From Rajarishi to Brahmarishi

 War of the Titans

From a Raja to a Rajarishi to a Brahma rishi

We saw the birth story of Kaushika last week. (https://bharatiyastories.blogspot.com/2024/02/rajarishis-and-mixed-up-potions.html)

Sage Vishwamitra occupies a very central position in our dharma as he was a Mantradrashta of the Gayathri Manthra.

What is a Mantradrashta? Drashta comes from the root word Drishti in Sanskrit, which means to see. So how does one see a Mantra? Learned sages are able to hear the sound waves, see it in their Drishti in meditation and translate into words. They also set it into meter or specific Chandas that makes it easy for us to understand. 

For example, Gayathri mantra is in a Chandas called the Gayathri Chandas. Another commonly heard shloka Vishnu Sahasra Nama is in Anushtup Chandas.

Every time we say a mantra, we should meditate on the Sage who gave it to us, the meter or the Chandas and then the Devi or Devatha about whom the mantra is given.

Gayathri Mantra is considered as one of the most important mantras in Sanatana Dharma as it invokes both the Sun God and Devi Gayathri. Vishwamitra was the blessed sage who the divine decided to give it to. Why? Let’s see.

Sage Vishwamitra, had a colourful life journey. It is given in the Bala Kanta of the Ramayana (Sagas 51-65).

Sage Vishwamitra was born a prince to King Gadhi and his queen in the Kusha dynasty. He was named Kaushika by his parents. Having been blessed with a great intellect and physical prowess, Kaushika went on to become a valiant king. As a Kshatriya, he protected his citizens, governed his kingdom and also waged war on behalf of his people.

Once he was on a war campaign with his Akshohini. Akshohini indicates an army of a particular number. An interesting information here. Even in the Vedic period, there were clear rules governing army structures and formations as with a modern army.

The table below summarises the number of elephants, chariots, foot soldiers and horses in each formation :

Name	Chariots	Elephants	Soldiers	Horses
Patti	1	1	5	3
3* Patti = Senamuka	3	3	15	9
3 Senamuka = Gulma	9	9	45	27
3 Gulmas = Gana	27	27	135	81
3 Ganas = Vahini	81	81	405	243
3 Vahinis = Pritana	243	243	1215	729
3 Pritana = Chamu	729	729	3645	2187
3 Chamus = Anikini	2187	2187	10935	6561
10 Anikinis = Akshohini	21870	21870	109350	65610

 

Hence Kausika was going with an army of nearly 200,000 people plus animals. An army of this size, when it moves needs to eat. Normally, they make separate arrangements to stock enough foodgrains and other supplies required for the army. Sometimes, the war goes on for long and the army may run out of food. This is what happened to Kaushika and his army too.

After a long battle, they had run out of their stock of food. The tired soldiers, the animals and their king were looking for food and water. Remember, they are in strange territory where they may not know where to get the food.

Finally, they reach a hermitage. The hermitage was that of Sage Vasishta. Seeing the hermit, King Kaushika thought he will just enquire where his soldiers can hunt for some food.

On seeing the army, Vashista and his wife and others at the hermitage, gave them a warm welcome. Seeing how famished and tired they were, Vasishta told his wife to make arrangements for everyone to eat.

Kaushika was a bit taken aback. He was wondering how that lady was expected to find food for such a big army. The lady bowed to Vasishta with a smile and disappeared.

In a short while, the entire army was served delicacies of all variety. They also had juices, fruits and drinks that tasted heavenly. Even the animals travelling with the army – the horses and the elephants – were fed grass, bamboo shoots and sugarcane. Just see how many horses and elephants they had. 21,870 horses and same number of elephants. Everyone had their fill and at the request of Sage Vasista set up camp there for the night.

Only Kaushika couldn’t sleep. He was still wondering how the food materialised out of nowhere. Next day, Sage Vasishta insisted that the king and his army have one more meal with him before setting back on their journey.

This time, Kaushika decided to find out the secret about the food. He followed Sage Vasishta’s wife when she went to make the food. She went towards the rear of the ashram where there was tethered a beautiful cow. She bowed before the cow, gave her some fresh grass and whispered something in the cow’s ear.

The next instant, fruits, wines, food and sweets were just appearing as if by magic. Also, the fodder required by the animals was appearing. Kaushika was stunned. He had never seen such a mesmerising sight before.

He quietly went back to the front of the ashram. After the meal was over, he went to Sage Vasista and bowed before him. Vasishta blessed him and wished him luck in his campaign.

Kaushika told him, “Revered Guruji, there is an easy way in which you can help me and my army. I saw that your wife went to the magical cow at your backyard and asked for all the food and drinks required for the army. If I can take the cow with me, I can win this war, without having to worry about finding food for my army. Please do give me the cow. In return, I shall give you lots of gold that can help you buy many more cows.”

Sage Vasishta just smiled and said, “Kaushika, it does not work that way. The cow that is tethered in my back yard is Bhudevi herself. She is a divine cow and stays with me out of her own will. I cannot force her to go anywhere. I do not own her. Nor will I compel her to do something like this as she is a peaceful animal and will not be like to follow an army.”

Kaushika did not believe the Sage. He again told him, “What use of having such a miraculous cow in a hermitage. She will do better in a kingdom where she can solve issue such as hunger and disease. I think you do not want to part with the cow. Please do tell me if you want more gold.”

Sage Vasishta said, “Kaushika, you are mistaken. It is not my will that is preventing me from doing this. I cannot force her to go anywhere. If you want you go and call her. If she comes with you, you can take her.”

Kaushika goes to the cow, gives her some fresh grass, unties her and starts dragging her. The cow breaks free and runs away from him. Despite the best efforts of the king and his soldiers, they could not get the cow to come with them.

Kaushika, who thinks it is all the doing of Sage Vashista’s magic, gets very angry. Without thinking that Sage Vasishta had fed his hungry army, he starts attacking the nonviolent brahmins in the hermitage.

Taken aback, Vashista appeals to Kamadhenu, the cow. Kamadhenu produces innumerable warriors from her body who fight with Kaushika’s army. Kaushika’s army is beaten back and is unable to get Kamadhenu.

Kaushika takes this as a personal defeat. He asks Vamadeva why he was unable to defeat Vasishta. Vamadeva tells him that Vasishta has so many years of penance and is a Brahma rishi.

Thinking he will get as much power of tapas as Vasishta, Kaushika does penance under the guidance of Vamadeva. His penance moves the Gods, who appear and grant him the knowledge of many rare divine weapons. Since he did his penance under the guidance of Vamadeva he came to be known by the name Vishvamitra.

Armed with the divine weapons, Vishwamitra comes back to Sage Vasishta’s ashram and starts attacking. He manages to kill all of Sage Vasista’s sons. But he is unable to do anything to Sage Vasista himself. Vasista manages to neutralise even the Brahmastra of Kaushika with his Brahmadanda. He realises that with his power of tapas, Vasishta is indestructible.

Having used up all his tapas in this fight, Visvamitra goes back to doing penance to regain his powers. He does penance for thousands of years and attains many boons.

Visvamitra becomes a Rajarishi and many kings take his blessings and advice although he is still feared for his short temper and the tendency to curse. While Vishvamitra went about his duties towards his disciples advising and guiding them, there was a constant irritation that he had not become a Brahma rishi like Vasishta.

Sage Visvamitra though a sage was more of a go getter and action oriented compared to his peers. This could have been because of his origins as a king and an administrator. Sometimes this led to problems too. Some of the kings preferred Vasishta’s calm and patient disposition to Vishvamitra’s action oriented one. This resulted in a few instances where the kings changed their advisors. For example, King Sudas, one of the kings Vishvamitra was advising, changed his guru to Vashista. But this action-oriented approach was preferred by a few kings too.

Another king called Satyavratha of the Suryavanshi dynasty once approached Vasishta with the request to ascend to heaven in his human form. Vasishta, who adhered to the laws of nature said that no one can ascend to heaven in their human form.

Not convinced and knowing of the constant conflict between the two sages Vasishta and Vishvamitra, the king went to Vishvamitra. He told Vishvamitra that he had a desire to ascend to heaven in human form and Vasishta is unable to do it.

Vishvamitra takes it as a challenge and promises to help the king ascend to heaven. Using all the prowess of his Tapasya, he sends King Satyavrata towards heaven. The devatas who were supposed to manage the entry and exit in heaven are shaken. They are not allowed to give entry to anyone, least of all someone who is in human form. They just push him back. Satyvratha falls head down towards the earth.

An angry Vishvamitra again uses his power of Tapasya to send him. And the devatas in heaven push him back. This up and down dance continues for a while. Finally, the devatas tell Vishvamitra that it is impossible for Satyavratha to be allowed in human form in heaven. Even after death, entry into heaven is determined not by one’s wish but by one’s karma.

Unfortunately, Vishvamitra is not in a mood for lectures. He invokes his entire Tapasya and creates a new heaven, complete with stars, planets and more heavenly bodies around Satyavrata who at this point is hanging upside down between earth and heaven. Satyavrata came to be known as Trishanku which means three conches. The name is supposed to indicate the formation of stars in his heave. Thinking laterally, it could also mean the elliptical movements he made between heaven and earth. Perhaps he was thrown up and down thrice and hence the name.

Anyway, this meant, Trishanku got what he wanted. But what about Vishvamitra? He had used up all his powers. Vishvamitra was still determined to become a Saptarishi. So, he again goes into the jungle and is immersed in intense meditation. The intensity of his tapas started heating up the seven worlds. Indra felt threatened that Vishvamitra might get enough power and will use it against him and the devatas if any of his disciples wanted him to. After all, the Trishanku incident was fresh in memory, where Vishvamitra defied all laws of dharma to put someone in heaven.

He sent one of the beautiful damsels in Deva Loka called Menaka to entice Vishvamitra into marriage. Menaka descends to earth and for many years does service to Vishvamitra. He falls in love with Menaka eventually and they have a baby girl.

Menaka then tells Vishvamitra the truth about her mission to disturb his Tapasya. An angry Vishvamitra goes back to the forest and restarts his Tapasya yet again. Having completed her mission, Menaka goes back to heaven. What about the baby?

The baby is found by Sage Kanva who brings her up in the name of Shakuntala. She has another interesting story that’s for a later date.

Coming back to Sage Vishvamitra, he finally had had enough. With complete determination to attain his goal, he retires to the forest and undertakes gortapasya (intense Tapasya). It entailed going without food and water for many years and even controlling his breath.

Brahma, finally moved, comes before Vishvamitra. He blesses Vishvamitra, grants him the supreme blessings and gnana (knowledge) and also ordains him a Brahma rishi.

The newly graduated Brahma rishi Vishvamitra goes to Sage Vasishta’s ashram and seeks his blessings. Sage Vasista tells him, “Sage Vishvamitra, I always wanted you to achieve your goal. But to become a Brahma rishi, one had to overcome one’s anger which is but a manifestation of one’s ego. That is why you were put to these tests. Also, as Brahma rishis, we cannot misuse our powers to do things which are against natural laws. Use your wisdom and blessings for the better of humanity.”

Sage Vishvamitra understood that he was not ready to be a Brahma rishi till such time he did not overcome himself. This is the interesting path of transition of a Raja to a Rajarishi to a Brahma rishi.