The Kumaras are four sages (rishis) from the Puranic texts of Hinduism who roam the universe as children,[1][2] generally named Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanatkumara.

Born from Brahma's mind, the four Kumaras undertook lifelong vows of celibacy (brahmacharya) against the wishes of their father.

[4] The Bhagavata Purana lists the Kumaras among the twelve mahajanas (great devotees or bhaktas)[5] who although being eternally liberated souls from birth, still became attracted to the devotional service of Vishnu from their already enlightened state.

[7] Individual names usually include Sanaka (ancient), Sanatana (eternal), Sanandana (ever-joyful) and Sanatkumara (ever-young).

The Chandogya Upanishad, Chapter seven, is about Sanatkumara's Instructions on Bhuma-Vidya to celestial sage Narada,[12][13] Sanatkumara finds mention across Mahabharata, as a great sage, who dispels doubts[14][15] and the preceptor in all matters affecting Yoga[16] Also mentioned is the Tirtha of Kanakhala near Gangadwara or Haridwar, where through extensive tapas, he attained great ascetic powers.

Brahma ordered them to aid in the creation, but as manifestations of sattva (purity), and uninterested in worldly life, they refused and instead devoted themselves to God and celibacy, against the wishes of their father.

[7][18] The Bhagavata Purana narrates further that their refusal made Brahma angry and his wrath manifested into the deity Shiva.

[20] The four Kumaras are said to reside in Janaloka or Janarloka (loka or world of the intellectuals in the present parlance) or in Vishnu's abode of Vaikuntha.

[18] The Shanti Parva book of the Mahabharata describes the discourse given by the four Kumaras to the demon king Vritra and his guru – the sage Shukra.

Then Sanatkumara categorizes all beings into six colours depending upon the proportion of the three gunas: sattva (pure), rajas (dim) and tamas (dark).

The Vishnu Purana mentions non-living things, lower animals and birds, humans, Prajapatis, gods and the Kumaras are respective examples of the above colours.

Sanatkumara elaborates further how a Jiva (living entity) journeys from dark to white in his various births, ultimately gaining moksha if he does good deeds, devotion and yoga.

[23][24] The Bhagavata Purana narrates the visit of the four Kumaras to the court of King Prithu, the first sovereign in Hindu mythology and an avatar of Vishnu.

The king worships the sages and asked them about the way of emancipation (moksha) that can be followed by all people who are caught in the web of worldly things.

One should be freed from material objects, live a simple life of non-violence and devotion of Vishnu and follow the teachings of a good guru and undergo self-realisation.

The city, with the residence of Vishnu located at the center of seven circular walls, is considered as a place of bliss and purity.

The angry guardians stopped the four Kumaras and laughed at them since they looked like children and were also naked, and did not permit them to enter through the seventh gate.

Enraged, the Kumaras cursed them to be born on earth thrice, as three villains with characteristics of "lust, anger and greed".

The two banished guards were then born on earth in the Satya Yuga at an inauspicious hour, to the sage Kashyapa and his wife Diti (daughter of Daksha) as asuras.

[2][28] In the second life, during the Treta Yuga, they were born as Ravana and Kumbhakarna and defeated and killed by Rama avatar as mentioned in the epic Ramayana.

Shaivas believe that Shiva assumed the form of Dakshinamurti, the great teacher and meditating facing South observing a vow of silence.

Sage Atharva approached Shiva to gain his approval of his collected knowledge, which he gathered from the universe using his divine powers.

[citation needed] An incident about the meeting of the four Kumaras with Vishnu's avatar Rama is narrated in the Uttarakanda of the Ramcharitmanas.

The sages were wonderstruck looking at the divinity of Rama that they prostrated before him and out of great ecstasy started shedding tears of happiness.

Rama looking at the sages was deeply impressed and asked them to be seated and praised them for their great achievements and their erudite knowledge of the Vedas and Puranas.