The Garments of the Rishis in Indian films

B.N.Hebbar

Ever since the Indian film industry started to make color films depicting the Hindu religious tradition, it has, many a times, improperly depicted the color of the garments worn by the rishis.

Many rishis are shown as wearing saffron robes. This is not proper. Saffron robes are to be worn only by sannya-sins [monks]. The rishis are not sannya-sins. They are members of the third a-śrama [stage of life] which is all but dead in present-day Hinduism. This a-śrama is the va-naprastha-śrama.

How do we know that the rishis are va-naprathins and not sannya-sins? It is clear for two reasons. Firstly, the rishis are depicted in our holy scriptures as people who were continuously engaged in the performances of yajn~as [fire-sacrifices]. Sannya-sins cannot perform yajn~as. Secondly, rishis had spouses. Sage Jamadagni’s wife was Renuka-; Sage Atri’s wife was Anasu-ya-; Sage Gautama’s wife was Ahalya-; Sage Vasishtha’s wife was Arundhati- and so on. Sannya-sins cannot have spouses.

Therefore, rishis may always be depicted as wearing white, red, green, yellow or brown garments but not saffron robes which belong exclusively to the members of the fourth a-śrama.

I urge that responsible and authoritative members of the Hindu religious tradition get this matter rectified with the producers, directors and artists in the Indian film industry so that the garments of the rishis are properly depicted in consonance with their a-śrama.

I know it is a trivial issue. However, I feel it needs to be dealt with as the whole purpose of being proper is to be distinct from that which is improper. In short, right is not right unless it is right; and wrong cannot be right.