2. SAGE VISWAMITRA :

2. SAGE VISWAMITRA-
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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.