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Articles: Devotion | The seven first seers
- Miss Avanija Narayan
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THE SEVEN FIRST SEERS
(their cosmic origin and functions) :
1. 'Ray of light' = MARICI, husband of Good Health = Sambhuti, who was also the god of the wind and the father of Vision.
2. 'Devourer' = ATRI, husband of GUILESS = Anasuya, who gave him Datta, Durvasas and Soma in his first life, and Aryaman (Nobility) and his sister Anala (Purity) in his second life. Born out of the imagination of the Great Being (Brahma) he spurted forth from his eyes. The sons of Brahma had been killed by a curse from Shiva but Atri the devourer revived them in the flames of a sacrifice offered by Brahma.
3. 'The Flamboyant' = ANGIRAS, whose principal wives were : Modesty = Lajja; Tradition = Smiriti, and DEVOTION = Shraddha. He also married several daughters of the Seer Daksha and 2 daughters of Maitreya.
Devotion gave him 4 sons : fire = Agni, Immanent truth = Utathya; the movement of the cosmos = Samvarta and the grand Master = Brihaspati (the preceptor of the gods).
The 4 daughters of Devotion and Agni were Sinivali (the first day of the moon, the symbol of fertility); Kuhu (the new moon); Raka (full moon) and Anumati (acceptation or the most auspicious day for the gods to receive their offerings).
ANGIRAS was considered to be the source of light, the priest of the gods and Lord of sacrifices. He was a manifestation of Agni, the power of spiritual illumination and transcendent consciousness born of the thought of the Great Being.
04. 'The bridge into space' = PULAHA, whose wife was Pardon = KSHAMA. Pulaha and Rulastya were Seers of the antigods of whom Kashyapa was the progenitor
05. 'Inspiration' =KRATU, whose wives were: Humility = Sannati, and Action = Kriya (who had the head of the horse named Hayashiras). He was the source of all intelligence, one of the 10 sons of the great being who had conceived the human race. He was also the father of 60,000 Valaskhilyas, wise men who were only an inch tall and surrounded the chariot of the sun (Bhagavata Purana).
06. 'Smooth hair' = PULASTYA and his wife Tenderness = PRITI. His sons the Yakshas were the guardians of treasures and of the Great Being (Brahma). Kubera, the companion of Shiva was also the son of 'Smooth Hair'.
07. 'The Possessor of riches' = VASISHTA, whose wife was Fidelity = Arundhati. He was the son of the cow of Abundance (Delight = NANDINI). Son of Varuna and Mitra; (his mother would become the nymph Urvashi.)
FIVE NEW SEERS :
Several centuries later the power of the fundamental energies or seers diminished and was considered instead as celestial SAGES, bearing the ordinances of the gods. There were also created 5 new Seers :
08. 'Ritual Art' = (Daksha) gradually lost its functions as Creator and was replaced by Vishnu and placed among the new sages.
09. The 10 awakened forms of consciousness - Pracetas.
10. The sparks of fire (Brighu) or the power of knowledge.
11. 'The GIVER of ADVICE' = (Narada) or the power of persuasion. Associated with Parvata (the Immovable) he acted as a messenger between the gods and man. Son of Brahma, he liked to spread discord. He was born from the thigh of Brahma ! He is the god of music.
12. 'The MOVER of MOUNTAINS' = (Agastya) or mover of the Immovable. He was the son of Mitra-Varuna and despite his small size represented the power of knowledge and of the sciences. It is said that one day he swallowed the ocean and even made the Vindhya mountains bow down before him. His wife was Lohamundra and his father was King of the Videhas.
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