A gandharva () is a member of a class of celestial beings in Indian religions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, whose males are divine performers such as musicians and singers, and the females are divine dancers. In Hinduism, they are regarded to be the celestial demigods who serve as the musicians of the devas.
It is also a term for skilled singers in Indian classical music. In Buddhism, this term also refers to a being in the Bardo (between death and rebirth).
In Hinduism
In
Hinduism, the gandharvas () are a class of minor deities who serve as divine musicians in
Hindu mythology.
inside a railing (left), being worshipped by gandharvas winged creatures. Art of Mathura, circa 100 BCE.
]]The term gandharva is present in
Vedas sources (including in the
Rigveda) as a singular deity. According to Oberlies, "In mandala I, IX and X the gandharva is presented as a celestial being (dwelling near the Sun / in the heavenly waters) which watches over the Soma (apparently) for the benefit of the gods and the sacrificers." The gandharva also "receives the Soma from the ‘Daughter of the Sun' to put it into the Soma plant (RV 9.113.3), i.e., to bring it to this world."
[Oberlies, Thomas 2005: "Der Gandharva und die Drei Tage Währende 'Quarantäne'", in Indo-Iranian Journal, vol. 48 pp. 97-109.] The gandharva also brings other things from the beyond, including humans (RV 10.10.4) and the horse (RV 1.163.2).
As such, the function of the gandharva is "to escort things from ‘outside' into this world thereby divesting them of their (potential) dangerous nature."
Later, the figure also came to be associated with fertility and virility.
The Atharvaveda mentions 6,333 gandharvas. They are generally the husbands of apsaras. They are described as handsome beings who wear fragrant attire and are passionate about women. Some are part animal, usually a bird or horse. They have exceptional musical skills.
In Hindu law, a gandharva marriage is one contracted by mutual consent and without formal rituals.
Gandharvas are mentioned extensively in the epic Mahabharata as associated with the devas (as dancers and singers) and with the , as formidable warriors. They are mentioned as spread across various territories. or Tumbara is described as best among gandharvas in Hinduism]]Some of the most prominent gandharvas include Tumburu, Visvavasu (who was the father of Pramadvara), Chitrangada (who killed Chitrangada, the son of Santanu and Satyavati), Chitrasena (with whom the Kauravas and Pandavas fought in the Ghosha-yatra), Drumila (the biological father of Kamsa in some texts), and Candavega (king of gandharvas who invaded the city of Purañjana).[Bhagavata Purana translation of Motilal Bansaridadss Book 2 Skandha IV Chapter 27]
Parentage
Various parentage is given for the gandharvas. They are called the creatures of
Prajapati, of
Brahma, of
Kashyapa and Pradha, of the Munis, of Arishta, or of Vāc.
The Bhagavata Purana mentions that when Brahma, during creation, saw the activities of some sexually active asuras, he laughed. From his laughter were produced the gandharvas.
Worship
Hindu worship of Gandharvas is extremely rare across India and is mostly seen in the southern state of Kerala. In the state, Gandharvas are enshrined in temples, sometimes along with Yakshi and prayed to for fertility and good fortune. It believed that earning the ire of the Gandharvas will result in Gandharva dosha, a curse which will have adverse effect on those who are cursed, especially in terms of fertility and childbirth. In addition, Kerala also has the tradition of
Gandharvanpattu, a type of
theyyam and
kalampattu ritual meant to invoke the Gandharvas.
Some temples in Kerala where Gandharvas are enshrined as deities are:
-
Vazhapully Sree Rajarajeswari Temple
-
Sree Aiswarya Gandharva Swami Temple, Urulikunnam, Chengalam
-
Andoor Sree Gandharvaswami Temple, Elackad
-
Sree Vaishnava Gandharva Swamy Temple, Champakkara
-
Gandharva Swamy Temple, Kothala
-
Gandharva Temple, Thalayazham
-
Maniyassery Vaishnava Gandharva Swamy Temple, Maravanthuruthu
-
Kunnamthanam Thuranganattu Aiswarya Gandharva Swamy Temple, Pathanamthitta
-
Sree Yakshi-Gandharva Swamy Temple, Paravanthuruthu, Kallara
-
Kaduvinath Gandharva Temple, Bharanikkavu, Alappuzha
-
Oorikattil Sree Gandharva Swamy Temple, Kottayam
-
Mullethu Gandharva Swamy Temple, Chandiroor, Alappuzha
-
Marthandamparambu Gandharva Temple, Pazhaveedu, Alappuzha
-
Sree Ponnumpoomala Gandharva Temple, Parudur
-
Vaikkathusseril Sree Gandharva Nagaraja Bhadrakali Temple, Kumarakom
In Buddhism
A gandharva is one of the lowest-ranking Devas in
Buddhist cosmology. They are classed among the Cāturmahārājakāyika Devas, and are subject to the Great King , Guardian of the East. Beings are reborn among the gandharvas as a consequence of having practiced the most basic form of ethics (Janavasabha Sutta, DN.18).
gandharvas can fly through the air, and are known for their skill as musicians. They are connected with trees and flowers, and are described as dwelling in the scents of bark, sap, and blossoms. They are among the beings of the wilderness that might disturb a monk meditating alone.
The terms and yaksha sometimes refer to the same entity. in these cases is the more general term, including a variety of lower deities.
Intermediate Rebirth
In the
Mahātaṇhāsankhaya Sutta of the
Majjhima Nikāya, the
Buddha explains to the
that an
embryo develops when three conditions are met: the woman must be in the correct point of her menstrual cycle, the woman and man must have sexual intercourse, and a gandhabba must be present. According to the commentary of this sutta, the use of the word
gandhabba doesn't refer to a celestial Deva, but a being enabled to be born by its karma. It is the state of a sentient being between rebirths.
Notable gandharvas
Among the notable gandharvas mentioned (in DN.20 and DN.32) are
Panāda,
Opamañña,
Nala,
Cittasena,
Mātali, and
Janesabha. The last in this list is thought to be synonymous with
Janavasabha, a rebirth of King
Bimbisara of Magadha. Mātali is the charioteer of Śakra.
Tumburu is a chieftain of the gandharvas. There is a romantic story told about the love between his daughter Bhaddā Suriyavacchasā (Sanskrit: ) and another gandharva, Pancasikha (Sanskrit: ). Pañcasikha fell in love with Suriyavacchasā when he saw her dancing before Śakra, but she was then in love with Mātali's son Sikhandī (or Sikhaddi). Pañcasikha went to Timbarū's home and played a melody on his flute of beluva-wood, with which he had great skill, and sang a love song in which he interwove themes about the Buddha and the .
Śakra petitioned Pañcasikha to intercede with the Buddha so that he might have an audience with him. As a reward for Pañcasikha's services, Śakra was able to get Suriyavacchasā, already pleased with Pañcasikha's display of skill and devotion, to agree to marry Pañcasikha.
Pañcasikha also acts as a messenger for the Four Heavenly Kings, conveying news from them to Mātali, the latter representing Śakra and the Trayastrimsa Devas.
In Jainism
, Vietnam]] In
Jainism, gandharvas are classed among the eight Vyantara Devas.
The Tiloya Panatti provides a list of ten gandharvas:
-
Hāhā
-
Huhū
-
Nārada
-
Tumbara
-
Vāsava
-
Kadamba
-
Mahāsvara
-
Gītarati
-
Gītarasa
-
Vajravān
The Saṃgrahaṇī Sūtra of the Śvetāmbara sect provides a slightly different list:
-
Hāhā
-
Huhū
-
Tumburu
-
Nārada
-
Ṛṣivādika
-
Bhūtavādika
-
Kadamba
-
Mahākadamba
-
Raivata
-
Viśvāvasu
-
Gītarati
-
Gītayaśas
The Digambara sect describes the gandharvas as having a golden complexion while the Śvetāmbara tradition recognizes them as blackish. The Tumbaru is their sacred tree.
See also
