Ṛshabha Yogī
Ṛshabha Yogī is a great yogī who appears at the turning point in the life of the prince Bhadrāyu. When the young prince was left without protection, Ṛshabha took him in. Over time he taught him the essentials of Śaiva dharma, gave him the Śiva Kavaca, and equipped him with divine gifts. Then the prince set out to win back his kingdom. The Purāṇa gives no account of Ṛshabha’s origin. He appears where dharma needs him, and he leaves when his work is done.
Meeting with Bhadrāyu
Bhadrāyu was born as the son of a Kāśmīra king, by the merit that came from the past life of Maṃdara. He was left without protection after his father’s death, when Hemaratha seized the kingdom. The young prince wandered in the forest. There Ṛshabha Yogī saw the prince’s great past-life background and his readiness for spiritual life. He took him under his guidance.
The prince lived in his āśrama (hermitage). There Ṛshabha gave him a full upadeśa (teaching) on the essentials of Śaiva dharma. It covered the nature of Bhagavān Śiva, the meaning of devotion, and the practical path: japa (repeating the name) of the Pañcākshara, with meditation on the feet of Paśupati, a name of Bhagavān Śiva. Ṛshabha was the guru (teacher) who gave him this.
The dharma upadeśa
Ṛshabha’s teachings to Bhadrāyu make a dharma-saṃgraha, a summary of dharma. The upadeśa ends with this instruction.
“Always recite the Pañcākshara and meditate on the feet of Paśupati with joy. I have given you the dharma-saṃgraha in brief. It is described in great detail in other Purāṇas.”
Ṛshabha says plainly that he has given only a summary (saṃkshepa). The fuller teaching is found in the great Purāṇas, which are themselves the supreme dharma of Kali Yuga.
The Śiva Kavaca
In Chapter 12, Ṛshabha gives Bhadrāyu the Śiva Kavaca. A kavaca is a protective text, like armour. This kavaca calls on the five faces of Bhagavān Śiva (Tatpurusha, Aghora, Sadyojāta, Vāmadeva and Īśāna). They guard all directions, all parts of the body, all watches of day and night, and all situations in life. Ṛshabha describes it in these words.
“The Śiva Kavaca — the giver of vara (boons). All-purifying, victorious, removing all āpads. It is a secret for all prāṇīs.”
He tells Bhadrāyu to wear it always with śraddhā (faith), and promises śreyas (lasting good) at once.
The divine gifts
After he gave the Śiva Kavaca, Ṛshabha gave three more gifts.
- Divine khaḍga (sword). It is empowered by tapas and mantra. Any enemy who merely sees it dies at once.
- Divine śaṅkha (conch). Its sound makes the whole enemy army fall unconscious and drop their weapons.
- Mantrited bhasma (sacred ash). It was applied to Bhadrāyu’s whole body. It at once gave him the strength of twelve thousand elephants. This doubled the strength of six thousand elephants that he had received earlier, from the touch of bhasma at the start of the time of teaching.
Ṛshabha spoke these words.
“By the power of bhasma, by the power of the Śiva Kavaca, with twelve thousand elephants’ strength, you will conquer the enemy army. Having obtained your father’s throne, you will protect this earth.”
After these gifts, Ṛshabha accepted the pūjā of the prince and the pūjā of the prince’s mother. Then he departed in his own free way, bound to no direction or destination.
Ṛshabha as a sat-guru
The Pañcākshara Māhātmya itself describes the sat-guru, the true teacher. He is nirmala (pure), śānta (calm), sādhu (good), a man of few words, free from kāma (desire) and krodha (anger). Ṛshabha Yogī is such a teacher.
In the account of Bhadrāyu, Ṛshabha is the one through whom the Śaiva merit of the past life bears fruit. That merit came from Maṃdara’s death at Gokarṇa on Caturdaśī, with the name of Bhagavān Śiva on his lips. Through Ṛshabha, Bhadrāyu receives full spiritual protection and in the end moksha (liberation).
Sources
- Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Dharmāraṇya Khaṇḍa, Uttarārdha, Chapters 10–12
- Pañcākshara Māhātmya (the description of the sat-guru)