गौतम

{ gautamḥ, gautama }

Puranic Encyclopaedia

GAUTAMA   V. An ungrateful brahmin. He was born in Madhyadeśa. He left his parents and after travelling in many lands he came to a country of foresters. The foresters received him with respect and he lived in a hut of the foresters and married a lady from among them. Gautama abandoned his brahminhood and accepted the duties of foresters. He was living like this when another brahmin boy came to that village. He searched in vain for a brahmin house to stay for the night and then knowing that a man born a brahmin but made a forester by his duties was living there he went to his house. Gautama also came there carrying the animals and birds he had hunted down that day. His body was bathed in blood. The brahmin guest felt compassion for Gautama and advised him to leave his trade and go to his house in his country. In the morning the brahmin guest went away without taking any food. The advice of his guest kept him thinking. He decided to abandon his life as a hunter and so leaving everything behind he went to the seashore. He met some merchants on the way and while they were travelling together a wild elephant attacked them. Many were killed and Gautama escaping ran swiftly and came to the base of a big banyan tree. He was tired and slept there for a while. A big vulture named Nāḍījaṁgha lived on the top of that banyan tree. He used to go out to worship Brahmā at dusk and when he returned to his abode that day he saw a man lying wearied down below. Gautama attempted to catch the vulture and eat it but the vulture playing a benign host placed before Gautama food for him and made enquiries about him and asked him the purpose of his travels. Gautama told him that he was very poor and that he wanted to acquire some wealth somehow. Nāḍījaṁgha then said that he would get for him enough wealth from the demon-King Virūpākṣa who was an intimate friend of his. Gautama was pleased. The vulture fanned him and sent him to sleep. Next morning Nāḍījaṁgha sent Gautama to Virūpākṣa and the demon gave Gautama as much gold as he could carry on his shoulders. Gautama took the gold as a head load and came back to the base of the banyan tree. Nāḍījaṁgha came to him and they talked to each other for some time. Gautama who had become a gluttonous flesh eater looked with greed at the fat body of the vulture and in an instant killed it and packed the flesh along with the load of gold and went his way. Virūpākṣa did not see Nāḍījaṁgha for two days and he was worried. He, therefore, sent his son to the banyan tree to look for Nāḍījaṁgha. When he reached the base of the tree he found to his grief only the bones and feathers of his father's friend. He knew what had happened and he immediately followed the ungrateful brahmin and capturing him brought him to his father bound hand and foot. Virūpākṣa without any mercy cut him into pieces and threw them for the crows to eat. But even the crows would not eat the flesh of such an ungrateful man. Virūpākṣa burnt the remains of Nāḍījaṁgha in a funeral pyre. Devas assembled in the skies to watch the funeral. Then Surabhi sprinkled milk on the funeral pyre and brought back Nāḍījaṁgha to life. The reborn vulture felt sorry for Gautama and requested Surabhi to restore to life the wretched Gautama also. Gautama also was brought back to life and he embraced Nāḍījaṁgha. Gautama then went away with his load of gold. Gautama returned to Śabarālaya and there married a Śūdra lady and begot evil sons. The devas were offended at this and cursing him condemned him to hell. [Chapters 168 to 173, Śānti Parva] .
GAUTAMA I   
1) General Information.
The Purāṇas record about a sage called Gautama though nothing is known about his genealogy. Yet the genealogy of his wife Ahalyā is available. See under ‘Ahalyā’.
2) Sons of Gautama.
The eldest son of Gautama was Śatānanda. [Śloka 2, Sarga, 51, Bāla Kāṇḍa, Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa] . Gautama had two sons. Śaradvān and Cirakārī. Śaradvān was born with arrows in his hand. [Śloka 2, Chapter 130, Ādi Parva] . Cirakārī used to ponder over everything before he acted and so all his actions were delayed. He got his name Cirakārī. [Chapter 266, Sabhā Parva] . Śaradvān was known as Gautama also. That was why Kṛpa and Kṛpī, children of Śaradvān were known as Gautama and Gautamī. [Śloka 2, Chapter 129, Ādi Parva] . Besides these, Gautama had a daughter of unknown name. There is a reference to this girl in śloka 11 of Chapter 56 of Aśvamedha Parva. It is reported that this daughter wept when Utaṅga a disciple of Gautama came to the āśrama with a huge load of firewood on his head. In [Chapter 4, of Vāmana Purāṇa] there is a reference to a few other daughters of Gautama, namely, Jayā, Jayantī and Aparājī.
3) An attempt to kill Ahalyā.
Once when Gautama was away from the āśrama Indra came there as a guest. Considering it as her duty to treat a guest of her husband properly during his absence Ahalyā received him well and gave him fruit to ease his tiredness. Indra went back. Gautama on knowing this on his return suspected the chastity of his wife and calling his son Cirakārī to his side asked him to cut off her head. After giving the order Gautama went to the forests. Cirakārī had a peculiar nature. He will ponder over things deeply before taking any action. He knew he must obey the orders of his father but killing one's own mother was a greater sin than disobeying a father. Weighing the merits and demerits of the act Cirakārī sat thinking without doing anything. Gautama when he reached the forest thought again about Ahalyā and her crime. After all what has she done? A guest came to the āśrama and as duty bound she welcomed him. It was indeed a great sin to have killed her by her own son. Immersed in thoughts of this kind, sad and repentant, Gautama returned to the āśrama to find Cirakārī sitting silently deeply engrossed in thoughts. On seeing his father Cirakārī was perplexed and he explained to his father about the good and bad effects of his order. Gautama was pleased at this and he blessed him with long life.
4) How the disciple Utaṅga was tested.
Utaṅga was the best of the disciples of Gautama. So even when all the other disciples were sent away Gautama asked Utaṅga to continue as a disciple which Utaṅga did most willingly. The disciple became old with grey hairs. Then taking pity on him Gautama received gurudakṣiṇā from Utaṅga and sent him away with blessings. (For details see under ‘Utaṅga’).
5) Curse of Ahalyā.
Indra became a lover of Ahalyā and slept with her. Gautama coming to know of that cursed both Indra and Ahalyā. (For details see under Ahalyā).
6) Other details regarding Gautama.
(i) Kalmāṣapāda, King of Ayodhyā. lived for twelve years as a demon following a curse of Vasiṣṭha. At last he took refuge in Gautama and following his advice went to Gokarṇa and doing penance there to propitiate Śiva attained mokṣa. (Śivarātri Māhātmya).
(ii) It was sage Nodhas, alias Gautama, who composed [Sūkta 58, Maṇḍala one of Ṛgveda] .
(iii) Lakṣmaṇa, brother of Śrī Rāma, constructed a palace called Vaijayanta near the āśrama of Gautama. [Uttara Rāmāyaṇa] .
(iv) Gautama is one of the seven sages [saptarṣis Śloka 50, Chapter 133, Anuśāsana Parva] .
(v) Gautama sat in the court of Brahmā and worshipped Brahmā. [M.B. Sabhā Parva] .
(vi) Gautama once blessed Dyumatsena, father of Satyavān, and said that he would regain his eyesight. [Śloka 11. Chapter 298, Vana Parva] .
(vii) When the war between the Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas broke out Gautama went to the Kurukṣetra battlefield and advised Droṇa to stop the battle. [Śloka 36, Chapter 190, Droṇa Parva] .
(viii) Gautama was also one of the many sages who visited Bhīṣma while he was lying on his bed of arrows.
(ix) Once Gautama built a hermitage on the top of the mountain Pāriyātra and did penance there for sixtythousand years. Kāla, the God of time, then appeared before him and Gautama received him well and sent him away. [Śloka 10, Chapter 47, Śānti Parva] . x) Once Gautama turned the moustache of Indra green by a curse for showing disrespect to him. [Śloka 23, Chapter 352, Śānti Parva] .
(xi) When Gautama was born, there was such brilliance that the surrounding darkness was removed and so the boy was named Gautama (Gau=light rays, Tamas=darkness) to mean the remover of darkness. [Śloka 94, Chapter 93, Anuśāsana Parva] .
(xii) Once Gautama instructed the King Vṛṣādarbhi on the evil of accepting rewards for good deeds. [Śloka 42, Chapter 93, Anuśāsana Parva] .
(xiii) Gautama was also one among the rṣis who swore that they were not involved in the theft of the lotuses of the sage Agastya. [Śloka 19, Chapter 94, Anuśāsana Parva, M.B.] .
GAUTAMA II   A brahmin who was a member of the court of Yudhiṣṭhira. He was a member of Indrasabhā also. This Gautama while he was living in Girivraja had sexual relations with a Śūdra woman from the country of Uśīnara and a son was born to them named Kakṣivān. [Ślokas 17, 18 and 3 of Chapters 4, 7 and 21 respectively of Sabhā Parva, M.B.] .
GAUTAMA III   An ascetic of great erudition. He had three sons named Ekata, Dvita and Trita. (See under ‘Ekata’). [Śloka 79, Chapter 36, Śalya Parva] .
GAUTAMA IV   Another ascetic of great virtue. Once when this Gautama was going through the forest he saw an elephant babe lying wearied. He took it to his āśrama and brought it up. When it became a full grown elephant Indra disguised as the emperor Dhṛtarāṣṭra came to take it away secretly. Gautama found it out and then he was offered thousand cows and much wealth in lieu of the elephant. But Gautama refused to part with the elephant. Pleased with his extreme affection for his dependant, Indra took both Gautama and the elephant to heaven. [Chapter 102, Anuśāsana Parva] .

हिन्दी (hindi) WN

   See : गौतम बुद्ध, गौतम ऋषि

प्राचीन चरित्रकोश

गौतम n.  एक ऋषि । अरुण, आग्निवेश्य उद्दालक आरुणि, कुश्रि, मेधातिथि, सति तथा हारिद्रुमत, का यह पैतृक नाम है । प्राचीनयोग्य, शांडिल्य, आनभिम्लात, गार्ग्य, भारद्वाज, वात्स्य, मांटि, सैतव आदि गौतम के शिष्य थे । यह दीर्घतमस् का पुत्र था । इसकी माता का नाम प्रद्वेषी [म.आ.९८.१७,१०३७] ; [म.स. ४.१५, ११.१५] । इसके पिता आंगिरसकुल के थे [म. अनु. १५४.९] । वह बृहस्पति के शाप के कारण जन्मांध हुआ था [ऋ. १.१४७] ; [म.आ.९८.१५] । कुछ स्थानों पर, दीर्घतमस् ने ही गौतम नाम धारण किया, ऐसा प्रतीत होता है [बृहद्दे. ३.१२३] ; [म. शां. ३४३] ; [मत्स्य. ४८.५३-८४] । गौतम नाम से गौतम के पशुतुल्य वर्तन का बोध होता है [वायु.९९.४७-६१, ८८-९२] ; [ब्रह्मांड. ३.७४. ४७-६१,९०-९४] ; [मस्त्य. ४८. ४३-५६, ७९-८४] । गौतम को औशीनरी नामक शूद्र स्त्री से कक्षीवत् आदि पुत्र हुए (दीर्घतमस् देखिये) । गौतम वैवस्वत मन्वन्तर के सप्तर्षियों में से एक था । ब्रह्मदेव की मानसकन्या अहल्या इसकी स्त्री थी (अहल्या देखिये) । जनक का पुरोहित शतानंद इसका पुत्र था [म. व. १८५] । इसका अंगिरस् से नदीमाहात्म्य के संबंध में संभाषण हुआ था [म. अनु.२५] । इसके नाम से गोदावरी का नाम गौतमी हुआ [दे. भा. ११.९] । अन्न का अकाल पडने के कारण, वृषादर्भि राजा दान कर रहा था । जिन सप्तर्षियो ने उसे दान लेना अमान्य कर दिया, उनमें से एक गौतम था [म.अनु.९३] । गौतम को उत्तंक नामक एक शिष्य था । उसे गौतम ने अपनी कन्या दी थी । उत्तंक ने सौदास राजा के पास से कुंडल ला कर, गुरुपत्नी को गुरुदक्षिणा में दी [म.आश्व. ५५-५६] । गौतम का आश्रम पारियात्र पर्वत के पास था । इसने वहॉं साठ हजार वर्षो तक तप किया । तब स्वयं यम वहॉं आया । उस समय गौतम ने उससे पूछा, ‘पितरों का ऋण किस प्रकार चुकाया जावे’। यम ने कहा, ‘सत्य, घर्म, तप तथा शुचिर्भूतता का अवलंब कर के मातापितरों का पूजन करना चाहिये । इससे स्वर्गादि की प्राप्ति होती है’ [म.शां.१२७] । बारह वर्षो तक अकाल पडा । इसने भोजन दे कर ऋषियों को बचाया [नारद.२.७३] । यही वर्णन दे कर, शक्तिउपासना का महत्त्व बताया गया है [दे. भा.१२.९] ; [शिव कोटि. २५-२७] । गौतम तथा भगीरथ ने तप कर के शंकर को प्रसन्न किया तथा गंगा मॉंगी । शंकर ने गौतम को गंगा दी । वही गौतमी के नाम से प्रसिद्ध हुई [पद्म. उ. २६८. ५२-५४] । गौतमी-(गोदावरी) माहात्म्य विस्तृत रुप में उपलब्ध है [ब्रह्म. ७०-१७५] । न्यायशास्त्र लिखने वाले गौतम का निर्देश प्राप्त है [शिव. उमा.२.४३-४७] । यह अंगिराकुल का एक ऋषि तथा प्रवर है । त्र्यंबकेश्वर का अवतार इसी के लिये हुआ था [शिव. शत. ४३] । वही ज्योतिलिंग नासिक के पास त्र्यंबकेश्वर नाम से प्रसिद्ध है ।
गौतम n.  यह व्यास सामशिष्य परंपरा का हिरण्यनाभ का शिष्य है (व्यास देखिये) । वायु तथा ब्रह्मांड के मतानुसार यह सामवेद की राणायनि शाखा के नौ उपशाखाओं में से एक शाखा का आचार्य है [द्रा. श्रौ. १.४.१७] । गौतम का चार्य रुप में उल्लेख है [ला. श्रौ. १.३.३,४.१७] । उसी प्रकार सामवेद के गोभिल गृह्यसूत्र में भी गौतम का उल्लेख अनेक बार आया है ।
गौतम n.  गौतमस्मृति यह ग्रंथ गद्यमय है । उसमें ग्रंथकर्ता द्वारा किया हुआ अथवा बाहर से लिया गया एक भी पद्म श्लोक नहीं है । इस ग्रंथ के कुल अठ्ठाईस विभाग किये गये है । कलकत्ता प्रत में, एक विभाग अधिक है । परंतु हरदत्तद्वारा रचित मिताक्षरा में इस विभाग का बिल्कुल उल्लेख नही है । इससे प्रतीत होता है कि, यह भाग प्रक्षिप्त होगा । वेंकटेश्वरआवृत्ति कलकत्ताआवृत्ति से ली गई है ।
गौतम n.  गौतमधर्मसूत्र में चातुर्वर्णियों के व्यवहार के नियम, उपनयनायादि संस्कार, विवाह तथा उसके प्रकार, प्रायश्चित, राजधर्म, राजधर्म, स्त्रियों के कर्तव्य, नियोग, महापातके तथा उपपातकों के लिये प्रायश्चित, कृच्छ्र, अतिकृच्छ्र, आदि प्रकारों का विचार किया गया है । गौतमधर्मसूत्र में संहिता, ब्राह्मण, पुराण, वेदांग आदि के काफी उल्लेख आये है । गौतम ने तैत्तिरीय आरण्यक के पच्चीस उद्धरण तथा कई मत अपने ग्रंथ में लिये है । गौतमधर्मसूत्र का उल्लेख सर्वप्रथम बौधायनधर्मसूत्र में प्राप्त है । उसी प्रकर वसिष्ठधर्मशास्त्र, अपरार्क, तंत्रवार्तिक, वेदांतो पर लिखा गया शांकरभाष्य आदि ग्रंथो में भी गौतमधर्मसूत्र काफी उद्धरण लिये गये है । मनुस्मृति में गौतम का उतथ्यपुत्र के नाम से उल्लेख है [मनु.३.१६] । भविष्यपुराण में भी, गौतम का सुरापानानिषेष के बारे में उल्लेख है । गौतमधर्मासूत्र का उल्लेख बौधायन, वसिष्ठ आदि धर्मशास्त्रकारों ने किया है । इससे प्रतीत होता है कि, यह वसिष्ठ तथा बौधायन के पूर्व का होगा । यवनों का उल्लेख भी आया है । यवन शब्द का अर्थ स्वयं गौतम ने दिया है, ‘ब्राह्मण को शूद्रा से उत्पन्न संतति’। इसी अर्थ से यह शब्द गौतमधर्मसूत्र में आया हैं [गौ. ध. ४.१७] । इससे प्रतीत होता है कि, ब्राह्मण तथा शूद्र के मिश्रण से बनी यवनजाति भारत में ग्रीकों के आने के पहले भी थी । उसपर गौतम का काल निश्चित करना असंभव है । गौतमधर्मसूत्र पर हरदत्त ने मिताक्षरा नामक टीका तथा मस्करी तथा असाहाय ने भाष्य भी लिखे है । मिताक्षरा, स्मृतिचन्द्रिका आदि ग्रंथो में, श्लोगौतम, अपरार्क एवं दत्तकमीमासां में वृद्धगौतम तथा बृहद्‍गौतम इन ग्रंथों का उल्लेख है । उसी प्रकार जीवानंद ने १७०० श्लोको की गौतमस्मृति छपवायीं है । यह स्मृति कृष्ण ने युधिष्ठिर को, चातुर्वण्य के धर्मकथन करने के लिये बताई, ऐसा उस स्मृति में उल्लेख है । परंतु वह स्मृति महाभारत के आश्वामेधिकपर्व से ली गई होगी । क्योंकि, पराशरमाधवीय में तथा अन्य कई ग्रंथों में, इस स्मृति के श्लोक आश्वमेधिकपर्व से लिये गये है । आह्रिकसूत्र, पितृमेधसूत्र तथा दानचंद्रिका के अतिरिक्त न्यायसूत्र, गौतमीशिक्षा आदि गौतम के ग्रंथ है ।
गौतम II. n.  एकत, द्वित तथा त्रित का पिता [म.श.३५.९] ; त्रित देखिये । है ।
गौतम III. n.  इसे चिरकारिन् नामक पुत्र था । इसने उसे पापकर्मी माता का वध करने के लिये कहा । परंतु चिरकारिन् के दीर्घसूत्री आचरण के कारण, वह काम नही हो सका [म.शां२५८. ७-८] ।
गौतम IV. n.  पूषन् नामक सूर्य के साथ घूमनेवाला एक ऋषि [भा. १२. ११.३९] ।
गौतम V. n.  मध्यदेश में रहनेवाला एक ब्राह्मण । इसे बिल्कुल वेदज्ञान नहीं था । एक गांव में, एक अमीर शूद्र के पास यह गया । उसने इसे एक विधवा स्त्री दी। उसके सात यह कालक्रमणा कर रहा था । इसका एक मित्र इसके पास आया तथा उसने इसे दुराचरण से परावृत्त किया । गौतम वहॉं से निकला । राह में यह नाडिजंघ नामक कश्यपपुत्र के पास आया । वह राजधर्मन् के नाम से प्रसिद्ध था । गौतम का यथोचित सत्कार कर के, अपने राजा विरुपाक्ष के पास, वह इसे ले गया । राजा के द्वारा पूछे जाने पर इसने सब हकीकत बताई । राजा के घर इसे ब्राह्मणोंसह उत्तम भोजन तथा अच्छी दक्षिणा मिली, संपत्ति का भार सिर पर ले कर यह एक वटवृक्ष के नीचे बैठा । वहॉं बैठे बैठे, राजधर्मन् का वध करने का विचार इसके मन में आया । इस विचार के अनुसार, वध कर के, उसे जला कर उसकी संपत्ति ले कर यह खाना हुआ । परंतु जल्द ही विरुपाक्ष ने इसे राक्षसोंद्वारा पकड लाया तथा इसके टुकडे टुकडे करके शबरों को खाने के लिये दिये । यह कृतघ्न होने के कारण, किसी शबर नें इसे नहीं खाया । बाद में राजधर्मन् जीवित होने के बाद, उसने गौतम को जीवित किया, तथा द्रव्य दे कर घर पहुँचाया । गौतम ने शूद्र स्त्री के द्वारा, पापकर्म करनेवाले अनेक पुत्र निर्माण किये । तब देवताओं ने इसे शाप दिया, ‘यह दुष्ट विधवा स्त्री के द्वारा प्रजोत्पादन कर के नरक में जावेगा’ [म.शां१६२-१६७] ।
गौतम VI. n.  अत्रिकुल का एक ब्रह्मर्षि । वैन्य ऋषि को विधाता कहने पर इसने अत्रि से स्पष्टीकरण मॉंगा था [म.व.१८३] । सत्यवत् जीवित है, ऐसा बता कर इसने द्युमत्सेन को धीरज बँधाया था [म.व. २८२-१३] ।
गौतम VII. n.  ब्रह्मदेव ने यज्ञ के लिये, इस नामका ऋत्विज निर्माण कर के, गया में यज्ञ किया [वायु. १०६.३८] ।
गौतम VIII. n.  दारुक नामक शिवावतार का शिष्य (नोधस् वामदेव देखिये) ।

कोंकणी (Konkani) WN

   See : गौतम रुशी

मराठी (Marathi) WN

   See : गौतम ऋषी

मराठी वाक्संप्रदाय - वाक्यप्रचार

   गौतुमा गायि आप्पळ्या आंगारि पडता
   (गो.) गौतमाची गाय हाकायला जावे तर अंगावर पडते. गौतम ऋषीने दर्भाची काडी गायीवर मारली आणि ती तिथल्‍यातिथे मरून पडल्‍यामुळे त्‍याला गोहत्त्येचे पातक लागले अशी पुराणात कथा आहे तिच्यातून या म्‍हणीचा उगम आहे. एखाद्या वस्‍तूला हात लावायला जावे आणि ती वस्‍तु एकाएकी मोडून तोडून खराब व्हावी अशा वेळी वापरतात.

नेपाली (Nepali) WN

   See : गौतम बुद्ध

A Sanskrit English Dictionary

गौतम  m.  mf( ई)n. relating to गोतम (with पद-स्तोभ m. pl. N. of a सामन्)
गौतम  m.  m. patr. fr. गोतम ( N. of कुश्रि, उद्दालक, अरुण, [ŚBr.]; of शरद्वत्, [Hariv.]; [Mṛcch. v, 30]; [VP.]; of शतानन्द, [L.]; of शाक्य-मुनि; of नोधस् and वाम-देव, [RAnukr.]; of a teacher of ritual, [Lāṭy.]; [ĀśvŚr.]; [ĀśvGṛ.]; of a grammarian, [TPrāt.]; [Lāṭy.] [with the epithet स्थविर]; of a legislator, [Yājñ. i, 5]; the father of एकत, द्वित, and त्रित, [MBh. ix, 2073])
गोत्°   (= ) N. of the first pupil of the last जिन (one of the three केवलिन्s)
°मक    N. of a नाग (also ), [Divyâv. ii]
गौतम  m.  m. pl. गौतम's family, [Hariv. 1788]; [Pravar.]
गौतम  m.  m. a kind of poison, [L.]
गौतम  n.  n. N. of several सामन्s, [ĀrṣBr.]; [Lāṭy. iv, 6, 16]
भारद्वाज   fat ( cf., ‘bone’), [L.]

The Practical Sanskrit-English Dictionary

गौतमः [gautamḥ]  N. N. of (1) the sage Bhāradvāja; (2) of Śatānanda, Gotama's son; (3) of Kṛipa, Droṇa's brother-in-law; (4) of Buddha; (5) of the propounder of the [Nyāya system of philosophy.] -Comp.
-सम्भवा   the river Godāvarī.

Shabda-Sagara

गौतम  m.  ( -मः)
   1. The name of a saint or sage and founder of the Nyaya philosophy.
   2. A legislator of the same name.
   3. A name of SAKYA Muni, the original Buddha or founder of the Bauddha sect.
   4. A name of the first pupil of the last Jaina.
   5. Name of a tribe or family of Brahmans descended from GOTAMA.
   6. A poison, one of the fixed kinds, or mineral, vegetable, &c.
  f.  ( -मी)
   1. A name of DURGA.
   2. A female Rakshasa or goblin.
   3. A yellow dye: see गोरोचना
   4. The Godavari river.
    E. गोतम a sage, and अण् patro- nomic affix, &c.

ROOTS:

गोतम अण्