Rishi Mudgala, also known as Rajarshi Mudgala (or written as Mudgal), is one of the Rajarshi in Hinduism. He was originally born as a Kshatriya (warrior) king and lived a royal luxurious lifestyle. Later on due to severe meditation, tapasya, Yoga, he received Brahmatva (Nirvana), due to which his descendants were later on known as Brahmins.

Mudgal surname is also spelled as Mudgil, Modgil, Moudgil in some areas. In North India Mudgala Gotra is shared by Gaur/Gaud Brahmins, Saraswat Brahmins and Tyagi Brahmins. In Bengal, Moudgil or Moudgilya gotra is present among Vaidyas/ Baidyas.Bengalis with Dasgupta surname are Moudgils. In Nepal, Maudgalya Gotra is shared by some Khas Chhettri (Kshyatriya) clans and some Brahmins. Rishi Mudgal wrote 1 Upanishad out of 108 Upanishads named Mudgala Upanishad. Mudgala Upanishad is of a very special type and unique amongst all Upanishads ever written. It is the foundation of Vaishnavism, asserting that Vishnu is the Purusha, or primordial entity. The great sage strongly believed in simple living high thinking and had a high-level patience amongst other Rishis.

Rishi Mudgala was the son of a Chandravanshi /Nagavanshi Kshatriya King Bhamyarswa of Panchala Rajya, at present the Punjab State of India. He is considered as one of the Rajarshi in Hinduism next to Vishvamitra. Rishi Mudgala ruled over his kingdom as well as he taught as a Kulaguru in a Gurukula.

According to Bhagavad Gita, Mudgala had 50 Sons. Rishi Mudgala continued to be Brahmins and other were known as Brahmin Kings of Rishi Mudgala's lineage.

Rishi Mudgala was married to Nalayani Indrasenā, daughter of Nishada's King Nala and Queen Damayanti. Mudgala and Indrasenā gave birth to Vadhryasva, Divodas, and Ahalya. Nalayani served Mudgala with whole heart even when Mudgala was suffering from leprosy. Happy with her service Mudgala offered a boon to Nalayani. Nalayani wanted to consummate their bond properly and Mudgala granted her wish in five forms. When Rishi Mudgala attained moksha, he left the mortal life but Nalayani in her next birth, when she could not find a matching suitor, did penance for Lord Shiva. When Lord Shiva appeared to give her boon she asked for a husband five times in her eagerness so Shiva granted her the boon for five husbands with some exceptions. That is the secret for the birth of Draupadi in Mahabharata and being married to Pandavas who were incarnations of Yama, Vayu, Indra and Ashwini devathas who came to earth for restoring dharma on Earth.

A seal from Sumer, (of Mudgala, Lord of Edin, Minister to Uruas) shows the word Azu, which meant water-divinator (lit. water knower), and additionally, physician. Lord Mudgala was the son of Uruas the Khad, who was the first dynasty of Sumeria (via Phoenicia) of the fourth millennium BCE.

The maudgil brahmins of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, are said to have come from Lanka during Ravana's marriage to Mandodari. They are considered as descendants of Ravana.

Mudgala was a descendant of Ajamidha's dynasty, forming the most prominent Northern Panchala dynasty of Mahabharata. His genealogy from Ajamidha goes on as follows: