Who are Rishi Asita and Devala?

Question

Recently, while searching for the information about Pravara (प्रवर​) regarding this question, I found that Pravara refers to best among Rishi who are seer of Vedic hymns.

Following is some useful information regarding Pravar from the article (the article is in Hindi language, I'll try to provide English translation if needed) I mentioned in comment:

जो गोत्र के नाम से ऋषि आए हैं वही प्रवर भी कहाते हैं। ऋषि का अर्थ है वेदों के मंत्रों को समाधि द्वारा जाननेवाला। इस प्रकार प्रवर का अर्थ हुआ कि उन मन्त्रद्रष्टा ऋषियों में जो श्रेष्ठ हो। प्रवर का एक और भी अर्थ है। यज्ञ के समय अधवर्यु या होता के द्वारा ऋषियों का नाम ले कर अग्नि की प्रार्थना की जाती है। उस प्रार्थना का अभिप्राय यह है कि जैसे अमुक-अमुक ऋषि लोग बड़े ही प्रतापी और योग्य थे। अतएव उनके हवन को देवताओं ने स्वीकार किया। उसी प्रकार, हे अग्निदेव, यह यजमान भी उन्हीं का वंशज होने के नाते हवन करने योग्य है। इस प्रकार जिन ऋषियों का नाम लिया जाता है वही प्रवर कहलाते हैं। यह प्रवर किसी गोत्र के एक, किसी के दो, किसी के तीन और किसी के पाँच तक होते हैं न तो चार प्रवर किसी गोत्र के होते हैं और न पाँच से अधिक। यही परम्परा चली आती हैं। पर, मालूम नहीं कि ऐसा नियम क्यों हैं? ऐसा ही आपस्तंब आदि का वचन लिखा है। हाँ, यह अवश्य है कि किसी ऋषि के मत से सभी गोत्रों के तीन प्रवर होते हैं। जैसा कि :

त्रीन्वृणीते मंत्राकृतोवृणीते॥ 7॥

अथैकेषामेकं वृणीते द्वौवृणीते त्रीन्वृणीते न चतुरोवृणीते न पंचातिवृणीते॥ 8॥

जो दस गोत्र कर्ता ऋषि मूल में बताए गए हैं, उनके वंश का विस्तार बहुत हुआ और आगे चल कर जहाँ-जहाँ से एक-एक वंश की शाखा अलग होती गई वहाँ से उसी शाखा का नाम गण कहलाता है और उस शाखा के आदि ऋषि के नाम से ही वह गण बोला जाता है।

Now it shows three Pravara of Shandilya Gotra as follows:

(5) शांडिल्य के शांडिल्य, असित, देवल तीन प्रवर हैं।

Three Pravaras of Shandilya are Shandilya, Asita and Devala (sometimes also spelled Daviala i.e दैवल​).

I want to know Who are Rishi Asita and Devala? Is there any mention of him in Vedas (as a Mantra Drashta Rishi?) or Brahmanas of Vedas? Is there any information about him available in any Brahmanas or Puranas?

Answer 1

Who are Rishi Asita and Devala

Its said in Kurma Purana -Chapter 19 -that sage Kashyapa performed great penance for sons and as a result of his penance Sage Asita was born.

एतानुत्पादय पुत्रानस्तु प्रजसन्तानकारणात |
काश्यप: पुत्रकामस्तु चचार सुमहत्तप ||1||

Suta said :- With the desire of begetting more sons for the increase in the worldly population Kashyapa performed great Tapas for the continuity of Progeny.

तस्यैवन्तपतोsत्यर्थ प्रादुर्भुतो सुतविमौ |
वत्सरश्र्चसितच्स्रैव तावुभौ ब्रह्मवादिनो ||2||

As a result of his performing so severe penances , he produced two sons namely Vatsara and Asita. Both of them were well versed in Vedas.

So Rishi Asita was son of Sage Kashyapa.

Sage Asita has the distinction of declaring Baby Krishna as eternal divine person , as written in English Translation By Swami Gambirananda Gita verse 10.13

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Rishi Asita is also mentioned in [**Bhagavat Purana**][3] Skandha 11 Chapter 1 – verse 12 – here its said that along with other Rishi’s sage **Asita** was called to Vasudeva’s house to perform such auspicious religious activities.And later sent to Piṇḍāraka by Shree Krishna

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The Sage Asita and Devala are related as **father and son** .The Kurma purana Chapter 9 -Verse 5 -contains following reference about them.

आसितस्यैकपर्णायां ब्रह्मिष्ठ: समपद्यत |
नाम्ना वै देवल: पुत्रो योगाचार्यो महातप: ||5||

Asita produced a son who was well versed in Vedas from his wife Ekaparna .He was known as devala ,who was great preceptor of Yoga as well as performed great penance.

Rishi Kashayapa Devala is the Rishi of some 20 suktas of **Rig-Veda 9.5 to 24** , Asit Kashayapa rishi is substitute Rishi in it.He was the son of the Rishi Asti and Ekaparna and the disciple of Ved-Vyasa .He composed deval smiriti.He is the rishi who cursed Gandharva Huhu to become a crocodile who is the villan of the famous Gaja-grahya Yuddha .

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In The [**Mahabharata Book 9: -Shalya Parva** ][5]Mahabharata Book 9: -Shalya Parva - Section 49-50 ,we find the story of Rishi Devala

Vaishampayana said, "In that tirtha lived in days of yore a Rishi of virtuous soul, named Asita-Devala, observant of the duties of Domesticity. Devoted to virtue, he led a life of purity and self-restraint. Possessed of great ascetic merit, he was compassionate unto all creatures and never injured anyone. In word, deed, and thought, he maintained an equal behaviour towards all creatures. Without wrath, O monarch, censure and praise were equal to him. Of equal attitude towards the agreeable and the disagreeable, he was, like Yama himself, thoroughly impartial. The great ascetic looked with an equal eye upon gold and a heap of pebbles. He daily worshipped the gods and guests, and Brahmanas (that came to him). Ever devoted to righteousness, he always practised the vow of brahmacarya. Once upon a time, an intelligent ascetic, O monarch, of the name of Jaigishavya, devoted to Yoga and rapt in meditation and leading the life of a mendicant,

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Rishi Devala is also described in [**Shreemad Bhagvat Gita – 10. 13** ][6] > > आहुस्त्वामृषयः सर्वे देवर्षिर्नारदस्तथा।
असितो देवलो व्यासः स्वयं > चैव ब्रवीषि मे।।10.13।।
> > āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve devarṣir nāradas tathā asito devalo vyāsaḥ > svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me > > Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate > abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, > transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest. All the > great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala and Vyāsa confirm this truth > about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.

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It’s said in the Bhagavata Purana that Rishi Devala cursed a Gandharva named HUHU and he became the crocodile of famous Gajendra-Moksha story.

योऽसौ ग्राहः स वै सद्यः परमाश्चर्यरूपधृक् ।
मुक्तो देवलशापेन हूहूर्गन्धर्वसत्तमः ॥3॥

yo 'sau grāhaḥ sa vai sadyaḥ paramāścarya-rūpa-dhṛk
mukto devala-śāpena hūhūr gandharva-sattamaḥ

The best of the Gandharvas, King Huhu, having been cursed by Devala Muni, had become a crocodile. Now, having been delivered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he assumed a very beautiful form as a Gandharva.

Here is What this ShodhaGanga article says about Rishi Devala -

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