The Lives and Teachings of Rishi Śāṇḍilya and R̥ṣya-śṛṅga By Cdr Alok Mohan
“All in this planet is Brahm or Brahman…”
(Chāndogya Upaniṣad III.xiv.1)
Sanskrit Śloka:–
सर्वं खल्विदं ब्रह्म तज्जलानिति शान्त उपासीत । अथ खलु क्रतुमयः पुरुषो यथाक्रतुरस्मिँल्लोके पुरुषो भवति तथेतः प्रेत्य भवति स क्रतुं कुर्वीत ॥
English Translation:
“All this indeed is Brahm. From It the universe comes forth, in It the universe merges, and within It the universe breathes. Therefore a person should meditate on Brahman with a calm mind. When a being is active, it becomes a being in the world; after passing away, it becomes active again—such is action.”
Introduction to Rishi Śhāṇḍilya
Rishi Śhāṇḍilya is a gotrakar of Kashyap dynasty. In the Shatapatha Brahmana, the fire of sacrifice is called Shandila. The 609 Kandas of this book are related to fire. The teachers of these Kandas were called Pashtipathakas. The chief of these Kandas is considered to be Acharya Shandyal. His chief disciples are Kaundinya, Agni Veshya Vatasya Vamakakshayana and Bharadvaja.
In the Chandogya Upanishad, the sage Shandyal is called a philosopher. According to him, God alone is the master of the origin, position and rhythm of all living beings in His creation. There are two forms of the souls, the mahattam and laghutm. The mahattam soul is infinite. The laghutm soul is tiny like atom.
The ultimate goal of human life is to merge into the soul after death. Shandyal Smriti, Shandyal Dharma Sutra and Shandyal Tattva Deepika are the famous works by his name. Shandilya gotra is considered as one among superior brahmin clans. Rishi Shandilya, brother of Shri Parshuram, is recognised as a teacher of Vedas and weaponry. Gaud, Tiwari, Tripathi, Rai, Sharma, Mishra, Goswami, Vashishtha, Vishwamitra, Vyas are Shandilya gotras.
Shandilya Rishi had twelve sons, who settled in twelve villages, namely Pindi, Sohgora, Sanrayan, Srijan, Dhatura, Bagraich, Balua, Haldi, Jhudian, Unvaliya, Lonapar, Katiyari, Lonapar also includes Lonakhar, Kanapar, Chhapra. Later on shadliyas spread everywhere in India, and were known as saryuparin Brahmins, and were recognised from their Gharanas such as Ram Gharana, Krishna Gharana, Nath and Vishnu Gharana, Mani Gharana. There is a mention of this Rishi in Mahabharata as he was among the sages present in Yudhishthira’s assembly. Shandilya Rishi was royal priest of King Dilip in Tretayuga, while in Dwapar he was the priest of King Nanda. There is also a mention of the Rishi Shandilya, in Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka Upanishads. Shandilya Acharya is considered an authentic man in the tradition of Pancharatra. There is an ancient scripture, namely Shandilyopanishad. Acharya Shri Shandilya Rishi, had written the birth chart of Lord Shri Krishna. Shandilya’s name is also mentioned among the most respectable sages of Mahabharata period. At one time he was the priest of King Trishanku and at another time he is shown conversing with Bhishma Pitamah, the hero of the Mahabharata
Maharishi Kashyap’s son Maharishi Asit, his son Maharishi Deval, who gave birth to a son from Agni, was called Shandilya because of being born from Agni, he had two sons Shrimukh and Gardabh Mukh. Shandilya has been called Ayurvedacharya in the Lakshnaprakash of Hemadri. There was a Grihyasutra and a Smriti book on the Rishi’s name. Some titles such as Vashishtha, Vishvamitra, Vyas etc, were associated with Shandliyas.
Lineage and Identity
Rishi Śhāṇḍilya belonged to the illustrious Kashyapa lineage, being the son of Devala and grandson of the sage Kashyapa. His name is found in Vedic, Upaniṣadic, and Purāṇic traditions. In the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, the sacred fire of the yajña is called “Śāṇḍila,” and several sections on fire rituals are attributed to teachers in his tradition. Śāṇḍilya is mentioned in the Chāndogya and Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣads, where he is praised as a knower of ultimate truth.
Philosophical Contribution
Śāṇḍilya is remembered as a profound philosopher of non-duality. His doctrine, later known as Śāṇḍilya Vidyā, proclaims that all existence arises from, is sustained by, and dissolves back into the Supreme Being. He taught that the ātman (self) has two dimensions—the infinite (mahattama) that pervades the cosmos, and the infinitesimal (laghuttama) present as the subtle essence within beings. The final goal of life is the realization of unity between the individual self and the Supreme Brahman.
Teacher and Legacy
Among his disciples were renowned sages such as Kauṇḍinya, Agniveśya, Vātsya Vaṃśakakṣāyana, and Bhāradvāja. He is credited with important texts such as the Śāṇḍilya Upaniṣad (a yoga Upaniṣad of the Atharvaveda), the Śāṇḍilya Bhakti Sūtra, and the Śāṇḍilya Smṛti. In later traditions, Śāṇḍilya was also associated with the Pañcarātra school of Vaiṣṇava philosophy. His presence is noted in the Mahābhārata as a revered sage who interacted with Yudhiṣṭhira and Bhīṣma.
Cultural Influence
The Śhāṇḍilya gotra is considered one of the most prestigious among Brahmins, and it spread widely across northern India, including regions of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Bengal, and Nepal. Families belonging to this lineage preserved traditions through various sub-lineages such as the Rāma gharānā, Kṛṣṇa gharānā, and Viṣṇu gharānā. His descendants were said to have settled in twelve villages, later expanding throughout India. Temples and shrines dedicated to Śāṇḍilya, such as the Śāṇḍilya Rishi Mandir in Kullu (Himachal Pradesh), bear testimony to his lasting significance.
Introduction to R̥ṣya-śṛṅga
Birth and Form
R̥ṣya-śṛṅga, whose name literally means “horned sage,” was the son of the sage Vibhaṇḍaka and a celestial consort. According to Purāṇic accounts, his birth was extraordinary: either through the union of Vibhaṇḍaka and the apsarā Urvaśī, or through a doe who carried the sage’s seed. The boy was born with a horn-like protrusion on his head, hence his name. His unusual form made him unique among sages.
Upbringing in Isolation
Raised in seclusion by his father in the forests near the river Kauśikī, R̥ṣya-śṛṅga grew up completely unaware of women. Vibhaṇḍaka, disillusioned by his own encounter with an apsarā, forbade his son any contact with females. R̥ṣya-śṛṅga was thus trained in Vedas and austerities but retained a childlike innocence, untouched by worldly knowledge.
Legend of Anga and the Rain
The legend of R̥ṣya-śṛṅga is most famous for his role in ending a drought in the kingdom of Anga. When King Lomapāda’s neglect of Brahmins caused the land to suffer famine, his advisors declared that only the presence of the horned sage could restore balance. To lure him, courtesans disguised as hermits enticed the innocent sage into Anga. As soon as he arrived, rains poured forth, ending the calamity. In gratitude, King Lomapāda gave him his daughter Śāntā in marriage
Role in the Rāmāyaṇa
R̥ṣya-śṛṅga’s ritual power also played a decisive role in the epic Rāmāyaṇa. At the request of King Daśaratha, he performed the Pūtrakāmēṣṭi yajña, which led to the births of Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata, and Śatrughna. Thus, his role bridged the world of ascetic power and dynastic destiny, shaping the narrative of one of India’s most sacred epics.
Legacy
Together with Śāntā, R̥ṣya-śṛṅga is said to have fathered descendants who became the Sengār (also called Riṅgvamśī) Rajputs. His hermitage near Ayodhyā remains a pilgrimage site, with traditions claiming that both his ashram and Śāntā’s tomb still exist there. His name is also associated with texts such as the R̥ṣya-śṛṅga Saṃhitā and the Śṛṅga Smṛti, which discuss matters of dharma, purity, and ritual.
Rishya Shringa’s father was Vibhandak Rishi and he was the grandson of sage Kashyapa. His ashram was on the Kaushiki river. He had acquired knowledge from the Sanatkumars, residents of the Himalayas. He had hair all over his body. Rishya Shringa had horns on his head. So soon after birth, his mother had abandoned him. This was his father who nurtured him and made him well versed in the Vedas. He did not go in front of anyone except his father. Lompad, the king of Anga, misbehaved with the brahmins. There was a drought in his kingdom. He came to know that if he brought sage Shringa to his kingdom, the drought could end. But it was a very difficult task. An old prostitute was prepared for this work. She took some maidens with her, made a boat to the ashram and reached Vibhandaka’s ashram in his absence. Rishishringa considered them all to be sages and behaved well. The prostitute trapped him with a great trick and reached Angadesh with him. After his arrival, the drought ended in the state. King Lobhapad was pleased and married his daughter Shanta to the sage. Rishi Vibhandak reached Anga country in search of his son. He allowed Rishyasringa to stay there until he had a son. After the birth of the son, the sage returned to his father with Shanta. Shanta was the daughter of King Dasaratha. He was adopted by King Lompad in his childhood.
Was. With the mediation of King Lobhapad, King Dashrath made Rishyasringa the Adhvaryu of Putrakameshti. As a result, Ram, Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughna had four sons in the house of King Dashrath.
Rishyashringa Samhita, Shringa Smriti etc. are books by the name of Rishyashringa. His views on conduct, defecation, Shraddha and atonement etc. are quoted in Mitakshara, Aparark, Smriti Chandrika etc.
According to ancient scriptures, Vibhandak did severe tapasya that the deities were horrified and sent Apsara Urvashi to break his tapasya. Urvashi got fascinated with him and married him, As a result of which Rishyashringa was born. He got this name “Rishyashringa” because of a horn-like protrusion on his forehead.
After giving birth to Rishyashringa, Urvashi left for heaven. Vibhandak was hurt by this deception that he hated the female caste and decided not to let the shadow of a woman fall on his son Rishyasringa.
According to Rishi Valmiki’s Ramayana Rishyashringa performed Ashwamedha Yagya and Putrakameshti Yagya, to get a son for King Dasaratha. The place where he performed these yagyas was about 38 km east of Ayodhya and there is still his ashram as well as wife’s graves. Once there was a severe famine in Angadesh kingdom. Angraj Chitraratha, consulted many sages and his ministers.
They advised him to bring Rishyasringa to the land of Angadesh, only then his calamity will go away. So the king took the help of Devadasis to woo Rishyasringa because Rishyasringa had never observed a woman after his birth. And so it happened. Rishyasringa was welcomed with great enthusiasm in Angadesh. Fearing the wrath of her father, Angraj Rompad, immediately handed over the hand of his daughter Shanta to Rishyasringa. It is believed that the lineage of Ring Rishi and Shanta later became the Sengar Rajputs. Sengar Rajputs are also called Ringvanshi Rajputs. Shanta had a son named Shringivar. When her son grew up, he left Grihastha Ashram and accepted Vanprastha Ashram and built an ashram in Shringverpur where he performed several yagyas.
Comparative Analysis
Rishi Śāṇḍilya and R̥ṣya-śṛṅga, though separated by time and role, reveal complementary dimensions of ancient Indian spirituality. Śāṇḍilya represents the contemplative and philosophical tradition of the Upaniṣads. His teachings emphasize metaphysical unity—the identification of the self with Brahman—and prescribe meditative discipline and ethical living as the path to liberation. His legacy is textual, doctrinal, and hereditary, continuing through his disciples, his gotra, and the philosophical schools that cite his work.
R̥ṣya-śṛṅga, by contrast, is remembered primarily through legend and epic. His life demonstrates the power of ascetic purity and ritual efficacy. Unlike Śāṇḍilya, he was not primarily a philosopher but a sage whose presence altered cosmic order, bringing rains and enabling the birth of divine kings. His significance lies not in abstract doctrine but in the dramatic intersection of ritual power and mythic narrative.
Yet, despite their contrasts, the two sages share important continuities. Both belonged to the larger Kashyapa lineage, preserving the continuity of Vedic authority. Both became progenitors of enduring lineages—Śāṇḍilya through the Śāṇḍilya gotra among Brahmins, and R̥ṣya-śṛṅga through the Sengār Rajput line. Each was remembered as an archetype: Śāṇḍilya as the seer of non-duality and philosophical depth, and R̥ṣya-śṛṅga as the ritual sage whose purity sustained cosmic balance. Together, they reflect the twofold foundation of dharma: speculative wisdom and ritual action, philosophy and practice, contemplation and intervention.
Conclusion
The figures of Śāṇḍilya and R̥ṣya-śṛṅga embody two central strands of India’s spiritual heritage. One, a teacher of metaphysics and yoga, articulated in rational and philosophical terms the unity of self and cosmos. The other, a miracle-working ascetic, dramatized the transformative power of purity, austerity, and ritual in sustaining both kingdom and cosmos. Their stories continue to resonate across India—in philosophical texts, family lineages, regional traditions, and epic narratives—demonstrating the enduring interplay of thought and myth in shaping the sacred imagination of Hinduism.
References:-
Our Ancestors by Dr L D Mohan