Word

Brihaspati

Sanskrit

बृहस्पति

IAST

bṛhaspati

In General

Brihaspati is famous for his role as Devaguru in Puranas. In Bhagavad Gita Sri Krishna says, among priest He(the Ultimate Reality) is Brihaspati. Brihaspathi learned grammar from Indra and is the earliest grammarian, any work he made in this regard is not known to us. Brihaspathi wrote an elaborate work on Dharmasastra in 3000 chapters. Vanaparva of Mahabharatha and Kautilya in his Arthasastra talk about this work but this work is also not available today. Nitisara (also called Brihaspathi Samhita), a small work now available can be part of this work. Apart from discussion in the righteousness, the text make detailed observations on practical conduct and critically evaluates human nature.

Veda

In Rig Veda Brihaspati is described as lord of Prayers and is identified with Brahmanaspathi and Ganapati.

The most popular Sukta of Brihaspati is R.V.(2.23) in which 1,5,9,11,17,19 is dedicated jointly to Brihaspati and Brahmanaspati and remaining to Brihaspati alone. The first few mantras goes like this:

We invoke you Ganapati

Leader of host of mantras

A superb seer among seers

He causes the hearing of the supreme inspiration

He is the supreme King of the Mantra

And the master of the soul

May He hear us

Purana

Brihaspathi was Son of great sage Angiras in his wife Shradha. Brihaspati had two wives Shubh and Tara. In Tara he got two sons Budha and Chandra, the moon. Budha is one of the planet. He got illicit relationship with his brother’s wife Mamta and in that the famous sage Bhardwaj was born. Kacha is son of Brihaspathi whom he sent to Sukracharya to learn the technique of reviving the dead. He once disguised himself as Sukracharya and mislead Asura while Sukracharya was away. During this period he taught atheism to Asuras and thus considered as originator of athiesm.

Brhaspati is respected as the presiding deity of planet Jupiter.