Shukracharya is a noted guru and a scholar who learned the Mritsanjivni Mantra from Shiva. He protected Danav clan and brought the dead soldiers alive in wars with Dev clan.
The early life of Shukracharya
Shukracharya was the son of Bhrigu Rishi and the brother of Devi Lakshmi and Chyavan Rishi. His real name was Ushanas. There are different opinions about his mother’s name – Divya or Usha (daughter of King Hiranya-kashyap and granddaughter of Rishi Kashyap).
Shukracharya – though he existed in the vedic era just like Rishi Vishvamitra – is not considered to be a Saptarishi.
Shukracharya and Brihaspati both were students of Rishi Angiras. But in protest of the discrimination in education compared to Brihaspati – who was the son of Rishi Angiras, he quit the ashram. There are numerous interesting tales about the rivalry between Shukracharya and Brihaspati. It is said that because Bhrihaspati was accorded as the Guru of Dev clan, Shukracharya decided to be the Guru of Danav clan.
The conflict with Bhagwan Vishnu
There are also many stories narrating his father – Bhrigu Rishi and Bhagwan Vishnu. When Shukracharya undertook a severe tapasya to attain knowledge, he sent all Danav to live at his father’s ashram. Looking at his thousands of years long tapasya, Dev clan decides to decimate Danav clan before Shukracharya returns. But when Bhrigu Rishi is not present at the home, his wife and Shukracharya’s mother – Usha defends the Danav clan. She chases away Indra and his army. Then, at the request of Dev clan, Vishnu comes to the battle and defeats Usha.
This is when Bhrigu Rishi curses Bhagwan Vishnu to be reborn again and again as a human. It is to be noted that the first four avatar of Bhagwan Vishnu were not as a human. Also, back with the knowledge of the Mritsanjivni Mantra, Shukracharya brings his mother back alive.
One more tale is about the conflict of Shukracharya with Bhagwan Vishnu. At the time of Vaman Avtar, when King Mahabali agrees to donate the land of the size of his three steps. Shukracharya sees through Bhagwan Vishnu’s trick. To stop the promise from being approved, Shukracharya becomes very small in size and hides at the mouth of a vase from which the water flows. Bhagwan Vishnu realizes this and tries to open up the mouth using a stick. This is when the stick makes Shukracharya blind in one eye. Later on, the Dev clan and Danav clan fought many times, but every time Shukracharya resurrected the fallen soldiers and defeated Dev clan.
The connection with Mahabharat
Jayanti – the daughter of Indra – was sent to disturb Shukracharya from his tapasya, but he remains unfazed. Later on, Jayanti apologises to Shukracharya and marries him.
Shukracharya’s daughter’s name was Devyani. Once, the Dev clan decides to send Kacha – the son of Guru Brihaspati, as a secret agent to Shukracharya to be his student and learn the Mritsanjivni Mantra. Kacha tricks Shukracharya and Devyani with his false loyalty. As Devyani is smitten by Kacha, she compels Shukracharya to reveal it to Kacha. He, later on, abandons the ashram leaving them both behind.
Devyani then marries Yayati. They are the ancestors of Yadu (Yadav clan of Bhagwan Krishna) and Puru (Kaurav and Pandav) – the main characters of Mahabharat.
