Shandilya (Rishi)

Shandilya (IAST: Śāṇḍilya, Sanskrit: शाण्डिल्य) was the name of a prominent rishi. He was the progenitor of the Śāṇḍilya gotra.

The name was derived from the Sanskrit words śaṇ, full and dilam, the moon, with the derivative ya added, meaning the one of the full moon, thereby implying a priest or of the Moon God.

Progenitor of the Śāṇḍilya Gotra

He was a son of the sage Asita and grandson of the rishi Kashyapa. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad states that he was a disciple of Vaatsya rishi. [1] His other Acharyas include Kaushika, Gautama Maharishi, Kaishorya Kaapya, Vatsya Vaijavap, and Kushri. His disciples include Kaundinya, Agnivesa, Vatsya Vamakakshayan, Vaishthapureya, and Bharadwaj. [2] He was also the composer of the Shandilya Upanishad.[3] He is also credited to have written Shandilya Bhakti Sutra[4]. According to the Bhagavata Purana, he was instrumental in settling certain metaphysical doubts of King Parikshit of Hastinapura and King Vajra of Dwaraka.[5]

Rishi from Śāradāvanam

Śāṇḍilya was a son of the sage Asita, had his hermitage in the Śāradāvanam, or forest of Śāradā, of a village in the Bolair Valley of Kashmir.[6] The village has been identified with the modern town of Sharda, on the banks of the River Kishanganga, in Kashmir, India. The goddess Śāradā is said to have manifested herself to him, here, after severe penance by him, to confer upon him his yagnopaveetham, an event that was commemorated in the temple of Sharada Peeth in the town.

Surnames with Sandilya Gotra in India

Particularly in Bengal and Assam , Bandopadhyay, Banerjee, Thakur, Batabyal, Kushari, Barthakur, Borthakur are examples of Sandilya Gotra. Many with Tyagi surname in western Uttar Pradesh and Tiwari in Eastern Uttar Pradesh also have Shandilya gotra.

in Gujarat, Bhatt, Thaker/Thakar, Vyas etc. are prominent examples of Sandilya Gotra.

In Maharashtra, some examples of titles belonging to the Sandilya Gotra are Bidwai, Ghodke, Hirde/Hirday, Kulkarni, Kedkar/Khedekar, Pattarkine, Pandit, Patki and Shukla etc.

In Bihar, many people, who belong Sandilya Gotra, have adopted work of temple making. In Bihar, people holding the titles Chaudhary, Thakur, Tiwari and Jha surnames belong to this Gotra.

In Punjab, Saraswat Brahmins of the Tara surname belong to this Gotra.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Tiwari/Tripathi surnames along the Sarayu river belong to this Gotra.

In Rajasthan, Pushkarna Brahmins, Purohit surname belongs to this Gotra.

In Andhra Pradesh, the Patnaiks having surname Amati, Balivada and Velanadu Vaidiki Brahmins having surname Yellepeddi and Bhagi belong to this Gotra.

Surnames with Sandilya Gotra in Nepal

Kafle/ Kaphle and prasai belong to Sandilya Gotra in Nepal.

References
  1. Joshi, Mahadevshastri (1979), Bharatiya Sanskriti Kosh (Marathi: भारतीय संस्कृती कोश), 9, Bharatiya Sanskriti Kosh Mandal
  2. Chitrav, Siddheshwarshastri Vishnu (1968), Bharatavarshiya Prachin Charitra Kosh (Marathi: भारतवर्षीय प्राचीन चरित्र कोश) (3 ed.), Pune: Bharatiya Charitra Kosh
  3. Shandilya Upanishad.
  4. Sri Shandilya Muni. Shandilya Bhakti Sutra.
  5. http://nitaaiveda.com/Compiled_and_Imp_Scriptures/Shrimad_Bhagavatam/Bhagavata_Mahatmya/1._Shandilya_Describes_Vraja.htm
  6. http://archives.chennaionline.com/columns/downmemorylane/diary132.asp%5B%5D
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