Gotra Rishi of Bhimwal ' Mahrishi Kaushal's Ashram

Vashisht Vaid

5:57am Oct 18

Maharishi Kaushal Ashram – The Head of “Bhimwal” Mohyal Clan

Kaushal Maharishi is also known as Kutsa or kratu Maharishi, who is one of the seven Saptarishi of this Manvantara. The Bhimwal clan Mohyals having Kaushal gotra, are the descendents of Maharishi kaushal. Kaushals are mostly god fearing Brahmins traditionally renowned for their knowledge of astrology and spiritual healing.
The word Kaushal means who has all the perfection of mind or mentally clever. The word Kaushal in Devnagri [Hindi] means clever, perfect or skillful. Kaushal also means "Excellence”.
Maharishi Kaushal’s ashram was located on the banks of the river Aciravati, now called as the Rapti river near the capital of ancient Kaushal desha , which in modern times is known as Sravasti in the present day Gonda District of Uttar Pradesh state near the current city of Balrampur some 120 KM north of Lucknow, It was the ancient capital city of the kingdom of Kosala. During the time of Gautam Buddha, this area became a great buddhist learning center as the king Pasenadi according to buddhist scriptures became a buddhist king. He is also known as the Raja Prasenajit [6th century BC] who was the then ruler of Koshla kingdom and was a Iksvaku lineage king, the son of great Iksvaku king Mahakoshla. He became a great follower of Gautam buddha , and built many monasteries in Sravasti. The city of Balrampur is almost 17 kilometres from the town of Shravasti, where Lord Gautam Buddha displayed his supernatural powers. The ancient city of Sravasti, the Koshala Kingdom capital stood on the western bank of the Aciravati river. It was a tributary of the Sarayu river coming down from the Himalaya Dhaulagiri mountains of Nepal. It is one of the five great rivers that constituted the Ganges group of rivers. It was one of the most sacred rivers of the Buddhist religion.
In the Sapt rishi mandal, each Rishi has their own speciality, Maharishi Kaushal or Kutsa due to his intellect or skillfulness stands for sweetness. It is said that of the 82 suktas in the Rudram, about 65 are the contributions of Maharishi Kaushal. Maharishi Kaushal or Kutsa Maharishi explained the allegories of the first laws of celestial bodies, and the greatness of this Maharishi is recognized in the Vedas., The Rig Veda 4.16.10 mentions a conversation between Lord Varuna and Indra which illustrates how Maharishi Kaushal [Kratu] and Indra were not only bosom friends but also were 'look-alikes' so much that at one stage Indrani, the wife of Indra herself could not differentiate between both of them, and then she finally had to ask her husband Indra for help to identify himself between the two. Since ancient past many names have been assigned to the same rishi which has caused the confusion also to the common human beings.
Maharishi Kaushal is credited with discovery of the fourth vyahrithi, ‘swvah’ in the prokshana mantra The Prokshana Mantram goes like this "Om Bhu: Om Bhava: Om Svaha". It is said in ancient hindu scriptures that the water is a purifier, which technically defines the magnetic liquid of the astral plane commonly known as the Bhava loka. The water gets the ability to purify anything that it touches. This power is rested upon water through the sound vibrations of Prokshana Mantram. The Taittriya Samhita states that the Mantra Drishtas [creators and applicators] of the above mantra are none other than the three great rishi’s of Sapt Rishi Mandal Bhrigu, Atri, & Kaushal or kutsa Maharishi [also known as Kratu].
Out of the 82 suktams in the Rig Veda, 65 are attributed to Kaushal or Kratu. He is seen as a close friend as well as a lookalike of the Vedic god Indra, the lord of the Svarga loka. Kalidasa invokes Sage Kaushal in one of the chapters in Raghuvamsa. Tradition says that it was due to the blessings of Kaushal Maharishi that the the Raghu clan prospered and their territory was thus called the Kaushal desha in which kaushal Rajya was established, which included the land of Ayodhya or the territory of Surya vanshi dynasty, in which was born the crown jewel of the Raghu clan, the great Lord Shri Ram Chandra.
The Verses in Taittriya Samhita 2.6.5 of the the Aagya Prakaranam chapter exists as an question answer verses, which states as follows ….“Brahmavaadin O vadantyatbhir haveemshi proukshee, Kenaapa iti brahmaneti brooyaat adbirhyeva haveemshi Prokshati brahmanaapa”
Which means -- as a question first asks “What do you purify the offerings to gods with?, then as an answer it states “By sprinkling water”, then in again in question form it asks “With what do you purify water to be able to impart purity to the offerings”?, the answer to that is stated as “With mantra, to which it then again in question form asks “What is that mantra?, the answer to that is “Bhu, Bhava. Svaha or the Parokshna mantra”.
Kaushal Maha rishi is also named as Rajrishi Kusha in many ancient scriptures as in his lineage was born the great Maharishi Vishvamitra, who was originally a great king in ancient India, and also was called Kaushika "descendant of Kusha". He was a valiant warrior and the great-grandson of a great Rajrishi king named Kusha. The Valmiki Ramayana, prose 51 of Bala Kanda, talks about his lineage as:- There was a king named Kusha, a Manasputra of Brahma, and Kusha's son was the powerful and verily righteous Kushanabha. Kushanabha’s son was the highly renowned king Gaadhi , and Gaadhi's son is this great sage, Vishvamitra. Vishvamitra ruled the earth, and this great-resplendent king ruled the kingdom for many thousands of years
Kaushal Rishi is represented by Star Dubhe in the Sapt Rishi Mandal [Ursa Major constellation]. There was a fight between the all powerful Maharishi Vashisht and Vishwamitra, According to the Pauranic story Maharishi Vashisht destroys Kaushika's entire army by the simple use of his great mystic and spiritual powers, just by breathing the Aum syllable. Maharishi Vashisht also destroys one hundred of Kaushika's sons, and Kaushika then undertakes a Tapasya for several years to please Lord Shiva, who bestows upon him the knowledge of celestial weaponry. He proudly again goes to Vashisht ashram, and uses all kinds of powerful weapons to destroy Maharishi Vashisht and his hermitage. But he could only succeed in destroying the hermitage, but not harm Maharishi Vashisht at all , so the enraged Vashisht brings out his “Brahmadanda”, a wooden stick imbued with the power of Brahma. And It consumes Kaushika's most powerful weapons, including his Brahmastra [thr supreme weapon of Brahma]. Vasistha then gets ready to destroy Kaushika [Vishvamitra], but his anger is removed by the pleading Deva’s through their dev stuti’s. Kaushika is left humiliated while Vashisht restores back his hermitage to its original condition.
In Yajurveda mantra no. 32/6, only three lokas have been mentioned i.e., Divyalok or Dyulok (the Solar system emitting light with manifested creator Prajapati’s [planetary scheme logos], Prithvilok (the Prithvi Prajapati or creator Brahma of the manifested earth scheme ) and Antrikshlok (cosmic manifestations in the space). As regards Bhuhu, Bhuvaha, Swaha etc.lokas, they are only mentioned in Tetiriyo Upnishad and not in the Vedas. So Bhuhu means vital [Pranic] and Bhautik [physical], Bhava means the emotional or feeling plane, Swaha means the fullness of mind or the mental plane. Maha means the home of intuitional wisdom. Janaha means the spiritual plane or Bramh loka, who creates the universe. Tapaha the archetype or monadic plane, and Satyam means the divine plane of God who is eternal. So in this Tetriya Upanishad, Maha has also been told as Aditya lok (Surya lok i.e., sun) which gives light to others. This Aditya lok already comes within Dyulok cited above.
Gautam Buddha passed the greater part of his monastic life in Sravasti. His first visit to Sravasti was at the invitation of Anathapindika, whom he met in Rajagriha. The main monasteries in Sravasti were the Jetavana and the Pubbarama. Sravasti also contained the monastery of Rajakarma, built by Raja Prasenajit , opposite Jetavana. Not far from the city was a dark forest called the Andhavana, where some monks and nun went to live. Outside the city gate of Sravasti was a fisherman's village of five hundred families. Gautam Buddha spent twenty five rainy seasons in Sravasti, thus leaving only twenty to be spent elsewhere. Of the 25 rainy seasons of his life Buddha lived in Sravasti, he spent 19 in the monastery named Jetavana, and 6 in the monastery called Pubbarama. Thus, Sravasti is the place where Buddha lived the longest amount of time, and it is the place where he gave the largest amount of discourses and instructions.
How to go there:- ,
The nearest town is Balrampur , which can be reached by ROAD- About 160 Kilometers from the state capital Lucknow. Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation buses are available from Kaiserbagh Bus Station frequently. RAIL- Nearest broad gauge Railway Station- Gonda, Distance- 42 Kilometers. Apart from that Balrampur is well connected through rail route via Gonda-Gorakhpur loop line. AIR- Amausi Airport, Lucknow.
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