Biographies-Devtaa

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Where Shukra (Venus) is a Braahman and follows Bhrigu's (another Maanas Putra of Brahmaa) lineage, Brihaspati (Jupiter) is also a Braahman and follows Angiraa's lineage. Brihaspati Jee is the son of Maharshi Angiraa and Kardam's one of the nine daughters Shraddhaa. Maharshi Angiraa had three sons - Brihaspati, Utathya, and Samvart. He has a strange story about his birth. Shraddhaa was unfaithful to her husband during her pregnancy and as a result gave birth to a stillborn child. However she repented and was able to regain the favor of Angiraa. Angiras then gave life to the child, who was named Brihaspati. Brihaspati is known as Vaachaspati also.

According to Shiv Puraan, Brihaspati Jee is the son of Angiraa and Suroopaa.

Marriage and Children
Brihaspati Jee had two wives - Shubh and Taaraa. His first wife Shubh gave birth to 7 daughters - Bhaanumatee, Raakaa, Archishmatee, Mahaamatee, Mahishmatee, Sineevaalee, and Havishmatee; his second wife Taaraa gave birth to 7 sons and one daughter. But he had illicit relations with his brother Utathya's wife Mamataa. When he wanted to enter Mamataa, she was already pregnant with Utathya's son Deerghtamaa, so the child said to Brihaspati not to make any effort to put another child in the womb as there was no place for two children, but Brihaspti put his own child in Mamataa's womb. Utathya's son kicked him out and the son of Brihaspati was born. Since he was born by being kicked out, Brihaspati said - "Let him be cherished as Bharadwaaj." So Brihaspati's son was born with the name of Bharadwaaj; and then he cursed Utathya's child - "You be born in perpetual darkness." That is why when Utathya's son was born he was born blind and was named Deerghtamaa (living in perpetual darkness).

Brihaspati had one son more named Kach and one daughter named Varastree who was married to Prabhaas Vasu and had the son named Vishwakarmaa. [Since the names of the children of Taaraa is not known, maybe this Varastree is the same daughter of Brihaspati Jee.]

According to Vaalmeeki Raamaayan, 1/5/17, Brihaspati Jee had a son named Taarak whom he produced when Raam took Avataar on Prithvi. He fought with Raavan from Raam's side in Raam-Raavan war.

Brihaspati and Indra
Once he went to the court of Indra. There all Devtaa stood up and welcomed him but Indra did not get up from his throne to greet him. So he got angry and went to his home. When he had left the court then only Indra realized that he had committed a mistake, so he thought that he should ask for his pardon. Brihaspati Jee knew that this would happen, so he disappeared from his house. Indra could not find him. Without Guru he did not feel secured so he had to request Vishwaroop to become their Guru. Although later he killed him too.

Brihaspati, Taaraa and Chandramaa
Brihaspati Jee's one wife's name was Taaraa. Once Chandramaa got attracted to her and kidnapped her. Brihaspati was totally unhappy and sorrowful seeing Taaraa missing. Shubhaa and Mamataa too were unhappy not to have with them impressive and nice talking Taaraa. But where is Taaraa? After a lot of enquiries it came to be known that she was abducted by Chandramaa during the Yagya and was safe with him.  Chandramaa also agreed that Taaraa is with him. But he was not ready to send her back to Brihaspati. Brihaspati was repeatedly asking Chandramaa to send back his wife, but he was not ready to return Taaaraa to him. In the after making several requests Chandramaa at last agreed to return her to him, but still did not return her to him

So Brihaspati decided to have a war with Chandramaa - the only way to get back Taaraa. War started between Chandramaa and Brihaspati - between two Devtaa. Some of the Devas took sides of Brihaspati while others were with Chandramaa. Without any success or failure to either side the war continued for years. During this period of war Taaraa remained with Chandramaa, and he wouldn't return her to Brihaspati even after several requests. Chandramaa was mad about her. Chandramaa requested her to be his partner, but Taaraa said she already had Brihaspati Jee's child in her womb, but Chandramaa didn't listen to her and impregnated her with his own child. Brihaspati Jee asked him to return his wife several times, but he wouldn't listen to him too.

So once Chandramaa thought if Brahmaa's orders were not obeyed, what would be the effect of his curse? He had already a bad experience from sage Gautam and his co brother Shiv had to interfere. So he sent Taaraa to Brihaspati. Brihaspati Jee warmly welcomed Taaraa. Taaraa was after Brihaspati Jee that he should bring up the child but Brihaspati Jee said, "He is not my child, I would not bring him up." In due course of time, Taaraa gave birth to a beautiful son.

Now when the child was born, it was very beautiful. Both Brihaspati Jee and Chandramaa started fighting over it that "This is mine, this is mine", Then Brahmaa Jee came for rescue. He asked Taaraa "Whose child it is" Taaraa got embarrassed with this question, then the child in the womb spoke "Why don't you tell the truth?" Then somehow she told "It is Chandramaa's child". So Chandramaa took that shiny beautiful child. Brahmaa Jee named him "Budh" because his Buddhi (intelligence) was very sharp.

Now what was in Taaraa that both Brihaspati and Chandramaa wanted her? - I think it was Taaraa Bal which was attracting both towards Taaraa. Taaraa is the star of the day.

Brihaspati and Shukraachaarya
As Devtaa's Guru is Brihaspati, Daitya's Guru is Shukraachaarya. Shukraachaarya Jee did severe Tap and obtained the Sanjeevanee Vidyaa. He used this Vidyaa to bring dead Daitya to life. Since Devtaa and Daitya often fought, when Devtaa killed Daitya, Shukra brought them tolofe again, but when Devtaa were killed, Brihaspati could not do so. Seeing this Detaa were very sad.

Once Devtaa went to him and requested him to learn Sanjeevanee Vidyaa from Shukraachaarya Jee. So on the request of Devtaa he sent his son Kach to learn Sanjeevanee Vidyaa (Mantra to bring the dead alive) from Shukraachaarya Jee. Shukraachaarya Jee had a daughter named Devayaanee. Kach used to serve her too very well. As a result she fell in love with him. She used to care for him a lot. She saved his life three times from Daitya.

In fact Daitya did not like that Shukra should teach enemy's son, but since Kach was his friend's son, he could not have refused him. When Kach approached him to be his disciple, he accepted him on the condition that he would test him for 1,000 years. Kach agreed and started living with him. Once Daitya killed him and Shukra had to bring him alive. Next time they killed him but Shukra again brought him to life at the request of Devayaanee. The third time, they burned him and offered his ash in liquor to Shukra to drink. Shukra drank it. When Kach did not come back from grazing the cattle, Devayaanee again asked her father to look for him.

Shukraachaarya called him in a loud voice - "O Son Kach, Where are you?" Kach called back from his stomach - "Guru Jee, I am in your stomach." and told the whole story of is killing and Shukra Jee drinking his ash in liquor. Now Shukraachaarya Jee was in a flux, but Devayaanee suggested that as she also knew Sanjeevanee Vidyaa, let him come out of her father's stomach and when her father would die, she would bring him to life. Shukraachaarya Jee did the same. When Devayaanee was reviving her father, Kach learned it.

After Kach was brought to life, Devayaanee asked him to marry her. But Kach's objective was not to marry her. So when she proposed him for marriage, he refused her saying that he had never looked at her with this desire; and since he came out from Shukra's stomach, she was his sister and he could not have married her at any cost. This made Devayaanee angry and she cursed him that he would not be able to use his Vidyaa what he came to learn for. Kach was not worried at this, he also cursed her that since she had cursed him without any good reason, she would not be able to marry any Braahman. He further said - "Even if I will not be able to use it myself but at least he I will be able to teach it to others so that they can use it.' and he went away. After returning from here, he taught that Vidyaa to his people so that they could bring Devtaa alive died in Dev-Asur war.

Brihaspati and His Brother Utathya
Brihaspati had illicit relations with his brother Utathya's wife Mamataa at the time she was pregnant with Deerghtamaa. The child in her womb asked him not to make effort to put another child with him, but Brihaspati didn't listen to him and cursed the child in womb to be born in perpetual darkness. That is why Deerghtamaa was born blind.

Note
[Aangiras, p 248-249] Name of a Vaidik deity, who is also called Braahmanaspati. Brihaspati, in the Ved, is Brahm, and Purohit as well as Angiras. He is the Lord of prayers as his name indicates. He is called Poorv-bhaj, means entitled to the first prayer. He is called wisest of the wise. He is also called Ganapati. Brihaspati Ganapati gradually lost the name Brihaspati and began to be called as Ganapati. The elephant-headed appearance of Ganapati and stories related to Ganapati do not have their origin in the Ved. There are two Mantra, one in Rig Ved and the other in Yajur Ved where Brihaspati is invoked with only by his name as Ganapati. These two Mantra are still very commonly chanted as prayers. In the Yajur Ved Sanhitaa verse, the term "Gan" is used for the worshipper and "Pati" means "the Lord"; hence "Ganapati" means "our Lord".

As Shukra is the Guru of Daitya, Brihaspati Jee is the Guru of Devtaa. He attained his position as the preceptor of the Devtaa by performing penances on the banks of Prabhaas Teerth. Lord Shiv granted him this position, as well as his position as one of the Nava Graha (nine planets).

In the Bhagvad Geetaa, 10:24, Shree Krishn says to Arjun that among the priests, He is Brihaspati, that shows that He addresses Brihaspati as the highest, and proves that Brihaspati is like Bhagavaan Himself. There are several stories famous about him.

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