tolerate the success of others
• Deriving pleasure from harming or saddening others

The sages explain that even if one is a paṇḍita, a tapassvī, a yogī, or possesses great power—if he delights in another’s sorrow, he is imbued with rākṣasa-aṁśa. The rākṣasa is not concerned with possessing wealth. Instead, he desires to destroy what others enjoy, to feel joy in another’s misery. If such tendencies take root among brāhmaṇa-s, the ārya-saṁskṛti itself is endangered. When these asurī-saṁpatti traits replace daivī-saṁpatti, the nation suffers.

Works, Teachings and Philosophy

Pulastya Maharṣi was a Brahmaśāstra-vetta, a knower of profound scriptural knowledge and the author of the Pulastya-smṛti. Though the full text is not available today, scholars have quoted parts of it in various bhāṣya-s (commentaries). It is said that Pulastya was a viśvarūpa, a being of vast knowledge and vision. Many smṛti-vākya-s are ascribed to him.

One of the specific mentions from Pulastya’s teachings relates to śrāddha-kāla-dharma:

• Brāhmaṇa-s must follow a strict śāka-āhāra (vegetarian diet) during śrāddha and offer only vegetarian food in dāna.
• Kṣatriya-s, Vaiśya-s, and Śūdra-s were prescribed to offer māṁsa-āhāra in dāna.
• Śūdra-s were instructed to offer madhu (honey) to others.

In Mithākṣara and other texts, this is cited as per Pulastya-smṛti. He also listed 12 types of madya (intoxicating drinks), reflecting the detailed categorization in his teachings.

Many maharṣi-s have composed smṛti-s, but unfortunately, many have been lost over time. Yet, smṛti-vidhita karma must still be followed. However, jñāna-hīna karma (karma done without knowledge) leads to bandhana (bondage). Only through svadharma karma, performed with the right understanding, does one evolve to higher actions. Without jñāna, karma degrades and leads to patanam (fall).

Pulastya taught that:

• Jñāna-hīna karma causes bondage.
• Jñāna and karma must go together for mokṣa to be gradually attained.
• In his Pulastya-smṛti, he gave 40 examples to explain this subtle relationship between jñāna and karma.

Thus, Pulastya Maharṣi is remembered as:

• A smṛti-karta (author of dharma texts)
• A Brahma Mahārṣi
• A sarvajña (knower of all)
• A sarva-pūjya (one worthy of universal reverence)

His contributions to dharma, śāstra, and cosmic knowledge made him one of the navabrahmā-s. His teachings remain a beacon for understanding karma, jñāna, and mokṣa.