Rishi

Strange world is today where people give themselves titles, upadhies of Satguru, Guru, or Brahma Ŕsï or Maha Ŕsï or have honoric names as per their choice while in reality none dared to claim titles earlier without passing through personal enlightenment  process by one’s efforts and action wherein the God’s and Divinities were more of facilitators and not as the sole provider of Salvation. All the paths of knowledge (Jnana), Action(Karma), Yoga (cosmic Union) were nothing but tools of attaining the goals of knowing the self.In the traditional form of gaining enlightenment it is known that penance was done to gain boons from the Trinities of Hindu Gods (Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma) but they were never worshipped to gain anything material  nor were they idolized in any format except as a form of light.

Even the hierarchies had been clearly laid for the path and how they have evolve from one stage to another of attainment. Evolution began from the stage of a Sadhaka (seeker) and through penance one attained the stage of Pranava Rishi, passing through nearly 64 levels of Ŕsï’ s comprising of

1. Mahaadi Ŕsï

2. Mahakaal Ŕsï

3. Kaal Ŕsï

4. Brahmand Ŕsï

5. Brahmakalp Ŕsï

6. Pratikalpa Ŕsï

7. Kalpadi Ŕsï

8. Kalpa Ŕsï

9. Samvrtakalpa Ŕsï

10. Devadi Ŕsï

11. Aghor Ŕsï

12. Deva Ŕsï

13. Satya Ŕsï

14. Manvatar Ŕsï

15. Aghoraghoratara Ŕsï

16. Maitri Ŕsï

17. Brahma Ŕsï

18. Aghoracaksus Ŕsï

19. Arga Ŕsï

20. Kana Ŕsï

21. Rajadhi Ŕsï

22. Kapalamalin Ŕsï

23. Tejistha Ŕsï

24. Raja Ŕsï

25. Mahat Ŕsï

26. Maha Ŕsï

27. Jivamukta Ŕsï

28. Parama Ŕsï,

29. Kanda Ŕsï

30. Sutra Ŕsï

31. Sruta Ŕsï

32. Vipra Ŕsï

33. Vipazayati Ŕsï

34. Siddha Ŕsï

35. Tapa Ŕsï

36. Daanva Ŕsï

37. Daitya Ŕsï

38. Gandharva Ŕsï

39. Pramujacati Ŕsï

40. Indirayanigraha Ŕsï

41. Jana Ŕsï

42. Mantrakrit Ŕsï

43. Kamandha Ŕsï

44. Shukshmadrishti Ŕsï

45. Antardrishti Ŕsï

46. Anatahkaran Ŕsï

47. Divyadrishti Ŕsï

48. Mantrakritsama Ŕsï

49. Kamandalava Ŕsï

50. Grihastha Ŕsï

51. Urdhvaretas Ŕsï

52. Asramavasis Ŕsï

53. Yayavaras Ŕsï

54. Purohita- vrittikas Ŕsï

55. Sadharana vrittikas Ŕsï

56. Saastras adyapakas Ŕsï

57. Sastras adhyapakas Ŕsï

58. Samarambha Ŕsï

59. Ugra tapasvis Ŕsï

60. Stoka Ŕsï

61. Spurata Ŕsï

62. Mumuksa Ŕsï

63. Sukumara Ŕsï

64. Sadharana tapsvis Ŕsï

Where even the titles like Paramhamsa, Sadhu, Sanyasi, Swami, Acharya are only forming a miniscule part of the whole lineage of englithenment process. Most of Ŕsï’s were having family, and rarely follow the path of Brahmacharya as known today of remaining celibates or hiding the facts that they are married.

~Maitreya Rudrabhayananda