# Mudgala

Rishi Mudgal, also known as Rajarshi Mudgal (or written as Mudgala), is one of the Rajarshi in Hinduism. He was originally born as Kshatriya (warrior) king and lived a royal luxurious lifestyle. Later on due to severe meditation, tapasya,Yoga, he received Brahmatva (Nirvana), due to which his descendants were later on known as Brahmins.
Mudgal surname also spelled as Mudgil, Modgil, Moudgil in some areas. In North India Mudgal Gotra is shared by Gaur/Gaud Brahmins, Saraswat Brahmins and Gaur/Gaud Tyagi Brahmins.Rishi Mudgal wrote 1 Upanishad out of 108 Upanishads named Mudgal Upanishad. Mudgal Upanishad is of a very special type and unique amongst all Upanishads ever written. It is the foundation of Vaishnavism, asserting that Vishnu is the Purusha, or primordial entity. The great sage strongly believed in simple living high thinking and had a high-level patience amongst other Rishis.

## History

Rishi Mudgal was the son of a Chandravanshi /Nagavanshi Kshatriya King Bhamyarswa of Panchal Rajya, at present the Punjab State of India. He is considered as one of the Rajarshi in Hinduism next to Vishvamitra.Rishi Mudgal ruled over his kingdom as well as he taught as a Kulguru in a Gurukula.
According to Bhagavad Gita, Mudgal had 50 Sons. Rishi Mudgal continued to be Brahmins and other were known as Brahmin Kings of Rishi Mudgala's lineage.
Rishi Mudgal was married to Nalayani Indrasenā, daughter of Nishada's King Nala and Queen Damayanti. Mudgala and Indrasenā gave birth to Vadhryasva, Divodas, and Ahalya. Nalayani served Mudgal with whole heart even when Mudgal was suffering from leprosy. Happy with her service Mudgal offered a boon to Nalayani. Nalayani wanted to consummate their bond properly and Mudgal granted her wish in five forms. When Rishi Mudgal attained moksha, he left the mortal life but Nalayani in her next birth, when she could not find a matching suitor, did penance for Lord Shiva. When Lord Shiva appeared to give her boon she asked for a husband five times in her eagerness so Shiva granted her the boon for five husbands with some exceptions. That is the secret for the birth of Draupadi in Mahabharata and being married to Pandavas who were incarnations of Yama, Vayu, Indra and Ashwini devathas who came to earth for restoring dharma on Earth.
A seal from Sumer, (of Mudgala, Lord of Edin, Minister to Uruas) shows the word Azu, which meant water-divinator (lit. water knower), and additionally, physician. Lord Mudgala was the son of Uruas the Khad, who was the first dynasty of Sumeria (via Phoenicia) of the fourth millennium BCE.
The maudgil brahmins of Jodhpur, Rajasthan,are said to have come from Lanka during Ravana's marriage to Mandodari. They are considered as descendants of Ravana.

## Genealogy

Mudgala was a descendant of Ajamidha's dynasty, forming the most prominent Northern Panchala dynasty of Mahabharata. His genealogy from Ajamidha goes on as follows:
* Nila
* Susanti
* Purujanu
* Rksa
* Bhrmyasva
* Mudgala
* Vadhryasva
* Divodasa
* Mitrayu
* Maitreya Soma
* Srnjaya
* Cyavana Pancajana
* Sudasa Somadatta
* Sahadeva
* Somaka
* Jantu
* Prishata
* Drupada
This lineage came up to Drupada, a Mahabharata war character who fought from the side of the Pandavas.

## Mentions in Bhagavata Purana

Rishi Mudgala's genealogy is also mentioned in Bhagavata Purana. The verse goes:
   The son of Śānti was Suśānti, the son of Suśānti was Puruja, and the son of Puruja was Arka. From Arka came Bharmyāśva, and from Bharmyāśva came five sons — Mudgala, Yavīnara, Bṛhadviśva, Kāmpilla and Sañjaya. Bharmyāśva prayed to his sons, “O my sons, please take charge of my five states, for you are quite competent to do so.” Thus his five sons were known as the Pañcālas. From Mudgala came a dynasty of brāhmaṇas known as Maudgalya. (S.B. 9.21.31-33)
It is from these Panchalas that the Panchayat System, one of the oldest practiced political system, was introduced in India and Nepal.
In Bhagavata Purana, Sūta Gosvāmī describes the divisions of the Vedas. From the heart of Lord Brahmā came the subtle divine transcendental vibration and from this sound came the potent syllable om. Using this oṁkāra, Lord Brahmā created the original Vedas and taught them to his sons, Marīci and others, who were all saintly leaders of the brahminical society. This body of Vedic knowledge was handed down through the disciplic succession of spiritual masters until the end of Dvāpara-yuga, when Lord Vyāsadeva divided it into four parts and instructed various schools of sages in these four saṁhitās. In Canto 12, Chapter 6, Verse 57, Rishi Mudgala is again mentioned as the disciple of disciple of Vyāsadeva, who was determined qualified and responsible to protect a collection.
   The son of Māṇḍūkeya, named Śākalya, divided his own collection into five, entrusting one subdivision each to Vātsya, Mudgala, Śālīya, Gokhalya and Śiśira. (ŚB 12.6.57)
In the same Purana, it is mentioned that Mudgala attained moksha:
   Hariścandra, Rantideva, Uñchavṛtti Mudgala, Śibi, Bali, the legendary hunter and pigeon, and many others have attained the permanent by means of the impermanent. (ŚB 10.72.21)
He is called Uñchavṛtti here because Mudgala lived by gathering grains left behind in the fields after the harvest.

## Gotras

People having lineage to Mudgala mainly have these gotras:
* Mudgala
* Maudgalya (Moudgalya)
* Moudgil
* Modgil