Who was Maharshi Garga?

Question

My gotra is Gargeya and I belong to a brahmin family. But I don't know who was Maharshi Garga.

Please tell me story if anybody know.

Answer 1

Sri Garga or Gargacharya or Garga Muni was a celebrated seer in both the Vedic and Puranic domains. There is mention about him in many puranas and Mahabharata. Garga Samhita is attributed to Sage Garga. He was famous in the lineage of Great rishi Bhaaradvaja. Garga had established a gotra in his name. He is the seer of hymn 6.47 of the Rig veda and also for some mantras in Shukla Yajurveda.

Garga was one of the greatest sages of Puranic times. He was better known as Garga Muni. He was the family priest of the family of Nanda (the foster-father of Krishna).

He named Krishna after receiving the name by meditation. From the Vishnu Purana and other Puranas, one understands that although basically of Kshatriya origin, a branch of Gargas became Brahmins and migrated westwards and joined the Yavanas (Ionians). This could be the reason that later day Indians referred to Greek mathematicians and astronomers as Gargacharyas while maintaining that a Vridha-Garga (Earlier or Older Garga) was the pioneer in astronomy.

Gargas were warriors and some text indicates they were the descendants of Guru Dronacharya, the legendary character from Mahabharata. The names Gargas and Garg are not the same. Garg are purely vaishya and have no connection to Rishi Gargas.

Guru Dronacharya was the son of Rishi Bhardwaj's descendant. The descendants of Bharadwaj Gotra display warrior skills, because sage Bharadwaj married a Kshatriya woman called Suseela. According to Anuloma marriage, those born to a Brahmin father and a Kshatriya woman take the characteristics of Kshatriya though technically being a Brahmin. Hence the Brahmin descandants of Bharadwaj Gotra are referred to as Brahma-Kshatriyas(Warrior Brahmins). He was the son of Rishi Bharadwaja and Susheela.

Gargi is celebrated female sage Vachaknavi, born in the family of Garga.

Source

Shri Garg Samhita

The Garg Samhita has been written by the great Acharya of the Yadu Kul; Maha Muni Shri Garg. This Sanhita is filled with the sweet divine leelas of Shree Krishn.

The divinity of these leelas are full of the madhurya bhava of Shree Radha.

All that has been described in the Shrimad Bhagvad in sutra, has been elaborated here.

This is a very important granth for all the bhakti-tradition devotees; the deep tattwa of Shrimad Bhagwad are explained here in a very simple manner.

This granth fills in details to many other well-known vartaas, it works like a fill in the blanks.

Once when sitting on the Kailash parvat, Parvati wishes to know the detail mystery of that charitra upon whom Shivji meditates.

She wants to hear Radha pati Parmatma GopalKrishn's katha, as Shivji continuously praises this sacred granth.

During that period Bhagwan Maheshwar narrates the katha written by Garg muni. In sammohan tantra Shivji narrated this to Parvati.

Source

Note: There is another scripture named Garga Samhita which is related to astronomy and astrology.