Rāmāyaṇa - Bāla-kāṇḍa - Part 7 -The Story of Viśvāmitra

After listening to the story of the city of Viśālā, the brothers along with Sage Viśvāmitra received Sumati’s hospitality and spent the night there. The next morning, they arrived at the outskirts of the magnificent city of Mithilā. Looking at a desolated but resplendent āśrama, Rāma sought to know who it belonged to. Viśvāmitra started narrating –

“This āśrama belonged to Sage Gautama, who performed tapas for many years with his wife Ahalyā. Once, Indra, approached Ahalyā when her husband was away. Driven by lust, he disguised himself as the sage and made advances towards her. Knowing well that he was Indra in disguise, the dull-witted Ahalyā agreed, flattered by the attention she received from the king of the devas. Her desire fulfilled, she hurriedly sent away Indra, lest her husband should notice. However, Gautama, who was like blazing fire spotted Indra in disguise and cursed him – “You shall immediately lose your organ of enjoyment!” He cursed his wife, Ahalyā, as well – “You shall live here for thousands of years, invisible to all creatures. Feeding on air, starved for food, and repenting your actions, you will lie on ashes. Only when Rāma arrives here, you will be purified and will regain your old self.” Uttering this curse, Gautama went to the Himalayan peaks to perform tapas. Indra was in great pain due to the curse and got his organ replaced with that of a ram.

The brothers entered the āśrama with Viśvāmitra and spotted Ahalyā, who looked like a brilliant flame enveloped by smoke. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa fell to her feet and she offered them arghya and pādya. Relieved of her curse, Ahalyā reunited with Gautama.

~

Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa guided by Viśvāmitra entered the yajña-bhūmi on the outskirts of Mithilā and were graciously welcomed by the King Janaka and his purohita Śatānanda. Viśvāmitra introduced the lads to quench the curiosity of the king, upon hearing which,  Śatānanda, the eldest son of Sage Gautama was thrilled. He asked Viśvāmitra if his mother, Ahalyā was now redeemed and reunited with his father. He also enquired if Rāma was offered hospitality from his parents. Viśvāmitra assured him that everything was now fine. Supremely pleased, Śatānanda thanked his divine fortune for having seen Rāma and started narrating the glorious story of Viśvāmitra –

Kauśika[1], the son of Gādhi, was a very noble king. He once went on a royal tour of his kingdom, accompanied by his four-fold army. He chanced upon the āśrama of Sage Vasiṣṭha, who welcomed him with affectionate hospitality. After enquiring about the dhārmic welfare of his kingdom, Vasiṣṭha called his divine cow Śabalā. He said, “O dear Śabalā, quickly manifest all kinds of food and drinks that Kauśika and his large army might desire.” Accordingly, in no time, the Kāmadhenu produced delicious food of all six tastes, to the contentment of all the guests. Pleased, Viśvāmitra wished to procure the cow and requested Vasiṣṭha to send her to him in exchange for a hundred thousand cows. Vasiṣṭha would not part with her, but Viśvāmitra insisted offering larger quantities of wealth. When Vasiṣṭha refused saying that Śabalā was his very life, Viśvāmitra started dragging away the cow with force. Immensely pained, Śabalā manifested a powerful army, upon the behest of Vasiṣṭha which vanquished Viśvāmitra’s army and sons in no time. Viśvāmitra was ashamed of himself with his pride and strength quenched by the cow. Leaving his only remaining son in charge of the kingdom, he retired to the Himālayas and performed tapas.

Mahādeva – Śiva appeared before Viśvāmitra and upon his request granted him the power of all invincible weapons. His pride now overflowed with arrogance. He went to Vasiṣṭha’s āśrama and set it on fire, scaring all beings around. Enraged, Vasiṣṭha held up his staff (Brahma-daṇḍa), which was like Yama’s daṇḍa with an intention to vanquish Viśvāmitra. Hoping to defeat him, Viśvāmitra hurled various peerless weapons at him, but were all consumed by Vasiṣṭha’s staff. Finally, Viśvāmitra invoked the all-powerful Brahmāstra which was consumed by the staff as well. Then Vasiṣṭha turned fierce – from the pores of his body, issued forth smoky tongues of flame like sparks of fire and the Brahma-daṇḍa, which he held up appeared to consume the world. The devas and ṛṣis were stunned and requested Vasiṣṭha to hold back his power. Viśvāmitra utterly subjugated declared – “Fie upon the kṣatriya power. The brāhmic power is the real power.[2]” Seeing that the  Brahma-daṇḍa alone could defeat every weapon, Viśvāmitra decided to perform tapas to attain Brahmatva.

After a thousand years of tapas, Brahmā appeared before him and said, “Kauśika, you have won the world of the rājarṣis – royal sages, out of your tapas.” With these words Brahmā vanished, leaving Viśvāmitra crestfallen. He thought, “It appears like the devas and ṛṣis do not see anything more than a rājarṣi in me; my tapas is futile!” He made up his mind to perform an even more intense tapas.

~

In the meantime, King Triśaṅku, who belonged to the Ikṣvāku race, wished to perform a yāga, which could take him embodied to svarga. He approached Vasiṣṭha with his request, who told him that his wish was impossible to attain and against the cosmic order. Being turned down by the guru, he approached Vasiṣṭha’s children, who admonished him as well. Seeing his audacity, Vasiṣṭha’s children also cursed Triśaṅku to turn into a Caṇḍāla. By the next morning, the King had been transformed into a Caṇḍāla – clad in black, his body hard and rough, he wore a garland from the crematorium, and his body was smeared with ashes from the dead. His ministers and men fled looking at his disgusting appearance.

Burning with grief, Triśaṅku approached Viśvāmitra, who was moved by pity. Viśvāmitra gave his word to send Triśaṅku with his body to the svarga. Upon his summon, all munis came from around the world to participate in his yāga, except for Vasiṣṭha and his children; enraged, they had declared that no ṛṣi or deva would partake of the offerings made by a Caṇḍāla. Infuriated, Viśvāmitra cursed Vasiṣṭha and his children to be destroyed. Out of fear for Viśvāmitra, the rest of the sages started the yāga, under his direction. After a long time, even upon his invocation no deva appeared to receive his share of offerings. Angered, he gathered all his powers and made Triśaṅku rise bodily to the svarga. Indra, refused to allow him, who had been cursed by his guru and Triśaṅku started falling down. Viśvāmitra, stopped him mid-air and decided to create a second svarga – he created a second set of saptarṣis and a galaxy of other stars. He decided to create another Indra or to do without one.[3] The devas, rṣis, and asuras pleaded with Viśvāmitra to stop the process, who refused to break his promise to Triśaṅku. Thereafter, Triśaṅku remained in a svarga created for him.

~

In the meantime, King Ambarīśa of Ayodhyā started a yāga. While he was engaged in it, Indra abducted the sacrificial animal. Upon the advice of his upādhyāya, the king went in search of a man who could be offered in the place of the lost animal. He arrived at the Sage Ṛcīka’s āśrama and request him to part with one of his sons, in exchange for a hundred thousand cows. The father said he would not part with the eldest son and the mother said that the youngest was her dearest.[4] Then, the second son, Śunaśśepha, offered himself to be sold. Delighted, the king got on to his chariot quickly and escorted Śunaśśepha.

As they arrived at Puṣkara and rested awhile, Śunaśśepha spotted his uncle Viśvāmitra and sought his help to save his own life. Giving his word to his nephew, Viśvāmitra instructed his sons to sacrifice themselves by entering fire instead of Śunaśśepha for the completion of the yāga. Madhucchandas and the other sons were shocked and answered arrogantly – “Why would you sacrifice your sons to save another’s? It is like preferring dog’s flesh when there is good meat!” Furious upon their disobedience, Viśvāmitra cursed his sons to live for a thousand years subsisting on dog’s meat. He then preached two gāthās to Śunaśśepha, which he chanted when tied to the yūpa-stambha by Ambarīśa. Pleased with the secret stuti performed by the boy, Indra granted him a long life and Ambarīśa too got the fruit of his yāga.

Viśvāmitra continued his tapas at Puṣkara and once, happened to spot the iMenakā bathing in the lake. He fell for the damsel at the first sight and overpowered by lust, welcomed her to his āśrama. He spent a decade in her company, which felt like a single day and then, wisdom blossomed in him. Overcome with shame, he decided that the devas had sent her as an impediment to his tapas. He sent her away with kind words and resumed his tapas with his fervour amplified. Indra tried to distract him again by sending Rambhā to seduce him.  Viśvāmitra was enraged and cursed her to turn into a stone. In a moment’s time, he realised that he was overcome with lust in the past and now by anger. Making up his mind to bring his emotions and senses under control, he performed intense tapas again. After a thousand years, pleased with him, the devas along with Brahmā appeared before him and declared him a Brahmarṣi. Sage Vasiṣṭha too honoured him and declared him a great brāhmaṇa.”

To be continued...
[The critically constituted text and the critical edition published by the Oriental Institute, Vadodara is the primary source. In addition, the Kannada rendering of the epic by Mahāmahopādhyāya Sri. N. Ranganatha Sharma and the English translation by Sri. N. Raghunathan have been referred.]

 


[1] the former name of Viśvāmitra

[2] Here, the famous declaration occurs dhig-balaṃ kṣatriya-balaṃ brahma-tejo-balaṃ balam

[3] Here occurs the famous saying – anyam-indraṃ kariṣyāmi loko vā syād-anindrakaḥ

[4] The purāṇas name his sons as –  Śunaḥpuccha, Śunaśśepha, and Śunolāṅgūla.

 

Author(s)

Valmiki
About:

Visionary sage and the author of the fifth Veda, the Rāmāyaṇa

Translator(s)

About:

Arjun is a writer, translator, engineer, and enjoys composing poems. He is well-versed in Sanskrit, Kannada, English, Greek, and German languages. His research interests lie in comparative aesthetics of classical Greek and Sanskrit literature. He has deep interest in the theatre arts and music. Arjun has (co-) translated the works of AR Krishna Shastri, DV Gundappa, Dr. SL Bhyrappa, Dr. SR Ramaswamy and Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh

Prekshaa Publications

Indian Perspective of Truth and Beauty in Homer’s Epics is a unique work on the comparative study of the Greek Epics Iliad and Odyssey with the Indian Epics – Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata. Homer, who laid the foundations for the classical tradition of the West, occupies a stature similar to that occupied by the seer-poets Vālmīki and Vyāsa, who are synonymous with the Indian culture. The author...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the sixth volume of reminiscences character sketches of prominent public figures, liberals, and social workers. These remarkable personages hailing from different corners of South India are from a period that spans from the late nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century. Written in Kannada in the 1970s, these memoirs go...

An Introduction to Hinduism based on Primary Sources

Authors: Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh, Hari Ravikumar

What is the philosophical basis for Sanātana-dharma, the ancient Indian way of life? What makes it the most inclusive and natural of all religio-philosophical systems in the world?

The Essential Sanātana-dharma serves as a handbook for anyone who wishes to grasp the...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fifth volume, episodes from the lives of traditional savants responsible for upholding the Vedic culture. These memorable characters lived a life of opulence amidst poverty— theirs  was the wealth of the soul, far beyond money and gold. These vidvāns hailed from different corners of the erstwhile Mysore Kingdom and lived in...

Padma Bhushan Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam represents the quintessence of Sage Bharata’s art and Bhārata, the country that gave birth to the peerless seer of the Nāṭya-veda. Padma’s erudition in various streams of Indic knowledge, mastery over many classical arts, deep understanding of the nuances of Indian culture, creative genius, and sublime vision bolstered by the vedāntic and nationalistic...

Bhārata has been a land of plenty in many ways. We have had a timeless tradition of the twofold principle of Brāhma (spirit of wisdom) and Kṣāttra (spirit of valour) nourishing and protecting this sacred land. The Hindu civilisation, rooted in Sanātana-dharma, has constantly been enriched by brāhma and safeguarded by kṣāttra.
The renowned Sanskrit poet and scholar, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R...

ಛಂದೋವಿವೇಕವು ವರ್ಣವೃತ್ತ, ಮಾತ್ರಾಜಾತಿ ಮತ್ತು ಕರ್ಷಣಜಾತಿ ಎಂದು ವಿಭಕ್ತವಾದ ಎಲ್ಲ ಬಗೆಯ ಛಂದಸ್ಸುಗಳನ್ನೂ ವಿವೇಚಿಸುವ ಪ್ರಬಂಧಗಳ ಸಂಕಲನ. ಲೇಖಕರ ದೀರ್ಘಕಾಲಿಕ ಆಲೋಚನೆಯ ಸಾರವನ್ನು ಒಳಗೊಂಡ ಈ ಹೊತ್ತಗೆ ಪ್ರಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಛಂದಸ್ಸಿನ ಸೌಂದರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಲಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತದೆ. ತೌಲನಿಕ ವಿಶ್ಲೇಷಣೆ ಮತ್ತು ಅಂತಃಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀಯ ಅಧ್ಯಯನಗಳ ತೆಕ್ಕೆಗೆ ಬರುವ ಬರೆಹಗಳೂ ಇಲ್ಲಿವೆ. ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಕಾರನಿಗಲ್ಲದೆ ಸಿದ್ಧಹಸ್ತನಾದ ಕವಿಗೆ ಮಾತ್ರ ಸ್ಫುರಿಸಬಲ್ಲ ಎಷ್ಟೋ ಹೊಳಹುಗಳು ಕೃತಿಯ ಮೌಲಿಕತೆಯನ್ನು ಹೆಚ್ಚಿಸಿವೆ. ಈ...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the fourth volume, some character sketches of the Dewans of Mysore preceded by an account of the political framework of the State before Independence and followed by a review of the political conditions of the State after 1940. These remarkable leaders of Mysore lived in a period that spans from the mid-nineteenth century to the...

Bharatiya Kavya-mimamseya Hinnele is a monograph on Indian Aesthetics by Mahamahopadhyaya N. Ranganatha Sharma. The book discusses the history and significance of concepts pivotal to Indian literary theory. It is equally useful to the learned and the laity.

Sahitya-samhite is a collection of literary essays in Kannada. The book discusses aestheticians such as Ananda-vardhana and Rajashekhara; Sanskrit scholars such as Mena Ramakrishna Bhat, Sridhar Bhaskar Varnekar and K S Arjunwadkar; and Kannada litterateurs such as DVG, S L Bhyrappa and S R Ramaswamy. It has a foreword by Shatavadhani Dr. R Ganesh.

The Mahābhārata is the greatest epic in the world both in magnitude and profundity. A veritable cultural compendium of Bhārata-varṣa, it is a product of the creative genius of Maharṣi Kṛṣṇa-dvaipāyana Vyāsa. The epic captures the experiential wisdom of our civilization and all subsequent literary, artistic, and philosophical creations are indebted to it. To read the Mahābhārata is to...

Shiva Rama Krishna

சிவன். ராமன். கிருஷ்ணன்.
இந்திய பாரம்பரியத்தின் முப்பெரும் கதாநாயகர்கள்.
உயர் இந்தியாவில் தலைமுறைகள் பல கடந்தும் கடவுளர்களாக போற்றப்பட்டு வழிகாட்டிகளாக விளங்குபவர்கள்.
மனித ஒற்றுமை நூற்றாண்டுகால பரிணாம வளர்ச்சியின் பரிமாணம்.
தனிநபர்களாகவும், குடும்ப உறுப்பினர்களாகவும், சமுதாய பிரஜைகளாகவும் நாம் அனைவரும் பரிமளிக்கிறோம்.
சிவன் தனிமனித அடையாளமாக அமைகிறான்....

ऋतुभिः सह कवयः सदैव सम्बद्धाः। विशिष्य संस्कृतकवयः। यथा हि ऋतवः प्रतिसंवत्सरं प्रतिनवतामावहन्ति मानवेषु तथैव ऋतुवर्णनान्यपि काव्यरसिकेषु कामपि विच्छित्तिमातन्वते। ऋतुकल्याणं हि सत्यमिदमेव हृदि कृत्वा प्रवृत्तम्। नगरजीवनस्य यान्त्रिकतां मान्त्रिकतां च ध्वनदिदं चम्पूकाव्यं गद्यपद्यमिश्रितमिति सुव्यक्तमेव। ऐदम्पूर्वतया प्रायः पुरीपरिसरप्रसृतानाम् ऋतूनां विलासोऽत्र प्रपञ्चितः। बेङ्गलूरुनामके...

The Art and Science of Avadhānam in Sanskrit is a definitive work on Sāhityāvadhānam, a form of Indian classical art based on multitasking, lateral thinking, and extempore versification. Dotted throughout with tasteful examples, it expounds in great detail on the theory and practice of this unique performing art. It is as much a handbook of performance as it is an anthology of well-turned...

This anthology is a revised edition of the author's 1978 classic. This series of essays, containing his original research in various fields, throws light on the socio-cultural landscape of Tamil Nadu spanning several centuries. These compelling episodes will appeal to scholars and laymen alike.
“When superstitious mediaevalists mislead the country about its judicial past, we have to...

The cultural history of a nation, unlike the customary mainstream history, has a larger time-frame and encompasses the timeless ethos of a society undergirding the course of events and vicissitudes. A major key to the understanding of a society’s unique character is an appreciation of the far-reaching contributions by outstanding personalities of certain periods – especially in the realms of...

Prekṣaṇīyam is an anthology of essays on Indian classical dance and theatre authored by multifaceted scholar and creative genius, Śatāvadhānī Dr. R Ganesh. As a master of śāstra, a performing artiste (of the ancient art of Avadhānam), and a cultured rasika, he brings a unique, holistic perspective to every discussion. These essays deal with the philosophy, history, aesthetics, and practice of...

Yaugandharam

इदं किञ्चिद्यामलं काव्यं द्वयोः खण्डकाव्ययोः सङ्कलनरूपम्। रामानुरागानलं हि सीतापरित्यागाल्लक्ष्मणवियोगाच्च श्रीरामेणानुभूतं हृदयसङ्क्षोभं वर्णयति । वात्सल्यगोपालकं तु कदाचिद्भानूपरागसमये घटितं यशोदाश्रीकृष्णयोर्मेलनं वर्णयति । इदम्प्रथमतया संस्कृतसाहित्ये सम्पूर्णं काव्यं...

Vanitakavitotsavah

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Vaiphalyaphalam

इदं खण्डकाव्यमान्तं मालिनीछन्दसोपनिबद्धं विलसति। मेनकाविश्वामित्रयोः समागमः, तत्फलतया शकुन्तलाया जननम्, मातापितृभ्यां त्यक्तस्य शिशोः कण्वमहर्षिणा परिपालनं चेति काव्यस्यास्येतिवृत्तसङ्क्षेपः।

Nipunapraghunakam

इयं रचना दशसु रूपकेष्वन्यतमस्य भाणस्य निदर्शनतामुपैति। एकाङ्करूपकेऽस्मिन् शेखरकनामा चित्रोद्यमलेखकः केनापि हेतुना वियोगम् अनुभवतोश्चित्रलेखामिलिन्दकयोः समागमं सिसाधयिषुः कथामाकाशभाषणरूपेण निर्वहति।

Bharavatarastavah

अस्मिन् स्तोत्रकाव्ये भगवन्तं शिवं कविरभिष्टौति। वसन्ततिलकयोपनिबद्धस्य काव्यस्यास्य कविकृतम् उल्लाघनाभिधं व्याख्यानं च वर्तते।

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the third volume, some character sketches of great literary savants responsible for Kannada renaissance during the first half of the twentieth century. These remarkable...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the second volume, episodes from the lives of remarkable exponents of classical music and dance, traditional storytellers, thespians, and connoisseurs; as well as his...

Karnataka’s celebrated polymath, D V Gundappa brings together in the first volume, episodes from the lives of great writers, poets, literary aficionados, exemplars of public life, literary scholars, noble-hearted common folk, advocates...

Evolution of Mahabharata and Other Writings on the Epic is the English translation of S R Ramaswamy's 1972 Kannada classic 'Mahabharatada Belavanige' along with seven of his essays on the great epic. It tells the riveting...

Shiva-Rama-Krishna is an English adaptation of Śatāvadhāni Dr. R Ganesh's popular lecture series on the three great...

Bharatilochana

ಮಹಾಮಾಹೇಶ್ವರ ಅಭಿನವಗುಪ್ತ ಜಗತ್ತಿನ ವಿದ್ಯಾವಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಮರೆಯಲಾಗದ ಹೆಸರು. ಮುಖ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಶೈವದರ್ಶನ ಮತ್ತು ಸೌಂದರ್ಯಮೀಮಾಂಸೆಗಳ ಪರಮಾಚಾರ್ಯನಾಗಿ  ಸಾವಿರ ವರ್ಷಗಳಿಂದ ಇವನು ಜ್ಞಾನಪ್ರಪಂಚವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಭಾವಿಸುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದ್ದಾನೆ. ಭರತಮುನಿಯ ನಾಟ್ಯಶಾಸ್ತ್ರವನ್ನು ಅರ್ಥಮಾಡಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಇವನೊಬ್ಬನೇ ನಮಗಿರುವ ಆಲಂಬನ. ಇದೇ ರೀತಿ ರಸಧ್ವನಿಸಿದ್ಧಾಂತವನ್ನು...

Vagarthavismayasvadah

“वागर्थविस्मयास्वादः” प्रमुखतया साहित्यशास्त्रतत्त्वानि विमृशति । अत्र सौन्दर्यर्यशास्त्रीयमूलतत्त्वानि यथा रस-ध्वनि-वक्रता-औचित्यादीनि सुनिपुणं परामृष्टानि प्रतिनवे चिकित्सकप्रज्ञाप्रकाशे। तदन्तर एव संस्कृतवाङ्मयस्य सामर्थ्यसमाविष्कारोऽपि विहितः। क्वचिदिव च्छन्दोमीमांसा च...

The Best of Hiriyanna

The Best of Hiriyanna is a collection of forty-eight essays by Prof. M. Hiriyanna that sheds new light on Sanskrit Literature, Indian...

Stories Behind Verses

Stories Behind Verses is a remarkable collection of over a hundred anecdotes, each of which captures a story behind the composition of a Sanskrit verse. Collected over several years from...