Was Vasiṣṭha the mind born son of Urvaśī?

 

According to Puranas, Sages Agastya and Vasiṣṭha were born from the semen of the twin deities Mitra and Varuna, who discharged it into a pot (kumbha) after seeing the apsara Urvashi, leading to Agastya being known as Kumbha-Sambhava (born from a pot).

The following shlokas, narrating the above story, is from Bhagavata Puranam, a text containing stories of Vishnu.

वाल्मीकिश्च महायोगी वल्मीकादभवत्किल ।
अगस्त्यश्च वसिष्ठश्च मित्रावरुणयोरृषी ॥ ५ ॥

vālmīkiśca mahāyogī valmīkādabhavatkila |
agastyaśca vasiṣṭhaśca mitrāvaruṇayorṛṣī || Verse 6.18.5 ||

 

By the semen of Varuṇa, the great mystic Vālmīki took birth from an anthill. Bhṛgu and Vālmīki were specific sons of Varuṇa, whereas Agastya and Vasiṣṭha Ṛṣis were the common sons of Varuṇa and Mitra, the tenth son of Aditi.

रेतः सिषिचतुः कुम्भे उर्वश्याः सन्निधौ द्रुतम् ।
रेवत्यां मित्र उत्सर्गमरिष्टं पिप्पलं व्यधात् ॥ ६ ॥

retaḥ siṣicatuḥ kumbhe urvaśyāḥ sannidhau drutam |
revatyāṃ mitra utsargamariṣṭaṃ pippalaṃ vyadhāt || Verse 6.18.6 ||

 

Upon seeing Urvaśī, the celestial society girl, both Mitra and Varuṇa discharged semen, which they preserved in an earthen pot. The two sons Agastya and Vasiṣṭha later appeared from that pot, and they are therefore the common sons of Mitra and Varuṇa.

Mitra begot three sons in the womb of his wife, whose name was Revatī. Their names were Utsarga, Ariṣṭa and Pippala.

-----

According to the interpretation provided:

retaḥ — semen; 

siṣicatuḥ — discharged;

 kumbhe — in an earthen pot; 

urvaśyāḥ — of Urvaśī

-----

However, the source of this puranic story is Rig Veda.  Consider the following Rik from Rig Veda, wherein the birth of two was mentioned.   

retaḥ should be understood as the DIVINE energy of the VARUNA and MITRA, instead of semen.

siṣicatuḥ should be understood as flowing of energy from DIVINITY to Vasistha, instead of ejaculation

kumbhe - the mind of Vasistha, instead of a Pot.

Urvaśī - means Devi Saraswati, but NOT A damsel.

 

Though it was mentioned that one of two that were born was Vasiṣṭha, the second one is not Agastya, but Māna, which meaning was not known to later day scholars.

Rig Veda 7.33.13

सत्रे ह जाताविषिता नमोभिः कुम्भे रेतः सिषिचतुः समानम् । ततो ह मान उदियाय मध्यात्ततो जातमृषिमाहुर्वसिष्ठम् ॥
satre ha jātāv iṣitā namobhiḥ kumbhe retaḥ siṣicatuḥ samānam | tato ha māna ud iyāya madhyāt tato jātam ṛṣim āhur vasiṣṭham ||

English translation:

The two brought into being at a (ritual) Session, aroused by reverences, poured their common semen into a pot. From it arose Māna from the middle. From it they say the seer was born—Vasiṣṭha.

------

Due to considerable lapse of time period between the composition of the original Rik and the Puranas, a forced meaning was obtained in Puranas, and Māna was equated with Agastya. 

Sāyaṇa followed the same pattern and commented as follows in his Ṛgveda-bhāṣya.

Māna: a name of Agastya with reference to his being of the measure of a span at his birth; udiyāya tatoagastyaḥ śamyamātro mahitapaḥ mānena sammito yasmād mānya ihocyate, thence arose the great ascetic Agastya of the measure of a span, as measured by a measure (māna); he is therefore, called upon earth Mānya. Another legend: Agastya was, in a preceding birth, the son of Pulastya.

(Agastya was given the name "Mānya" because of his unusual birth, where he was born with the physical size of a small measure, specifically a span (the distance between the thumb and little finger).

----

In order to understand the actual meaning of मान – Māna, as mentioned in the above Rik, we have to consider the three (3) Riks preceding this Rik (Rig Veda 7.33.13).

Rig Veda 7.33.10

विद्युतो ज्योतिः परि संजिहानं मित्रावरुणा यदपश्यतां त्वा । तत्ते जन्मोतैकं वसिष्ठागस्त्यो यत्त्वा विश आजभार ॥
vidyuto jyotiḥ pari saṃjihānam mitrāvaruṇā yad apaśyatāṃ tvā | tat te janmotaikaṃ vasiṣṭhāgastyo yat tvā viśa ājabhāra ||

English translation:

When Mitra and Varuṇa saw you as light compacting itself from out of the lightning— that was (one) birth of yours, Vasiṣṭha, and (there was) one when Agastya brought you here for the clan.

(Mitra and Varuna being the Adityas, helped Vasiṣṭha in attaining SELF-REALISATION (DIVINE light) from the all-pervading BRAHMAN (LIGHT). Agastya also helped Vasiṣṭha to attain this.)

Rig Veda 7.33.11

उतासि मैत्रावरुणो वसिष्ठोर्वश्या ब्रह्मन्मनसोऽधि जातः । द्रप्सं स्कन्नं ब्रह्मणा दैव्येन विश्वे देवाः पुष्करे त्वाददन्त ॥
utāsi maitrāvaruṇo vasiṣṭhorvaśyā brahman manaso 'dhi jātaḥ | drapsaṃ skannam brahmaṇā daivyena viśve devāḥ puṣkare tvādadanta ||

English translation:

And you are the descendant of Mitra and Varuṇa, O Vasiṣṭha, born from the mind of Urvaśī, from her mind, you formulator. A drop spurted forth: with a heavenly formulation all the gods took you into SPACE.

(With the help of Varuna and Mitra, Vasiṣṭha got the BLESSING of all pervading Devi Saraswati (Urvaśī), and experiencing the BLISS of SELF-REALISATION (drapsaṃ - Soma), divinities bestowed him with ETERNAL HAPPINESS in the SPACE (puṣkare - antariksha).  Thus, he was the mind-born son of Urvaśī.)

Rig Veda 7.33.12

स प्रकेत उभयस्य प्रविद्वान्त्सहस्रदान उत वा सदानः । यमेन ततं परिधिं वयिष्यन्नप्सरसः परि जज्ञे वसिष्ठः ॥
sa praketa ubhayasya pravidvān sahasradāna uta vā sadānaḥ | yamena tatam paridhiṃ vayiṣyann apsarasaḥ pari jajñe vasiṣṭhaḥ ||

English translation:

He, foreknowing of both in his insight, possessing a thousand gifts and one gift (more), intending to weave the covering stretched by Yama, was born from the Apsaras—Vasiṣṭha.

(Vasiṣṭha, the mind born son of DIVINE ENERGY – Apsaras/ Urvaśī, and was able to understand material level as well as the SPIRITUAL level, decided to spread the knowledge given by the Yama, the first person got the SELF- REALISATION.)

----

Hence, मान – Māna, as mentioned in the Rik (Rig Veda 7.33.13) does not indicate Agastya, but indicate DIVINE BLISS or SOMA.

----

Not only Puranas, but even Yāska indicated Urvaśī (उर्वशी) as (the name of) a naiad, instead of understanding the esoteric meaning of Urvaśī as Saraswati.

5.13 of Yāska’s Nirukta (P.81) by Lakshman Sarup

Urvaśī (उर्वशी) is (the name of) a naiad, (so called because) she pervades wide regions (uru and √aś' to pervade '), or she pervades by means of thighs (Ūru + √aś' 'to pervade'), or her desire is great (uru+ √vaś' 'to desire '). Apsarāḥ (a naiad) is one who moves on water. Or else the word apsas is a synonym of beauty; it is derived from the negative of (the root) psā (to devour) : it is not to be devoured, but to be gazed at, or to be made pervasive.  It is for clear perception,' says Sakapuni. In ' Whatever forbidden food ', (apsas signifies) something which is not to be eaten. In 'Pervading indeed ', (the word signifies) pervasive. (Apsarāḥ) is (therefore) one who possesses that (apsas), i. e. a beautiful person: the beauty is either acquired by her or given to her.  On seeing her, the seminal fluid of Mitra and Varuna fell down. (Rig Veda 7.33.11).