View source for Angiras

{{Other uses}}
{{distinguish|Angiris}}
{{short description|Hindu sage}}
{{Infobox Hindu leader
| name               = Angiras
| image              = File:Angiras.jpg
| alt                = Angiras
| caption            = An 18th-century painting of Angiras
| religion           = [[Hinduism]]
| spouse             = Surūpa, Smriti
| parents            = [[Brahma]] or [[Agni]] (father; as per [[Puranic]] scriptures)
| children           = Utathya, [[Brihaspati]] and other children<ref name="Dalal2010p29" />
}}
{{Contains special characters|Indic}}
{{EngvarB|date=May 2015}} 
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}

'''Angiras''' ({{langx|sa|अङ्गिरस्}} (stem), {{IAST3|Aṅgiras}}, {{IPA|sa|'ɐŋɡirɐs}}, nominative singular {{langx|sa|अङ्गिराः}}, {{IAST3|Aṅgirāḥ}}, {{IPA|sa|'ɐŋɡirɐ:h}}, rendered '''Angirā''' in Hindi) was a Vedic [[rishi]] (sage) of [[Hinduism]]. He is described in the ''[[Rigveda]]'' as a teacher of divine knowledge, a mediator between men and gods, as well as stated in other hymns to be the first of [[Agni]]-devas (fire gods).<ref name="Dalal2010p29">{{cite book|author=Roshen Dalal|title=Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DH0vmD8ghdMC|year=2010|publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=978-0-14-341421-6|pages=29–30}}</ref><ref name="Williams2008p55">{{cite book|author=George M. Williams|title=Handbook of Hindu Mythology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N7LOZfwCDpEC&pg=PA55|year=2008|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=978-0-19-533261-2|pages=55–56}}</ref> In some texts, he is considered to be one of the seven great sages or ''[[Saptarishi]]s'', but in others he is mentioned but not counted in the list of seven great sages.<ref>{{cite book|author=John Brough|title=The Early Brahmanical System of Gotra and Pravara: A Translation of the Gotra-Pravara-Manjari of Purusottama-Pandita |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QZhtAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA66| year=2013| publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-62398-9|page=66}}</ref> In some manuscripts of ''Atharvaveda'', the text is attributed to "Atharvangirasah", which is a compound of [[Rishi|sage]] [[Atharvan]] and Angira.<ref>{{cite book|author=Maurice Bloomfield|author-link=Maurice Bloomfield| title= Atharvaveda| url= https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.180555|year=1899|publisher=K.J. Trübner|pages=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.180555/page/n11 7]–11}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author1=Moriz Winternitz|author-link1=Moriz Winternitz|author2=V. Srinivasa Sarma|title=A History of Indian Literature|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JRfuJFRV_O8C&pg=PA109|year=1996|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0264-3|pages=109–111}}</ref> The student family of Angira are called "Angira",<ref name="Dalal2010p29"/><ref name=Wilkins/> and they are credited to be the authors of some hymns in the first, second, fifth, eighth, ninth, and tenth books of the ''Rigveda''.<ref name=jamisonangiras>{{cite book|author1=Stephanie Jamison|author2=Joel Brereton|title=The Rigveda: 3-Volume Set|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fgzVAwAAQBAJ|year=2014|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-972078-1|pages=1673, 1675, 1679, 1684, 1689–1693}}</ref> By the time of the composition of the Rigveda, the Angirases were an old [[Rishi]] clan, and were stated to have participated in several events.<ref name=":0">{{cite encyclopedia|title= Ṛṣis|encyclopedia= Brill’s Encyclopedia of Hinduism Online|year= 2012|last= Witzel|first= Michael|publisher= Brill}}</ref>

==Texts==
Many hymns of the ''Rigveda'' credit the Angirases as their authors,<ref name=jamisonangiras/> mainly in Mandalas I and VIII.<ref name=":0" /> Various Angirasa sub-clans, including the Śunahotras, the Gautamas, and the Bhāradvājas composed Mandalas II, IV, and VI respectively.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Mahadevan|first=Thennilapuram P.|date=2011|title=The Ṛṣi index of the Vedic Anukramaṇī system and the Pravara lists: Toward a Pre-history of the Brahmans|url=https://crossasia-journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/ejvs/article/view/320/309|journal=Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies|volume=18|pages=137|access-date=24 June 2021|archive-date=24 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624204132/https://crossasia-journals.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/index.php/ejvs/article/view/320/309|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Other than crediting authorship, the Vedic texts mention sage Angiras in various roles such as a fire priest or a singer. For example, the allegorical hymn 3.31 of the ''Rigveda'' calls him a singer:

{{Quote|
<poem>
The most inspired one came, assuming a friendly attitude,
The rock made ripe (its) fruit for the one who performs the kind deed,
The young hero attained (his aim) with the youths, assuming a warlike attitude,
And here right away, the singing Angiras appeared.
</poem>
|''Rigveda 3.31.7''|Translator: Tatyana J. Elizarenkova<ref>{{cite book|author=Tatyana J. Elizarenkova|title=Language and Style of the Vedic Rsis|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j-B0Y-IwTQAC|year=1995|publisher=State University of New York Press|isbn=978-0-7914-1668-6|page=238}}</ref>}}

According to [[Max Muller]]—a professor of Sanskrit and Indology at the [[University of Oxford|Oxford University]]—the sage Angiras in Vedic literature is different from the plural term ''Angirasa'', and these terms refer to different people. The ''Angiras'' rishi is different from the group of sorcerers in ''Atharvaveda'' also named ''Angirasa'', and according to Muller, the Vedic rishi is also different from a class of divine beings who too are called ''Angirasa'' in the Vedic texts and described as "sprung from coals (''angara'')".<ref>{{cite book|author=F. Max Muller|title=The Sacred Books of the East: Index, Volume 50|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c8SRAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA46|year=2004|publisher=Routledge|isbn=1-135-79045-0|pages=45–46}}</ref>

In Buddhist Pali canonical texts such as ''[[Digha Nikaya]]'', Tevijja Sutta describes a discussion between the Buddha and Vedic scholars of his time. The [[Buddha]] names ten [[rishi]]s, calls them "early sages" and makers of ancient verses that have been collected and chanted in his era, and among those ten rishis is Angiras.<ref name=walshe188f>{{cite book|author=Maurice Walshe|title=The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uj86AwAAQBAJ |year=2005|publisher=Simon and Schuster|isbn=978-0-86171-979-2|pages=188–189}}</ref>{{refn|group=note|The Buddha names the following as "early sages" of Vedic verses, "Atthaka (either Ashtavakra or Atri), Vamaka, Vamadeva, Vessamitta (Visvamitra), Yamataggi, Angirasa, Bharadvaja, Vasettha (Vashistha), Kassapa (Kashyapa) and Bhagu (Bhrigu)".<ref name=walshe188f/>}}

==Life in Puranas==
The name Angirasas is applied generically to several Puranic individuals. Further, the Vedic sage Angiras appears in medieval Hindu texts with contradictory roles as well as many different versions of his birth, marriage and biography.<ref name="Williams2008p55"/> In some, he is described to be the son of [[Brahma]], in others he is one of many [[Prajapatis]]. Depending on the legend, he has one, two or four wives.<ref name="Williams2008p55"/> In one myth, his wife is stated to be [[Surūpa]] and his sons are Utathya, Samvartana and Brahaspati.<ref>{{cite book|title=India through the ages|url=https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada|last=Gopal|first=Madan|year= 1990| page= [https://archive.org/details/indiathroughages00mada/page/67 67]|editor=K.S. Gautam|publisher=Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India}}</ref> Other accounts say that he married Smriti (memory), the daughter of Daksha and later married Svadha (oblation).<ref name=Wilkins>{{cite book|title=Hindu Mythology|last=Wilkins|first=W.J.|pages=369–70|publisher=D.K. Printworld (P) Limited|location=New Delhi|isbn=81-246-0234-4|year=2003}}</ref> Yet other Puranic accounts state, he married ''Shubha'' and they had seven daughters named after aspects of "fire" and a son named [[Brihaspati]].<ref name="Dalal2010p29"/> In some legends, sage Brihaspati is his son.<ref name="Williams2008p55"/>

According to one legend, Angirasa turned his senses inwards and meditated on [[Para Brahman]], the creator of the creator, for several years.  The great Tejas he got by birth had multiplied infinitely by his penance. He attained many divine qualities, powers,  and riches, and control over many worlds. But he was oblivious of all the worldly attainments and did not stop his penance. Due to this penance he became one with the Para-Brahman and thus attained the state of “Brahmarishi”. He had visions of many Vedic Mantras and brought them to this earthly world.  He is credited as being the source of great number of Vedic Hymns and mantras and also believed to have introduced fire-worship along with sage [[Bhrigu]].<ref name=Wilkins/>

He is one of Saptarishis in the [[Puranas]].<ref>[http://www.sacred-texts.com/tantra/maha/maha00.htm Inhabitants of the Worlds] Mahanirvana Tantra, translated by Arthur Avalon, ([[John Woodroffe|Sir John Woodroffe]]), 1913, Introduction and Preface. The Rishi are seers who know, and by their knowledge are the makers of shastra and "see" all mantras. The word comes from the root rish Rishati-prapnoti sarvvang mantrang jnanena pashyati sangsaraparangva, etc. The seven great Rishi or saptarshi of the first manvantara are Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya, and Vashishtha. In other manvantara there are other ''sapta-rishi''. In the present manvantara the seven are '''Kashyapa''', Atri, Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Bharadvaja. To the Rishi the Vedas were revealed. Vyasa taught the Rigveda so revealed to Paila, the Yajurveda to Vaishampayana, the Samaveda to Jaimini, Atharvaveda to Samantu, and Itihasa and Purana to Suta. The three chief classes of Rishi are the Brah-marshi, born of the mind of Brahma, the Devarshi of lower rank, and Rajarshi or Kings who became Rishis through their knowledge and austerities, such as Janaka, Ritaparna, etc. Thc Shrutarshi is makers of Shastras, as Sushruta. The Kandarshi are of the Karmakanda, such as Jaimini.</ref>

Ghora of the Angiras family is identified by some scholars as [[Neminatha]], the twenty-second ''[[tirthankara]]'' in [[Jainism]].{{sfn|Natubhai Shah|2004|p=23}}

==See also==
*[[Angra Mainyu]] ("wrong spirit" or "enemy spirit", according to [[Zoroastrianism]])
*[[Dirghatamas]] (grandson of Angiras, a great sage born blind. Father of [[Gautama Maharishi]])
*[[Bhrigu]] (father of [[Shukra]]charya, guru of [[asura]]s)

==References==
===Notes===
{{reflist|group=note}}
===Citations===
{{reflist|30em}}

===Sources===
* {{citation |last=Shah |first=Natubhai |title=Jainism: The World of Conquerors |url={{Google books|qLNQKGcDIhsC|plainurl=yes}} |volume=I |date=2004 |orig-year=First published in 1998 |publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] |isbn=978-81-208-1938-2 |ref={{sfnref|Natubhai Shah|2004}} }}

==External links==
* [https://www.jstor.org/stable/25208880 The First Maṇḍala of the Ṛig-Veda], Frederic Pincott (see discussion on Angiras)

{{Rishis of Hindu mythology}}
{{Hindudharma}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Angiras (Sage)}}
[[Category:Brahmin gotras]]
[[Category:Rishis]]
[[Category:Prajapatis]]