Ārshṭisheṇa
Ārshṭisheṇa, simply known as Arshtishena, Sanskrit: आर्ष्टिषेण, Telugu: ఆర్ష్టిషేణుడు, Hindi: आर्ष्टिषेण.
Ārshṭisheṇa was a ṛshi (seer) who lived on the slopes of Gandhamādana. In the Vana Parva of the Mahābhārata, the Pāṇḍavas reached his āśrama (hermitage) on their journey north through the forests of the Himālaya. It was a stopping place and a refuge for them as they went toward Badarikāśrama. From there they went on to the high peaks of Gandhamādana, where the meeting with Hanumān, the Saugandhika lake and the realm of Kubera come in the account.
His āśrama in the Vana Parva
The Vana Parva names Ārshṭisheṇa as a ṛshi whose āśrama stood in the high forests of Gandhamādana, the great northern mountain range.
The Pāṇḍavas had come through a storm on the lower slopes of Gandhamādana. Draupadī had fainted, and Ghaṭotkaca had carried them through the air. When they arrived in the higher country, Ārshṭisheṇa’s āśrama was one of the places they came to. They received guidance and hospitality there. The ṛshis of the region welcomed the Pāṇḍavas.
Sources
- Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapters 143–145