Sanakadi Maharishis
Sanaka Kumara, Sanatana Kumara, Sanandana Kumara, and Sanat Kumara are collectively called Sanakadi maharishis.
They are created by Lord Brahma out of his mind and thoughts. They roam the entire universe in the form of children. Lord Brahma desired that these children would enter into a materialistic world by marrying and creating the universe.
But, against the wishes of their father, they vowed to follow the path of celibacy and wandered all over the universe to teach the knowledge of dharma. They spend time meditating on Lord Vishnu and get enlightened with spiritual knowledge. They impart divine knowledge to the rulers so that they can rule their countries with peace by following the right path stated in the Vedas.
Meaning of the Names
Their names represent the wholesomeness of life,
- Sanaka means the ancient,
- Sanatana means eternal,
- Sanandana means ever joyful and
- Sanat means ever young.
All the brothers live in the abode of knowledge and Vaikunta and always sing the praise of Lord Vishnu. They acquire the knowledge of Yoga and preceptors in the knowledge of scriptures.
They practised and preached that one should have inner contemplation (Nivritti) for the realization of God.
Curse to Jaya and Vijaya
Once the Sanakadi maharishis were stopped by Jaya and Vijaya, the gatekeepers of Lord Vishnu, when they went to see Lord Vishnu. Assuming that these are four kids, they interrupt them from entering the Vaikunta where Lord Vishnu is resting. The rishis felt that these gatekeepers should come out of their flaws and hence cursed them to take birth on earth.
When they prayed to Lord Vishnu that they could not live separated from Him, the Lord has given two options to them.
2 Options
Take seven births and spend in the service of the Lord or take three births as cruel demons and die at the hands of the Lord. They preferred the second one assuming that they could serve the Lord as gatekeepers after completing only three births instead of seven.
3 Births
They took three births
- as Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu in Satya yuga;
- as Ravana and Kumbhakarna in Treta yuga and
- as Shishupala and Dantavakra in Dwapara yuga.
As enemies of Lord Vishnu, they were demolished by the Lord. After completing their three births, they reached the abode of the Lord.
Advice to King Vritra and Sage Shukra
In the Santhi Parva of Mahabharata, the Rishis narrated the greatness of Lord Vishnu. They consider Lord Vishnu as the creator and destroyer of all beings in the Universe. They also categorized all human beings into six colours. The colours are dark, tawny, blue, red, yellow, and white.
They represent various stages of the Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas qualities of humans. They described how a human being should raise from tamas quality to sattva quality to reach the abode of Lord Vishnu in different births.
Advice to King Prithu
The King asked the rishis to elaborate on the easiest way to obtain emancipation from worldly life. They advised the king that one should pray to Lord Vishnu and keep trust in him. He can only liberate humans from the clutches of the life cycles.
One can free oneself when one follows the path of nonviolence, and by living a simple life. They affirmed to the King that the final destination for any human is salvation and this could be achieved when we surrender to the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu.
Other references
They visited Lord Rama in Tretayuga when the Lord with his brothers and Hanuma were resting in a mango grove. They were mesmerized to see Lord Vishnu in the incarnation of Lord Rama and bowed before him. They also set up traditions and the Nimbarka sampradaya is said to have originated from the rishis. Sanat Kumar Samhita finds a place in Shiv Purana.
As child prodigies, they have enlightened many through their discourses, speeches, and narrations of the great deeds of Lord Vishnu.
