The Surname(also spelled as-Prashar,Parasar,Prasar,Parasara,Parashar) traces its origins back to Vedic India(2000-1000 BCE) and today used by high caste Hindu Brahmins who claim ancestry from the famous ancient hindu vedic scholar-Rishi Parashara. Parashara was a Rigvedic Maharishi(the great sage) and author of many ancient Indian texts. Parashara (or Parashar) was the grandson of Vashista, the son of Śakti Maharṣi, and the father of Vyasa. There are several texts which give reference to Parāśara as an author/speaker. Modern scholars believe that there were many individuals who used this name throughout time whereas others assert that the same Parāśara taught these various texts and the time of writing them varied. The actual sage himself never wrote the texts, he was known as a traveling teacher, and the various texts attributed to him are given in reference to Parāśara being the speaker to his student. In south India high caste hindu brahmins he is revered as the third member of the Rishi Parampara of the Advaita Guru Parampara.According to the Vedas, Brahma(the creator or the greta architect) created Vashista who with Arundhati had a son named Shakti-muni who sired Parāśara. With Satyavati, Parāśara fathered Vyasa(another great vedic sage). According to the greatest Indian epic -The Mahabharata Vyasa sired Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura through his dead brother's wives. Vyasa also sired Śuka through his wife, Jābāli's daughter Pinjalā (Vatikā). Thus Parashara was the great-grandfather of both the warring parties of the Mahābhārata, the Kauravas and the Pāndavas.Thus the lineage of surname Parashar carries a great mythological (and to some extent historical) significance amongst the hindus.
According to the Vedas, Brahma created Vasishtha, who, with his wife Arundhati, had a son named Śakti Mahariṣhi who sired Parashara. With Satyavati, Parashara fathered Vyasa. Vyāsa sired Dhritarashtra and Pandu through his deceased brother's wives, Ambika and Ambalika and Vidura through a hand-maiden of Ambika and Ambalika. Vyāsa also sired Shuka through his wife, Jābāli's daughter Pinjalā. Thus Parashara was the great-grandfather of both the warring parties of the Mahābhārata, the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Parashara is used as a gotra for the ancestors and their off springs thereon.
Parashara was raised by his grandfather Vasishtha because he lost his father at an early age. His father, Śakti Muni, was on a journey and came across an angry Rakshasa (demon) who had once been a king but was turned into a demon feeding on human flesh as a curse from Viśvamitra. The demon devoured Parashara’s father. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Parashara speaks about his anger from this.
"I had heard that my father had been devoured by a Rākṣasa employed by Viśvamitra: violent anger seized me, and I commenced a sacrifice for the destruction of the Rākṣasas: hundreds of them were reduced to ashes by the rite, when, as they were about to be entirely exterminated, my grandfather Vasishtha said to me: Enough, my child; let thy wrath be appeased: the Rākṣasas are not culpable: thy father's death was the work of destiny. Anger is the passion of fools; it becometh not a wise man. By whom, it may be asked, is anyone killed? Every man reaps the consequences of his own acts. Anger, my son, is the destruction of all that man obtains by arduous exertions, of fame, and of devout austerities; and prevents the attainment of heaven or of emancipation. The chief sages always shun wrath: be not subject to its influence, my child. Let no more of these unoffending spirits of darkness be consumed. Mercy is the might of the righteous.
Parashara Muni (Sage), at the wish of Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Mahadev, who maintain, create and destroy in time the entire universe, on one of his travels across the country, halted for the night in a little hamlet on the banks of the river Yamuna. He was put up in the house of the fisherman-chieftain Dusharaj. When dawn broke, the chief asked his daughter, Matsyagandha, whose name means "one with the smell of fish", to ferry the sage to his next destination. When in the ferry, Parashara was attracted by the beautiful girl. He created an island within the river by his mystic potency and asked her to land the boat there. Seeing people on the river's bank, she demurred, at which time the sage created a dense fog which enveloped the entire river. Parashara blessed her with a son, Krishna Dvaipāyana, who was dark-complexioned and hence may be called by the name Krishna (black), and also the name Dwaipayana, meaning 'island-born'. He later compiled the classic Vedic literatures of India, and so is called Vyasa who is the 17th incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Parashara granted her the boon that the finest fragrance may emit from her person. She was thereafter known as Satyavati (pure fragrance).
Leaving Satyavati in the care of Vyasa, Parashara proceeded to perform Tapas (intense meditation). Later Vyasa also became a Rishi and Satyavati returned to her father's house, and in due course, married Śantanu.
Parashara was known as the "limping sage". He had his leg wounded during an attack on his āśrama. When a ṛṣi dies he merges back into an element or an archetype. When Sage Parashara was walking through a dense forest he and his students were attacked by wolves. He was unable to get away in his old age with a lame leg he left this world merging into the wolves.
The Monument of Parashara Muni is available at Junha - Panhala fort in Tal Kavathe Mahankal Sangli district of Maharashtra. A cave supposed to be of Parāśāra Muni is present at the fort.
Historical landmarks:1.)The birth place of Sage Parashara is believed to be at Panhala fort in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra,India. A cave supposed to be of the great sage-Parasharis present at the fort.Panhala is located at 16°49′12″N and 74°7′12″E. It has an average elevation of 754 metres (2473 feet).
2.)Prashar Lake lies 49 km north of Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India, with a three storied pagoda-like temple dedicated to the sage Prashar. The lake is located at a height of 2730 m above sea level. With deep blue waters, the lake is held sacred to the sage Parashar and he is regarded to have meditated there. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks and looking down on the fast flowing river Beas, the lake can be approached via Drang in the Indian himalayan state of himachal pradesh. The temple was built in the thirteenth century and legend has it was built by a baby from a single tree. The lake has a floating island in it where the great sage is supposed to have meditated.
3.)Jagatpita Brahma Mandir (Hindi: जगत्-पिता ब्रह्मा मंदिर) is a Hindu temple situated at Pushkar in the Indian state of Rajasthan, close to the sacred Pushkar Lake to which its legend has an indelible link. The temple is one of very few existing temples dedicated to the Hindu creator-god Brahma in India and remains the most prominent among them
According to the Vedas, Brahma created Vasishtha, who, with his wife Arundhati, had a son named Śakti Mahariṣhi who sired Parashara. With Satyavati, Parashara fathered Vyasa. Vyāsa sired Dhritarashtra and Pandu through his deceased brother's wives, Ambika and Ambalika and Vidura through a hand-maiden of Ambika and Ambalika. Vyāsa also sired Shuka through his wife, Jābāli's daughter Pinjalā. Thus Parashara was the great-grandfather of both the warring parties of the Mahābhārata, the Kauravas and the Pandavas. Parashara is used as a gotra for the ancestors and their off springs thereon.
Parashara was raised by his grandfather Vasishtha because he lost his father at an early age. His father, Śakti Muni, was on a journey and came across an angry Rakshasa (demon) who had once been a king but was turned into a demon feeding on human flesh as a curse from Viśvamitra. The demon devoured Parashara’s father. In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa, Parashara speaks about his anger from this.
"I had heard that my father had been devoured by a Rākṣasa employed by Viśvamitra: violent anger seized me, and I commenced a sacrifice for the destruction of the Rākṣasas: hundreds of them were reduced to ashes by the rite, when, as they were about to be entirely exterminated, my grandfather Vasishtha said to me: Enough, my child; let thy wrath be appeased: the Rākṣasas are not culpable: thy father's death was the work of destiny. Anger is the passion of fools; it becometh not a wise man. By whom, it may be asked, is anyone killed? Every man reaps the consequences of his own acts. Anger, my son, is the destruction of all that man obtains by arduous exertions, of fame, and of devout austerities; and prevents the attainment of heaven or of emancipation. The chief sages always shun wrath: be not subject to its influence, my child. Let no more of these unoffending spirits of darkness be consumed. Mercy is the might of the righteous.
Parashara Muni (Sage), at the wish of Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Mahadev, who maintain, create and destroy in time the entire universe, on one of his travels across the country, halted for the night in a little hamlet on the banks of the river Yamuna. He was put up in the house of the fisherman-chieftain Dusharaj. When dawn broke, the chief asked his daughter, Matsyagandha, whose name means "one with the smell of fish", to ferry the sage to his next destination. When in the ferry, Parashara was attracted by the beautiful girl. He created an island within the river by his mystic potency and asked her to land the boat there. Seeing people on the river's bank, she demurred, at which time the sage created a dense fog which enveloped the entire river. Parashara blessed her with a son, Krishna Dvaipāyana, who was dark-complexioned and hence may be called by the name Krishna (black), and also the name Dwaipayana, meaning 'island-born'. He later compiled the classic Vedic literatures of India, and so is called Vyasa who is the 17th incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Parashara granted her the boon that the finest fragrance may emit from her person. She was thereafter known as Satyavati (pure fragrance).
Leaving Satyavati in the care of Vyasa, Parashara proceeded to perform Tapas (intense meditation). Later Vyasa also became a Rishi and Satyavati returned to her father's house, and in due course, married Śantanu.
Parashara was known as the "limping sage". He had his leg wounded during an attack on his āśrama. When a ṛṣi dies he merges back into an element or an archetype. When Sage Parashara was walking through a dense forest he and his students were attacked by wolves. He was unable to get away in his old age with a lame leg he left this world merging into the wolves.
The Monument of Parashara Muni is available at Junha - Panhala fort in Tal Kavathe Mahankal Sangli district of Maharashtra. A cave supposed to be of Parāśāra Muni is present at the fort.
Historical landmarks:1.)The birth place of Sage Parashara is believed to be at Panhala fort in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra,India. A cave supposed to be of the great sage-Parasharis present at the fort.Panhala is located at 16°49′12″N and 74°7′12″E. It has an average elevation of 754 metres (2473 feet).
2.)Prashar Lake lies 49 km north of Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, India, with a three storied pagoda-like temple dedicated to the sage Prashar. The lake is located at a height of 2730 m above sea level. With deep blue waters, the lake is held sacred to the sage Parashar and he is regarded to have meditated there. Surrounded by snow-capped peaks and looking down on the fast flowing river Beas, the lake can be approached via Drang in the Indian himalayan state of himachal pradesh. The temple was built in the thirteenth century and legend has it was built by a baby from a single tree. The lake has a floating island in it where the great sage is supposed to have meditated.
3.)Jagatpita Brahma Mandir (Hindi: जगत्-पिता ब्रह्मा मंदिर) is a Hindu temple situated at Pushkar in the Indian state of Rajasthan, close to the sacred Pushkar Lake to which its legend has an indelible link. The temple is one of very few existing temples dedicated to the Hindu creator-god Brahma in India and remains the most prominent among them
