Word

Shaunaka

Sanskrit

शौनक

IAST

śaunaka

In General

Shaunaka was son of Ruru and Pramadvara and grandson of Gritsamada belonging to sage Bhrighu’s dynasty, appears in both Vedas and Puranas. Purana call him a Kulapathi. Katyayana, and Ashvalayana are his disciples

Veda

Shaunaka was a great Sanskrit grammarian and was famous for his works namely, the Rig Veda pratisakhya (manual devoted to the precise and consistent pronunciation of words), the Brihad Devata (an enlarged catalogue of the Rigvedic deities worshiped in the individual suktas) and six anukramanis (indices), including Chandonukramani, Arsanukramani, Devatanukramani, to the Rig Veda. He also authored the vidhanas for Rig Veda, meant for simplifying the ceremonies of the srauta and gruhya sastras. He is believed to have united the Baskala and Sakalya branches of the Rig Veda.

One of the chapters of Aitareya Aranyaka is attributed to him. In Parabrahma Upanishad, there is a discussion between sages Pippalada and Shaunaka, where the latter is asking Pippalada about creation of the material world and ultimate destiny of man.

In Dakshinamurthi Upanishad, Shaunaka and others ask sage Markandeya about longevity of his life and how did he find infinite pleasure in his life, to which the sage replied that the knowledge of the life of Dakshinamurthi bestowed in him the longevity and blissfulness.

Shaunaka is belived to have taught Rigveda pratisakhya to others in a satra yajna (12-day collective yajna) held in the forest of Naimisha and is bestowed with the title of Kulapathi.

Purana

The hermitage at Naimisharanya (Naimisha forest) is believed to be the hermitage of Shaunaka, where he was the Head of the institute which taught thousands of pupils. It is here that Ugrasrava Suta narrated to a group of sages led by Shaunaka, sacred Hindu stories that later came to be known as the Puranas.