The Siva Maha Puranam contains many stories of the great Gautama Maharsi. There is also a reference to him in the Vishnu Puranam. And the Valmiki Ramayanam has one story about him.
So we have a lot to talk about today.
Gautama, A Vedic Composer and the author of the Nyaya Sastra.
Veda Vyasa, arranged some of the hymns that Gautama wrote into the Rg Veda. Gauthama’s own sons and disciples made a different compilation or collection of Gautama’s hymns. So if your forefather studied under Jaimini and other disciples of Vyasa, they will have a somewhat different set or ‘recension’, than the descendants and disciples of Gauthama. Gautama is also famous for the Nyaya Sastra.
http://is1.mum.edu/vedicreserve/darshanas/nyaya.pdf
Gautama, the maternal grandfather of Hanuman. (from Siva Maha Puranam)
One very interesting thing that I found out about Gauthama Maharshi in the Siva Purana, is that he was Anjana’s father. And Anjana is Hanuman’s mother. And Hanuman or Anjaneya is every child’s favorite, from Valmiki’s Ramayana. Hanuman was a Vanara. Many children like Hanuman not only for the wonderful things that he did, and his nice nature, but also for his very long tail. We know now, that Vanara means forest dweller and that the Vanaras were definitely human, by the species definition. But we shall keep this knowledge in a small box, put a lid on it, and continue to love Hanuman with a long and handy tail, just like the centuries of Indians loved him before us. There, that is decided! After all, we are not muggles!
Gautama, the paternal grandfather of Nachiketas. (Katha Upanishad).
Another interesting thing that I found in the Katha Upanishad is that, Nachiketas was the son of Yaajasrava, who was the son of Yajasrava, who was Gauthama’s son. And Nachiketas was the small boy who went and visited Mrutyu (Death), got 3 boons and one extra from him and learnt all about the Brahman (the great, absolute, formless God) and about a special Naciketas Fire for use in the Vedic Yajnas. Sri Krishna used some slokas from the Katha Upanishad in the Bhagavad Gita. So we know how important it is.
Gautama’s son Satananda was the priest of Raja Janaka, Sita Devi’s father and Sri Rama’s father-in-law.
Many, many Indian boys are called Gautam, these days. And they think that they are named after Gautama Buddha. But do you know that Price Siddhartha who became the Buddha, was named after his aunt Gautami, who raised him? Gautami is the name of the river Godavari. And did you know that the river Godavari is was named Gautami after Gautama Maharshi? So if your name is Gautham, may be you are named after Gautama Maharshi himself!
Gautama Maharshi was a phenomenally gentle and forgiving soul. Once, when a cow was eating up his crops, he tried to shoo it with a blade of grass!
Read More at : http://ancientindians.net/2010/09/08/gauthama-maharshi-from-the-siva-puranam/
