>Usernamekiran at 17:18, 7 June 2021

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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2016}}

{{Infobox character
| image = Dadhichi 1988 stamp of India.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| family = [[Atharvan]] (father) [[Pippalada]] (Son)
| gender = Male
| spouse = Suvarchas<ref>https://archive.org/stream/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft#page/774/mode/1up</ref>
}}

'''Dadhichi''', also known as '''Dadhyancha''' or '''Dadhyanga''', is a central character in [[Hinduism]]. '''Dadhichi''' is primarily known for sacrificing his life so the [[Deva (Hinduism)|Deva]]s, or benevolent celestial beings, could make the weapon called "vajra" from his bones.
After being driven out from [[Svarga]], or heaven, by the serpent king [[Vritra]], the Devas needed a powerful weapon to aid their fight. By making use of the vajra, made from the sage Dadhichi's bones, the Devas defeated the [[Asura]] and reclaimed heaven.

'''Dadhyancha''' or '''Dadhyanga''' in Sanskrit is a conjunction of two words Dadhya (curd) + anch (parts), which means "body parts taking strength from Curd." The name Dadhichi is a deteriorated form of '''Dadhyanga''' or '''Dadhyancha,''' as pointed out by famous ancient Sanskrit scholar [[Pāṇini|Panini]] in his work ''[[Pāṇini#Aṣṭādhyāyī|Ashtaadhyaai]]''.

By defeating Vritra, the personification of drought, the Deva also released water to the living beings who were innocent victims of the evil Asura.
By helping the Deva defeat the Asura through his sacrifice, Dadhichi became revered among the [[Rishi]], or Hindu sages, for his selflessness. Dadhichi symbolizes the notion that no sacrifice is too great in order to help defend the defenseless from evil. This symbolization has inspired the [[Param Vir Chakra]], India's highest military award for gallantry, which is most often posthumously awarded to soldiers who show exceptional courage in battle.

Dadhichi is also known as an ardent devotee of [[Lord Shiva]]. After Shiva was separated from [[Shakti]], a goddess personifying the sacred feminine, he went to a forest to live in seclusion as a [[Rishi]]. The annual festival of [[Maha Shivratri]] marks the first time Lord Shiva appeared as a Rishi to his devotees, including Dadhichi and his disciples, who had been offering prayers to Shiva.

In the [[Bhagavata Purana]], Dadhichi was the son of the sage [[Atharvan]] and his wife Chiti. [[Atharvan]] is said to be the author of [[Atharvaveda]], which is one of the four [[Vedas]] (a collection of texts upon which the [[Hindu]] religion is based). Chitti was the daughter of the sage Kardam. The [[Dadhich Brahmins]], a Brahmin clan primarily found in [[Rajasthan]], later migrating to other parts of the world, claim to be his descendants.

The names of Dadhichi's wife and son were Swarcha and [[Pippalada]], respectively. Pippalada was a rishi associated with the Pippalada school of thought in Hinduism, he is known for creating the [[Praśna]] [[Upanishad]]. Dadhichi had established his ashram in [[Misrikh]], in [[Naimisharanya]] near [[Lucknow]], in the state of [[Uttar Pradesh]], India.<ref name="Madhuvidya">{{cite web| url=http://www.urday.com/dadichi.html| title=The Great Sage Dadhichi| access-date=20 September 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070421195923/http://www.urday.com/dadichi.html |archive-date=21 April 2007}}</ref> [[Naimisharanya]] is cited in all of the puranas as the location of his ashram, which is still in existence. The current place of the [[Sabarmati Ashram]] in [[Ahmedabad]] is also one of the ancient sites of his ashram. In Ancient India, sages often traveled long distances. It may be that he stayed near [[sabarmati river|Sabarmati River]] for some time. The popular legend about Dahod also says that Sage Dadhichi once meditated at the banks of Dudhimati river in Dahod.<ref name="Dahod">{{cite web| url=https://www.dahodnagarpalika.com/History.aspx| title=History of Dahod| access-date=18 February 2018| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209063241/https://www.dahodnagarpalika.com/History.aspx| archive-date=9 February 2018| url-status=dead}}</ref> Dudhimati is name of his sister , on whose name a 4th Century old temple exists in Naguar, Rajasthan as [[Dadhimati Mata Temple]].
His name is found in the 1st mandala of the [[Rigveda]] ([[Bhagavata Purana]], [[Srimad Devi Bhagavatam]] and in the [[Puranas]].<ref name="Ahmedabad">{{cite web| url=http://www.amritapuri.org/3617/dadhichi-saves/| title=Dadhichi in Ahmedabad| access-date=20 September 2009}}</ref> Dadhichi is mentioned also in the various hymns (Richas – Suktas) of [[Rigveda]].<ref>Rigveda hymns 1.80.16, 1.84.13–14, 1.116.12, 1,117,22, 1.139.9, 9.108.4</ref>

Dadhichi is believed to have written the "Narayana Kavacham", a famous hymn in southern India, sung for power and peace.

Dadhich Brahmins are descendants of Maharishi Dadhichi. Their deity is Dadhimathi, who was sister of Maharishi Dadhichi.{{cite web| url=http://dadhich.com/vansh_vriksha.htm|title=Dadhichi Vansh Vriksh}}

== Legends ==
[[File:Mahabharata02ramauoft 0022 12.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|King of Deities [[Indra]] pray to Dadhichi to give his spinal cord to make a thunderbolt]]
Dadhichi is associated with many Hindu legends and is sometimes portrayed as having a horse's head.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Dadhichi Saves the Gods in Ahmadabad|url = http://archives.amritapuri.org/bharat/purana/ahmedabad.php|website = archives.amritapuri.org|access-date = 6 October 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111119033503/http://archives.amritapuri.org/bharat/purana/ahmedabad.php|archive-date = 19 November 2011|url-status = dead}}</ref>

=== Ashwashira – The One With The Horse's Head ===
Dadhichi is said to have been a master of a [[Vedic]] art known as [[Brahmavidya]] (Madhu Vidya) that would enable one to attain immortality.<ref name="Ahmedabad"/> [[Indra]], the King of the [[Deva (Hinduism)|Devas]], felt his position was insecure with such power in the hands of a mortal man, especially one with as much power as Dadhichi possessed by virtue of being a [[rishi]]. [[Indra]] was also against the [[Ashvins|Ashwini twins]] (Gods of Medicines) learning Brahmavidya and swore that he would behead the one who taught them the art.<ref name="Madhuvidya" /> However the Ashwini twins wished to learn this art and devised a plan to protect Dadhichi from [[Indra]]'s power. They learned the art from Dadhichi and thereafter cut off his head, preserving it and replacing the original head with one from a horse. [[Indra]], blinded by wrath, beheaded the horse-headed [[Wise old man|sage]] and left. The Ashwini twins then replaced Dadhichi original head to the beheaded body and revived Dadhichi with the Madhuvidya that he had taught them. This was how the sage came to be called Ashvashira – The One with the Horse's head.<ref name="Madhuvidya"/>

=== Defeating Kshuva and Indra ===
Once Dadhichi and a king named Kshuva, a devotee of [[Vishnu]], got into an argument over superiority of Kings over Brahmans and vice versa. Dadhichi punched Kshuva and Kshuva attacked Dadhichi with Thunderbolt. The injured sage was treated by [[Shukracharya]]. Dadhichi then did heavy penance to Lord Shiva who granted him three boons:- 1. He will never be Humiliated 2. He could never be killed 3. His bones will become as hard as a Diamond. Dadhichi returned to Kshuva and this time he defeated him. When Kshuva asked Lord Vishnu for help, the latter tried to trick Dadhichi. Dadhichi discovered the ruse, and attacked with the Trishula, upon which, all deities except for Lord Vishnu fled the scene.<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=Gajanan|author=Bansal, S.P.|date=2004|publisher=Diamond Pocket Books (P) Limited|isbn=9788128400247|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FJ7gfMsQXC4C&pg=PA22|page=22}}</ref><ref name="google2">{{cite book|title=Saint Veda Vyasa's the Shiva Purana|author1=Singh, P.|author2=Bharara, S.|author3=Prakash, V.|date=2008|publisher=Dreamland Publications|isbn=9788184510423|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JzzvzZv7HGMC&pg=PA52|page=52|access-date=9 January 2017}}</ref>
In spite of this hostility, Dadhichi had utmost respect for Lord Vishnu. When the demigods approached Dadhichi for his bones in their struggle against Vritra, Dadhichi readily agreed hearing that they have been sent by the Lord Vishnu.

=== Indra and Vritra – The Tale of the Vajrayudha ===
[[Indra]], the King of the [[Deva (Hinduism)|Devas]], was once driven out of [[Devaloka]] by an [[asura]] named [[Vritra]]. This [[asura]] was the recipient of a boon which made him invulnerable to any known weapon. This Demon, Vritra, also stole all the water in the world for his own use and for that of his Demon army. He did this so that all other living beings would die of thirst and hunger, leaving no Human or God alive to challenge his place in Heaven. Indra, who had lost all hope of recovering his kingdom, went to seek the aid of [[Vishnu]]. [[Vishnu]] revealed to Indra that only weapons made from the thunder-containing (called in Sanskrit as Vajra) diamond bones of the [[Rishi|sage]] Dadhichi could kill [[Vritra]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Kshuva-Dadichi Fight and Vishnu-Dadhichi Fight|url = http://www.gloriousindia.com/scriptures/puranas/shiva_purana/kshuva_dadichi_fight_and_vishnu_dadhichi_fight.html|publisher=gloriousindia.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Ekadash Rudra Shiva|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I8Rsc0PkmMIC&pg=PT4|publisher=Harinesh Jain|isbn=978-81-7525-615-6|page=4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = Sages from the Hindu Scriptures: Dadhichi|url = http://vipasana-vidushika.blogspot.in/2013/12/sages-from-hindu-scriptures-dadhichi.html}}</ref> Indra and the other [[Deva (Hinduism)|Devas]] therefore approached the sage, whom Indra had once beheaded, and asked him for his aid in defeating [[Vritra]]. Dadhichi acceded to the [[Deva (Hinduism)|Devas]]' request, but said that he wished that he had time to go on a pilgrimage to all the holy rivers before he gave up his life for them.<ref name="Madhuvidya" /> [[Indra]] then brought all the water of the holy rivers together at [[Naimisharanya]],<ref name="Madhuvidya" /> thereby allowing the sage to have his wish fulfilled without a further loss of time. Dadhichi then went into a deep meditative state and released his life force from his body. The celestial Kamadhenu Calf then licked and removed the flesh from his bones, after which the Devas fashioned the [[Vajra]]yudha (Thunderbolt) from his spine and made numerous other weapons. This weapon was then used to kill the [[asura]], allowing [[Indra]] to reclaim his place as the king of [[devaloka]] and releasing the water for all living beings.

Another version of the story exists where Dadhichi was asked to safeguard the [[weapons]] of the [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]], as they were unable to match the arcane arts being employed by the [[asuras]] to obtain them. Dadhichi is said to have kept at the task for a very long time and, finally tiring of the job, is said to have dissolved the weapons in sacred water, which he then drank.<ref name="Dissolved_weapons">{{cite web| url=http://www.dadhich.com/dadhichi_rishi.htm| title=Dadhichi Rishi| access-date=20 September 2009}}</ref> The [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]] returned some time later and asked him to return their weapons so that they might defeat the [[asuras]], headed by [[Vritra]], once and for all. Dadhichi, however, told them of what he had done and informed them that their [[weapons]] were now a part of his bones. Realizing that his bones were the only way by which the [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]] could defeat the [[asuras]], he willingly gave his life in a pit of mystical flames that he summoned with the power of his austerities.<ref name="Dissolved_weapons" /> [[Brahma]] is then said to have fashioned a large number of weapons from Dadhichi's bones, including the [[Vajra]]yudha, which was fashioned from his spine. The [[Deva (Hinduism)|devas]] are then said to have defeated the [[asuras]] using the weapons thus created.

=== Other legends ===
Various other legends are associated with Dadhichi.
Dadhichi is said to have been the first to leave from [[Daksha]]'s [[Daksha yajna|yagna]] when he realized that Shiva had not been invited due to spite.<ref>Mudgala Purana 1.3.19</ref> The mantra or incantation for Devi [[Hinglaj]] is attributed to Dadhichi. To save some Kshatriya children from being killed by [[Parshurama]], Dadhichi hid them inside the temple of Hinglaj and created the incantation of Hinglaj to protect them from Parshurama's wrath.

== References ==
{{Commons category|Dadhichi}}
{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Rishis of Hindu mythology}}
{{HinduMythology}}

[[Category:Rishis]]
[[Category:Shaivism]]

Dadhichi - Revision history

>Usernamekiran at 17:18, 7 June 2021