| Religion: | Sanatana Hinduism |
| Rishi Asita | |
| Background: | Shandilya Gotra |
| Native Name: | ऋषि असित |
| Native Name Lang: | San |
| Occupation: | Vedic Philosopher |
| Children: | Devala |
| Era: | Vedic Period |
| Father: | Kashyap |
| Spouse: | Ekaparṇā |
Rishi Asita (Sanskrit: ऋषि असित) simply called as Asita (Romanised: Āsita) was a Vedic sage and a pravara in the Shandilya Gotra.[1] [2]
In Matsya Purana, Asita is mentioned as one of the pravaras of Shandilya Gotra. According to Saurapurāṇa, Asita was born from the penance of the sage Kashyapa. Then from the sage Asita and his wife Ekaparṇā, sage Devala was born. In Brahmavaivarta Purāṇa, it is mentioned that the sage Asita got the son Devala by the blessing of Lord Shiva.[3] Similarly from the sage Devala, Shandilya was born.[4]
In Srimad Bhagavad Gita Verse 10.12-13, Arjuna has described the sage Asita as one of the four great sages Devashree Narada, Asita, Devala and Veda Vyasa.[5] He is mentioned as a seer sage of some Mantras in the Rigaveda.[6] In Mahabharata, Asita was present in the Rajasuya Yajna organised by the King Yudhishthira. He was among the sages Bhardwaja, Vishwamitra, Gautama, Parshuram, and Vashishtha, etc who chanted the hymns of Samaveda at the Rajasuya Yajna.[7] In the ninth chapter of Bhagavata Purana, the sage Asita came to meet dying Bhishma and talked to him. His association with Lord Krishna is mentioned in some texts. He was the priest of Yajna in Kurukshetra organised by Lord Krishna. Similarly when Lord Krishna went to the Mithila Kingdom to meet his devotees King Bahulashva Janaka and a Brahmin Shrutadeva there, the sage Asita accompanied him to the Kingdom.[8] [9]
According to legend, it is said that Yamunotri in Uttarakhand was the living place of the sage Asita.[10] He is believed as the first one to discover the Yamuna river. Therefore, Yamuna river is also called as "Asita".[11] Similarly Mahasiddhishwar Mahadev Mandir in Kashi is associated as his place of meditation.[12]
Rishi Asita propagated the idea of rebirth. In Brahmanda Purana, there is a story of the sage Asita explaining the philosophy of rebirth to the King Janaka in Mithila.[13] In the 24th chapter of Vishnu Purana, Prithvi (the earth) chanted the secret of ignorance of the kings of the world in form of verses to Asita. And the sage Asita communicated this "secret of ignorance of the kings" to the King Janaka in a dialogue with him.[14]
In Mandala 9 also known ninth book of the Rigaveda, Asita is the seer sage of the hymns from the Sukta 5 to the Sukta 24.[15] In Brahmavaivart Purana, the sage Asita composed a stotra devoted to Lord Shiva called as Asitakrutam Shivastotram.[16]