Lord Shiva

Stories You Need To Know

Piplaad Avatar

Avatar is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means “descent”. It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a deity on Earth. The relative verb to “alight, to make one’s appearance” is sometimes used to refer to any guru or revered human being.

Incarnation concepts that are in some aspects similar to avatar are also found in Buddhism, Christianity, and other religions.

To sustain the law and balance of nature or existence, Lord Shiva took many avatars in various yugas. Kurma Purana talks about 28 avatars of Shiva but in Shiva Purana,19 Avatars of Shiva are mentioned.

Lord Shiva took birth in the house of Rishi Dadhichi as Piplaad. But the sage is said to have left the house due to the positioning of the Shani. So, Piplaad cursed Shani and caused the planet to fall from its celestial abode. Later, he forgave Shani on the condition that the planet would never trouble anyone before 16 years of age. Hence, worshipping the Piplaad form of Lord Shiva helps to get rid of Shani dosha.

Pippalada was an ancient Indian Vedic sage and philosopher in Hindu tradition. He is known to have written the Prashna Upanishad, which is among the ten Mukhya Upanishads. He was the founder of the Pippalada School of thought, which taught the Atharvaveda.

Different information is available about the names of his parents from different sources. According to some sources it was born to Dadhichi Rishi from a wife named Pratithei (Vadva or Gabhastini). But in many texts, its mother’s name is given as Suvarcha or Subhadra. Of these, Subhadra was the maidservant of Rishi Dadhichi.

 In the Skanda Purana and many other texts, he is referred to as Yajnavalkya .and is said to be the son of his sister. Still, he is famous as the son of Rishi Dadhichi. At the time of Dadhichi’s death, his wife Pratitheyi was pregnant. Upon hearing the news of her husband’s death, she took out her womb by severing her abdomen and keeping it under a Peepal tree, she committed Sati along with Dadhichi’s body. Peepal tree protected that womb.

 Because of this, the boy got the name Pipplad. Animals and birds protected it, and Soma made it proficient in all the disciplines.

Believing Shani to be the cause of the troubles he had received during his childhood, he brought him down. Being troubled, Shani came to his shelter. He left Shani Graha on the condition that he should give trouble to children below twelve years of age. 

In many texts, instead of twelve years, instructions for sixteen years are also received. That is why even today the Pipplad, Gadhi, and Kaushik sages are remembered to get rid of Shani’s pain. 

To Be Continued…Avatars Of Shiva