Meeting Shukracharya (Mrit Sanjeevani Vidya)
Do you know this guy has the magic power to bring back dead people to life? He’s Shukracharya, the Guru of the Asura race & here’s his story.
Shukracharya was actually born as उशनस् (Ushanas) to Maharishi Bhrigu, one of the 7 original rishis, and Kavyamata.
He was an ambitious young chap with a lot of hunger for power & knowledge, so when his first guru Angiras showed nepotism to another student, Brihaspati, he got pissed & switched schools with Rishi Gautama.
Unfortunately, he was time & again insulted by the Devtas even when he offered to be their guru.
But the worst episode of his life was when Vishnu had to use the Sudarshan Chakra to slay his mother who was simply giving the Asuras shelter from the Devtas in their war, which permanently damaged his relationship with them.
Ushanas knew that the Asuras were always going to be at a disadvantage against the Devtas with no one to mentor them, so he decided to change the game by gaining the Mrit Sanjeevani Vidya, the power to resurrect the dead, which could only be given by Mahadev.
He did intense tapasya, hanging upside down for tens of thousands of years, rejecting all attempts by Indra to ruin his plan, and achieving the boon from Shiva.
Legend goes that in one of the battles, he was gulped by Shiva’s cosmic mouth, and then he escaped that black hole as semen, which is where he gets his name Shukra, granting him the title of being Shiva’s son.
Shukra continues to mentor & coach the Asuras like King Bali, not only bringing them back to life, but keeping things spicy in the eternal cosmic war. He knows he’s fighting for the dark side but you have to respect him for being loyal.
He also authored one of the earliest scriptures on politics & warfare, the Shukraniti so he’s a pretty smart guy.
And for his feats, he was also elevated to the status of the Navgrahas or 9 space powers, as Shukra, with the mascot being the planet Venus, which affects areas like your beauty, relationship, sexual life & marriage.
Today, you can visit the Guru Shukracharya Mandir in Bet Kopargaon, Maharashtra, or the Shukreshwar Mahadev Temple in Varanasi to feel his power.