Marici Rishi

Marici Rishi 

Marici Rishi is a member of the Saptarishis, or Seven Great Sages, of the first Manvantara. A son of Lord Brahma, his name, Marici, means 'a ray of light'. Among other great rishis, "Pulastya was generated from the ears, Angira from the mouth, Atri from the eyes, Marici from the mind and Pulaha from the navel of Brahma." (Srimad Bhagavatam 3.12.24)

Sage Marici is also considered to be one of the Manasaputras, or a ruler (Prajapati) created from Brahma's mind. the other nine Prajapatis are as follows:

Atri
Angirasa
Pulaha
Pulasthya
Krathu
Vasishta
Prachethasa
Bhrigu
Narada

Kardama Muni's daughter Kala was married to Marici, and they had two children, whose names were Kasyapa and Purnima. "Their descendants are spread all over the world." (SB 4.1.13) Kashyap is sometimes also named as a Prajapati, having inherited the office from his father.

"…all three, namely Brahma, Visnu and Siva, are incarnations of the Garbhodakasayi Visnu. From Brahma the other demigods like Daksa, Marici, Manu and many others become incarnated to generate living entities within the universe. (SB 1.3.5 Purport)

In Bhagavad-gita 10.21, Lord Krsna says:

adityanam aham vishnur
jyotisham ravir amsuman
maricir marutam asmi
nakshatranam aham sasi

"Of the Ādityas I am Vishnu, of lights I am the radiant sun, of the Maruts I am Marici, and among the stars I am the moon."

In the purport, Srila Prabhupada states that Marici is the controlling deity of the heavenly spaces. He is also the author of the Vimanachana Kalpa. And in Srimad Bhagavatam 4.1.8, there is a description of Marici Rishi becoming a Saptarishi under Svayambhuva Manu:

tusita nama te deva
asan svayambhuvantare
marici-misra rsayo
yajnah sura-ganesvarah

"During the time of Svayambhuva Manu, these sons all became the demigods collectively named the Tusitas. Marici became the head of the seven rsis, and Yajna became the king of the demigods, Indra.

PURPORT: During the life of Svayambhuva Manu, six kinds of living entities were generated from the demigods known as the Tusitas, from the sages headed by Marici, and from descendants of Yajna, king of the demigods, and all of them expanded their progeny to observe the order of the Lord to fill the universe with living entities. These six kinds of living entities are known as manus, devas, manu-putras, amsavataras, suresvaras and rsis. Yajna, being the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, became the leader of the demigods, Indra."

We find this reference in Srimad Bhagavatam 1.6.30-31 which states that:

"After 4,300,000,000 solar years, when Brahma awoke to create again by the will of the Lord, all the rsis like Marici, Angira, Atri and so on were created from the transcendental body of the Lord, and I also appeared along with them."

And in the Bhaktivedanta Purport to verse 31 we read:

"The causeless mercy of Lord Visnu is unparalleled, and such mercy is perceived by the devotees only by the grace of the Lord. Therefore, the devotees never fall down, but the materialists, i.e., the fruitive workers and the speculative philosophers, do fall down, being forced by their respective modes of nature. The rsis, as above mentioned, cannot enter into the transcendental world like Narada. This fact is disclosed in the Narasimha Purana. Rsis like Marici are authorities in fruitive work, and rsis like Sanaka and Sanatana are authorities in philosophical speculations. But Sri Narada Muni is the prime authority for transcendental devotional service of the Lord. All the great authorities in the devotional service of the Lord follow in the footsteps of Narada Muni in the order of the Narada-bhakti-sutra, and therefore all the devotees of the Lord are unhesitatingly qualified to enter into the kingdom of God, Vaikuntha."

REFERENCES:

Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhaktivedanta Book Trus;
Inhabitants of the Worlds Sir John Woodroffe (1913)
Wikipedia

Source: Sampradaya Sun