2. SAGE VISWAMITRA

In course of time, Dasaratha's sons

were born Rama of Kausalya and Bharata

of Kaikeyi. Sumitra gave birth to twins,

Lakshmana and Satrughna. She had drunk

the divine payasam twice.

In proportion to the quantity of

payasam drunk by the respective mothers,

the sons are traditionally considered to be

parts of Vishnu. Rama was thus half-

Vishnu.

But such calculations have no meaning,

as it is impossible to measure the Infinite

arithmetically. Sruit tells us that even a

fraction of the Supreme Being is whole

and complete by itself.

"Om Poornamadah Poornamidam

Poornat Poornamudachyate Poornasya

Poornamadaya Poornamevavasishyate."

"What is whole, this is whole; what has

come out of the whole is also whole.

When the whole is taken out of the whole,

the whole still remains whole."

Dasaratha's four sons were given all the

training prescribed for princes. Rama and

Lakshmana were specially devoted to

each other and so were Bharata and

Satrughna. We can imagine that this

special attachment arose out of the way

the divine payasam was divided among

the King's wives. Dasaratha was happy to

see his four sons grow up strong, virtuous,

brave and lovable and with all other

princely qualities.

One day as the King was

contemplating his sons' matrimony, ushers

rushed in to announce that the great Sage

Viswamitra had arrived to see him.

Viswamitra was held in awe by all as the

most powerful among rishis.

Viswamitra's arrival at Ayodhya was

unexpected; and King Dasaratha stepped

down from his throne and advanced a few

paces respectfully to receive the sage.

Viswamitra was a king who attained

sainthood through terrible austerities. He

had long ago exhibited his spiritual

powers by starting to create another

Brahma and a rival universe. He had gone

as far as the creation of new

constellations, but was prevailed upon to

stop by the entreaties of the alarmed gods.

Viswamitra, while he was king once

went out with his army and chanced to

visit Vasishtha's ashrama. The rishi

cordially welcomed his royal guest and

his huge entourage and extended to them

all hospitality so sumptuous that the King

wondered where all the rich abundance

came from in a forest hermitage.

Questioned by him, Vasishtha called

his cow Sabala and explained that she was

the fountain of unfailing plenty.

Expressing gratitude to the sage, King

Viswamitra said: "You must give me this

cow as she would be more useful with me

than with you. Such things of power and

wealth by right belong to the King."

Now Vasishtha could not part with the

divine cow. He gave many reasons and

asked the King not to press his request.

But the more unwilling Vasishtha was to

give the cow, the more eager the King

became to possess her.

Failing in his efforts to tempt or

persuade the sage to part with the cow,

Viswamitra became angry and ordered his

men to seize the cow by force.

Sabala could not understand why she

was being roughly handled and she was

unwilling to go away from the sage and

his ashrama. Shedding tears, she

wondered how she had offended

Vasishtha that he should stand by and

look on while she was being dragged

away. The cow easily put to flight the

soldiers and sought refuge at the feet of

the sage.

Moved by the piteous appeal of his

beloved cow, who was like a younger

sister to him, the sage said: "Bring forth

soldiers to resist Viswamitra's men."

Sabala instantaneously did so, and the

aggressors were soon worsted. Wild with

rage, Viswamitra got into his chariot and,

taking up his bow, rained arrows on the

soldiers brought forth by the cow, but

their strength was inexhaustible, and the

royal forces suffered utter defeat. The

sons of Viswamitra now chose Vasishtha

himself as their target, only to be reduced

to ashes.

Defeated and disgraced, Viswamitra

then and there entrusted his kingdom to

one of his sons and proceeded to the

Himalayas to perform tapas, directing his

devotions to Lord Siva to gain power with

which to subdue Vasishtha.

So firm and steadfast was Viswamitra

in his austerities that Lord Siva was

pleased and appeared before him. He

asked the king what his object was in

performing tapas.

Viswamitra replied: "If you, Umapati,

are satisfied with my tapas let me be

blessed with divine arrows and be master

of every weapon."

"So be it," said Siva, and gave

Viswamitra all the weapons available to

the Devas, Gandharvas, Rishis, Yakshas

and the Demons.

Swelling with pride like the ocean,

Viswamitra considered Vasishtha as

already vanquished. He straightway made

for the abode of the sage. Frightened at

the fearful sight of the onrushing

Viswamitra, Vasishtha's disciples and the

animals in his ashrama ran helter-skelter.

Hit by the fire-weapon of Viswamitra,

Vasishtha's ashrama was reduced to

cinders.

Vasishtha regretted the turn of events,

but determined to end the haughtiness of

the erstwhile king, he faced him calmly

with his Brahmadanda (holy staff) in

hand.

Mad with rage, Viswamitra shot at him

all the divine weapons he had acquired,

but they were quenched as they

approached the rishi's staff and were

absorbed by it.

Viswamitra had but one more weapon

in his armory, and that was the most

powerful of all, the Brahmastra. As he

hurled it against Vasishtha the world

became wrapped in gloom as in some

huge eclipse, and the very immortals

trembled with fear. But the terrible astra

itself was merged in the rishi's staff,

making both it and the holy man glow

with the glory they had absorbed.

Viswamitra stood dazed. Openly

accepting defeat, he said: "Of what use is

the Kshatriya's might in arms? With but a

staff in his hand, this Vasishtha has

nullified all my weapons. Lord Siva has

indeed fooled me. There is no alternative

for me but to become a Brahma Rishi like

Vasishtha." So saying, he withdrew from

the field of battle and proceeded south for

more rigorous tapas.

For years and years Viswamitra went

through terrible austerities. Pleased with

his perseverance, Brahma presented

himself before him. Advising Viswamitra

that, as a result of his tapas he had risen to

the position of a rishi among kings,

Brahma vanished from the scene.

Viswamitra was disappointed that all

his penance could get him only the status

of Raja Rishi. Not content with anything

but the highest the rank of a Brahma

Rishi, he subjected him self to still more

rigorous austerities in order that he might

be acknowledged an equal of Vasishtha.