Brhaspati is a sage of great wisdom and famous for his aphorisms relating to dharma, niti, logic and silpa. In the Rgveda he is mentioned in eleven suktas and has been called also as Brahmanaspati. About one forty-two references of Brhaspati in the Vedic literature suggests his significance in various capacities. He was regarded as a deity (devatā), a ritual priest (purohita), the composer as well as as svami of Vedic sūtras, bestower of knowledge and riches and also a god who was usually prayed for success in the wars. Bṛhaspati the son of Angirasa was friendly to various other gods such as Agni, Marut, Pusan etc. But his association with Indra had special significance in the 'Rgveda', and the 'Samveda'. The 'Samveda' regards him as the deity of speech (Vak), hence the presiding deity of knowledge. In the later Vedic literature major stress is given on the priesthood of Bṛhaspati. The Taittiriya calls him 'Devanam Purohitaḥ (2.7.12). Almost all the Maha Puranas mention various incidents related with Brhaspati and his family. In this class of literature he is treated as the priest or guru of deities. Therefore, Puranas mention that on the occassion of difficulty, Bṛhaspati was invariably consulted for his opinion by the gods. The 'Bhagavat Purana', in a significant passage (5.24.24) calls Bṛhaspati the 'saciva' of Indra the king of gods. This brings the relation of Bṛhaspati as the exponent of polity. As the Exponent of 'nitisastra' his exclusive significance was recognised sometime after post Vedic period (800 B.C.) and his various aphorisms were current as guide-lines to the contemporary kings in matters of polity (niti). As a matter of fact, the tradition of Bṛhaspati school of thought continued for ages under two broad categories, relating to 'dharma' (guide lines for the course of conduct of individual and community) and niti (guide lines to kings and statecraft). His aphorisms relating 'dharma' has been collected in form of Smrti by Ramaswami Aiyangar under the title 'Brhaspati Smrti (Gaikwad Oriental Series, Vol. LXXXV). This volume covers various aspects of 'niti' also. A comprehensive study of such 'nitis', particularly given in the Vyavaharakanda of Bṛhaspati Smrti has been studied by Raghavendra Vajpai in his 'Barhaspatya Rajya Vyavastha (1966).
It appears that Bṛhaspati was first among political thinkers, who laid the foundation of the principles of political economy, as the basis of polity and administration. Traditionally Vidya was known as four-fold. They are Trayi, the Anviksiki, the Varta and the Dandaniti'. The great acharya Brhaspati prudently assimilated 'Varta' and 'Dandnīti' under the title 'Arthasastra'. The counterpart of 'Arthasastra'of Bṛhaspati is Dharmasastra of the Manava school. But there were other schools of political thought in the pre-Kautilyan era, such as of Usanas, Sukra, Bharadvaja, Visalaksa, Parasara, Pisun, Kaundanta, Vastavyadhi, Bahudantiputra etc. There was Manava school of polity also, referred in the Kautilya's Arthasastra variously. While Visalaksa and Bahudantiputra were the followers of Bṛhaspati school, it is difficult to determine, how far other teachers of polity were influenced by Brhaspati.
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