Rajarshi

Rajarshi Das or Rajarishi (from Sanskrit rajan "king" + rishi) is, in Hinduism and Hindu mythology, a royal saint and rishi.

Order

A rajarshi is a king who turned into a royal sage. A rajarshi will not have to leave the kingship to became rishi as in the example of Vishwamitra (who later advanced to becoming a Brahmarishi) but still while ruling the kingdom has reached a state of rishi and has attained self-realization.

They still perform the kshatriya responsibility, and remain similar to most rishis, maharishis and brahmarishis in their level of spiritual knowledge.

Modern usage

Rajarshi a novel by Rabindranath Tagore, based on the life of a king of the state of Tripura, named Govindamanikya. Purushottam Das Tandon, a freedom fighter from India was addressed reverentially as "Rajarshi." He was a soft-hearted king whose kingdom was his life. One morning while he was on the way to his bathing ghat, he fortunately met two children, a brother and a sister who were collecting flowers for the puja offerings. Maharaja noticed them and started a conversation, which became a daily routine. That routine conversation brought all the change and gave the novel a new turn towards its objective. Their conversation one day picked the query of stopping the former ritual of sacrificing bulls in front of the lord and does brought the disaster in the kingdom.

Chatrapati Shahu, ruler of princely state of Kolhapur, well known for his social reforms in modern India, is remembered as Rajarshi. Rajarshi Udai Pratap (Bhinga Raj). Mr. James Jesse Lynn, disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda was also referred to by the title of the Rajarshi, as Rajarsi Janakananda.

See also


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