Rishi Panchami 2020: Every year Panchami of Shukla Paksha of Bhadrapada month is called Rishi Panchami. Women fast on this day. Sapt Rishis are mentioned in the story of the Matsya avatar of Vishnu. It is believed that if their names are chanted then the effect of the person’s sinful deeds goes away. According to Pt. Manish Sharma, Jyotishacharya of Ujjain, during the Matsya avatar of Lord Vishnu, there was a flood in the earth. At the same time King Manu was riding in a big boat with the Dipper. All these were protected by the Matsya avatar of Vishnu. It is said that the name of the Saptarishis should be recited daily.
Fasting is done on the day of Rishi Panchami. There are many verses related to the Saptarishis in the scriptures. Following is one of these verses.
Kashyapotriarbhardwajo Vishvamitroth Gautama.
Jamadagnirvishtcha Saptaite Rishya: Smrita ः
Dahntu papam sarva grihanantvardhyam namo namah
That is, it describes the names of Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadwaja, Vishwamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Vashistha sages. By chanting them, the person’s problem sins are destroyed.
Learn about these sages:
The first sage is Kashyapa. He had wives. His wife’s name was Aditi. It is believed that from these all the gods and their other wife Diti originated from the demons. The origin of different organisms from all the remaining wives is assumed.
The other sages are A tri. His wife’s name is Anasuya and son’s name is Dattatreya. It is believed that in Tretayuga, Shriram, Lakshmana and Sita stayed in the ashram of Atri Rishi during the exile time.
The third sage is Bharadwaja. He composed many other great texts including Ayurveda. Dronacharya was his son.
The fourth sage is Vishwamitra. Gayatri Mantra was composed by him only. He was the guru of Sri Ram and Lakshmana. Vishwamitra had taken Shriram and Lakshmana in the swayamvara that was completed with Sita. Maneka had violated Vishwamitra’s tenacity.
The fifth sage is Gautama. His wife’s name was Ahilya. By his curse, Ahalya had become stone.
The sixth sage is Jamadagni. His wife’s name is Renuka. His son’s name is Lord Parashurama. His son Parashuram had beheaded Renuka on the orders of his father i.e. Jamadagni. Jamadagni asked Parashurama to ask for the bride. Parashurama demanded the life of Mata Renuka.
The seventh sage is Vasishta. These were the Gurus in the Treta Yuga of Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, Shatrughna.
