ABSTRACT

Sage Brihaspati is a highly regarded ancient Indian sage. In India, Thursday is dedicated to the sage Brihaspati and is popularly called ‘Brihaspati-wara’. Many people in India still observe a fast in the name of Sage Brihaspati on Thursday. Since Sage Brihaspati was the teacher of the devas (gods), he is also called ‘Deva Guru’. Beyond Ayurveda, Sage Brihaspati appears in many ancient Indological texts, including the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Puranas, and the Upanishads. Sage Brihaspati was the son of Brahma-rishi Angira and his mother, Atreyi. He had two famous brothers named Utathya and Sanvarta. Sage Brihaspati had a hostile approach towards his younger brother. His wife, Tara, was abducted by Chandra. Sage Brihaspati was a rival of the demon teacher Shukracharya. Sage Brihaspati helped the God King Indra in defeating the demons. Sage Brihaspati had a famous son, ‘Bharadwaja’, by his brother’s wife, Mamata. The assembly of Rishis chose Bharadwaja as the leader to bring Ayurvedic knowledge from the land of the devas to India. Brihaspati was also present in this assembly. In an Ayurvedic book called Yoga Ratnakara, sage Brihaspati is credited with the medicinal preparation called ‘Kumari Asava’, which acts as a hepatoprotective. Hence, it is essential to explore the life and contributions of sage Brihaspati to Ayurveda. Keywords: Angira, Indra, Bharadwaja