Maitreya

By Swami Harshananda

Maitreya literally means ‘son of Mitrā’.

Maitreya was one of the well-known sages mentioned in the epics and the purāṇas. He was the son of Kauṣārava or Tuṣārava and Mitrā. On hearing that the Pāṇḍavas were banished to the forest, he advised Dhṛtarāṣṭra^[1] to make peace with them. Duryodhana^[2] patted his own thighs out of arrogance which enraged the sage who cursed him to die due to broken thighs.

The Viṣṇupurāṇa was taught to Maitreya by the sage Parāśara.^[3] The sage Baka-Dālbhya^[4] was also known as Maitreya. Maitreya is also prominently mentioned in the Bhāgavata.

References[edit]

↑ Dhṛtarāṣṭra was the blind king and the father of the Kauravas.
↑ Duryodhana was the eldest of the Kauravas.
↑ Parāśara was the father of the famous Vyāsa.
↑ Chāndogya Upanisad 1.12.1

The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, Deval Sancheti

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[1] Dhṛtarāṣṭra was the blind king and the father of the Kauravas.

[2] Duryodhana was the eldest of the Kauravas.

[3] Parāśara was the father of the famous Vyāsa.

[4] Chāndogya Upanisad 1.12.1

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