Gādhi

Gādhi
Personal life
Children	Vishvamitra (son) Satyavati (daughter)
Parents	Kushanabha (father) Ghritachi[1] (mother)
Religious life
Religion	Hinduism

Gādhi (Sanskrit: गाधि), also known as Gāthin, is a sage in Hinduism, best known for being the father of Vishvamitra. His father, Kaushika (known as Kushanabha in later mythology), was a Rigvedic rishi and the author of two hymns in Mandala 3 of the Rigveda.[2] In later Hindu texts, he is described to be the king of Mahodayapuram, and also the father of Satyavati, the wife of Rcika.[1][3]

Literature

Rigveda

In the Rigveda Book 1 Hymn 10, it is said that Indra incarnated as the son of Kausika, who was Gadhi's father. Venerating Gadhi is said to bring, "Prolong our life anew, and cause the seer to win a thousand gifts".[4]

Mahabharata

In the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata, Kaushika began a penance for a son who would be equal to Indra and could not be killed by others. Pleased with his tapas, Indra is regarded to have been born as Kushika's son, Gadhi. He was a great monarch and had a son named Visvamitra.[5]

Shiva Purana

In the Shiva Purana, when the Visvedevas arrive at Kailash, Shiva, requested by Vishnu, performed Vedic rites among other rituals, where the greatest sages of the world gathered. Gadhi was amongst them.[6]

References

1. Mani, Vettam (2015-01-01). Puranic Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Work with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 271. ISBN 978-81-208-0597-2.
2. Stephanie Jamison (2015). The Rigveda –– Earliest Religious Poetry of India. Oxford University Press. p. 464. ISBN 978-0190633394.
3. Witzel, Michael (1995). "Ṛgvedic history: poets, chieftains and polities". In Erdosy, George (ed.). The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia: Language, Material Culture and Ethnicity. De Gruyter. p. 314.
4. "Rig Veda: Rig-Veda Book 1: HYMN X. Indra". www.sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
5. www.wisdomlib.org (2017-05-25). "Kusika, Kuśika, Kushika: 16 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
6. www.wisdomlib.org (2018-10-09). "The gods arrive at Kailāsa on invitation and Śiva prepares to start [Chapter 39]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2022-12-29.