ABSTRACT

Brahma-rishi Shandilya was a revered sage in India's ancient rishi tradition. He is a contemporary of famous sages such as Vishwamitra and Agastya. He authored the Shadilya Upanishad and the Shandilya Bhakti Sutra. There is a reference to ‘Shandilya Vidya’ in the Chhandogya Upanishad, in which Brahma-rishi Shandilya propagates that the entire world is Brahma. The world evolves from Brahma and dissolves into it. According to the Puranas, he was the Shandilya Gotra Pravartaka rishi (the initiator of the Shandilya lineage). As per the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Lord Brahma’s son was Pracheta, along with seven other rishis. Pracheta’s son was Asit Muni. With their boon, Asita’s wife gave birth to the famous sage Devala. This Devala married the king Suyagya’s daughter, called ‘Ratnamalavati’. From this union, they had a son called ‘Shandilya’. Mahadeva described Brahma-rishi Shandilya as Tapasvi (Penance observer), Tejasvi (Brilliant), Gyani (Knowledgeable), Jitendriaya (having control over senses). He propagated Brahma philosophy. Sage Shandilya attended the conclave of rishis held beneath the Himalayan mountains some 7000 years ago. This not only shows his interest in medical science but also shows him as a caring person for mankind's suffering. Hence, it is essential to explore the life of sage Shandilya to understand his contribution to Ayurveda. References to sage Shandilya, beyond Ayurveda, appear in the Skanda Purana, the Mahabharata, and the Upanishads. This literary study evaluates available Ayurvedic, Upanishadic, and Puranic references concerning Rishi Shandilya and examines his possible contribution to Ayurveda. No direct evidence of an independent Ayurvedic treatise authored by Shandilya is presently available. However, his presence in the Charaka tradition, his association with the early assembly of sages concerned with human disease, and his teachings on disciplined living, Yoga and Brahma-vidya provide an important intellectual context for understanding the holistic foundations of Indian health science. The study concludes that Shandilya's contribution to Ayurveda is best understood as an indirect and interdisciplinary contribution rather than as the authorship of a currently identifiable Ayurvedic compendium. Keywords: Brahma, Atma, Vidya