Gārgya Ṛshi

Gārgya, simply known as Gargya, Sanskrit: गार्ग्य, Telugu: గార్గ్యుడు, Hindi: गार्ग्य.

Garga has other meanings too: see all meanings of Garga. Gārgya has other meanings too: see all meanings of Gārgya.

Gārgya is a ṛshi who appears among the devas and ṛshis who give secret teachings of dharma in the Rahasya-Dharma cycle of the Anuśāsana Parva. He teaches a full dharma of hospitality and household life. He says it is better than a hundred yajñas, because its puṇya (merit) never grows less.

This Gārgya is a different person from the brāhmaṇa Gārgya of the Vishṇu Purāṇa, Pañcamāṃśa, Chapter 22. That Gārgya was hurt in his pride at a Yādava assembly, performed tapas (austerity) to Bhagavān Śiva, and so brought about the birth of Kālayavana. The two share only the gotra name. Neither text links them.

The teaching on household dharma

In the Deva-Rahasya part of the Rahasya-Dharma cycle, Gārgya taught that a man should always:

  • do atithi-sevā, which is to honour and serve guests;
  • keep a lamp burning in the house;
  • give up sleeping in the daytime;
  • keep away from meat;
  • never harm cows or brāhmaṇas;
  • keep up his devotion to the Pushkara tīrthas (holy places).

He declared this the most excellent (śreshṭha) dharma of all. It is full of rahasya (secret meaning) and great in phala (fruit). A hundred yajñas done elsewhere would still lose their puṇya with time. But the puṇya gained by this dharma, kept with śraddhā (faith), does not grow less (na kshīyate).

A warning about śrāddha and pūjā

Gārgya also gave a warning for śrāddha (rites for the ancestors) and pūjā. Suppose a rajasvalā (a woman in her monthly period), a śvitrā (a woman with leprosy or discoloured skin) or an aputrikā (a barren woman) looks at the havis (the offering). This may happen during a śrāddha, a deva-vrata, a tīrtha-pūjā or any parva-pūjā. Then the devas will not eat that havya, and the pitṛs (ancestors) stay displeased for thirteen years.

The remedy is to wear white cloth and stay śuci (pure). The brāhmaṇas should say the svasti-vācana (words of blessing). The Bhārata itself should be recited with bhakti (devotion). By these means the havis stays akshaya (inexhaustible).

Gārgya in the Rahasya-Dharma cycle

Gārgya’s teaching is one part of the Rahasya-Dharma cycle. The cycle also holds the teachings of Bhagavān Vishṇu, Balarāma, the Devas, Dharma, Agni, Viśvāmitra, the Gāvaḥ, Vasishṭha, Brahmā, Vibhāvasu (Agni), Śrī and Aṅgirasa. All of them are gathered in Chapters 126 to 128.

Sources

  • Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 127 (Chapters 126–128 for the whole cycle)
  • Vishṇu Purāṇa, Pañcamāṃśa, Chapter 22 (for the other Gārgya)