Ancient Hindu sage
Vishvamitra
(
Sanskrit
:
???????????
,
IAST
:
Vi?v?mitra
) is one of the most venerated
rishis
or
sages
of
ancient India
. Vishvamitra is one of the seven
Brahmarshi
. According to Hindu tradition, he is stated to have written most of the
Mandala 3
of the
Rigveda
, including the
Gayatri Mantra
(3.62.10). The
Puranas
mention that only 24 rishis since antiquity have understood the whole meaning of ?and thus wielded the whole power of ? the Gayatri Mantra. Vishvamitra is supposed to have been the first, and
Yajnavalkya
the last.
Before renouncing his kingdom and royal status, Brahmarishi Vishvamitra was a king, and thus he retained the title of
Rajarshi
, or 'royal sage'.
Textual background
[
edit
]
Historically, Vi?v?mitra G?thina was a Rigvedic
rishi
who was the chief author of Mandala 3 of the Rigveda.
[3]
Vi?v?mitra was taught by
Jamadagni Bh?rgava
.
He was the
purohita
of the
Bharata
tribal king Sud?s, until he was replaced by
Vasi??ha
.
He aided the Bharatas in crossing the Vip??a and
?utudr?
rivers (modern
Beas
and
Sutlej
).
[6]
In later Hindu texts, Vi?v?mitra and Vasi??ha have a long-standing feud, and scholars have stated they historically had a feud regarding the position of the Bharata purohita. However, this view has been criticized due to lack of internal evidence and the projection of later views onto the Rigveda.
[6]
In post-Rigvedic literature Vi?v?mitra becomes a mythical sage.
[8]
Most of the stories related to Vishvamitra's life is narrated in the
Valmiki Ramayana
.
[9]
Vishvamitra was a king in ancient India, also called Kaushika (descendant of Kusha) and belonged to
Amavasu Dynasty
. Vishvamitra was originally the King of Kanyakubja (modern day
Kannauj
). He was a valiant warrior and the great-grandson of a great king named
Kusha
.
Valmiki Ramayana
, prose 51 of Bala Kanda, starts with the story of Vishvamitra:
There was a king named Kusha (not to be confused with
Kusha
, son of
Rama
), a mindson (manasputra) of
Brahma
and Kusha's son was the powerful and verily righteous Kushanabha. One who is highly renowned by the name
Gaadhi
was the son of Kushanabha and Gaadhi's son is this great-saint of great resplendence, Vishvamitra. Vishvamitra ruled the earth and this great-resplendent king ruled the kingdom for many thousands of years.
[10]
His story also appears in various Puranas; however, with variations from
Ramayana
.
Vishnu Purana
and
Harivamsha
chapter 27 (dynasty of Amaavasu) of
Mahabharata
narrates the birth of Vishvamitra. According to
Vishnu Purana
,
[11]
Kushanabha
married a damsel of Purukutsa dynasty (later called as Shatamarshana lineage - descendants of the
Ikshvaku
king Trasadasyu) and had a son by name Gaadhi, who had a daughter named Satyavati (not to be confused with the
Satyavati
of
Mahabharata
).
Life and legends
[
edit
]
Birth
[
edit
]
Satyavati was married to an old man known as Ruchika who was foremost among the race of
Bhrigu
. Ruchika desired a son having the qualities of a Brahmin and so he gave Satyavati a sacrificial offering (
charu
) which he had prepared to achieve this objective. He also gave Satyavati's mother another charu to make her conceive a son with the character of a
Kshatriya
at her request. But Satyavati's mother privately asked Satyavati to exchange her charu with her. This resulted in Satyavati's mother giving birth to Vishvamitra, a Kshatriya with qualities of Brahmin, and, Satyavati gave birth to
Jamadagni
, father of
Parashurama
, a
Brahmin
with qualities of a warrior.
[12]
Conflicts with Vasishtha
[
edit
]
Maharshi
Vasistha
possessed a divine-cow
Kamadhenu
that was able to give everything that one wished for. Once king Kaushika (Vishvamitra) saw the cow and wished to possess her. He asked Vasistha to hand her over but Vasistha refused to do so saying she actually belongs to Devas and not him. King Kaushika became angry due to his arrogance and attacked Vasistha with all his forces. However, he was defeated by the power of Vasistha's penance and Kamadhenu's created soldiers and was somehow rescued by Vamadeva. He asked Vamadeva how Vasistha could defeat him all alone. Vamadeva told him this happened due to Vasistha's position as "Brahmarishi" due to his tapasya (penance). Kaushika then wanted to gain "Brahmarishi" like Vasistha. Doing penance guided by Vamadeva, King Kaushika eventually became Vishvamitra.
In one encounter, Vishvamitra cursed the king
Harishchandra
to become a pauper. Vasishta accompanied him by becoming a bird himself to help him. There were several such instances of violent encounter between the sages and at times,
Brahma
, god of creation, had to intervene.
[13]
Alternative version
[
edit
]
Vasishta destroys Vishvamitra's entire army by the simple use of his great mystic and spiritual powers, breathing the
Om
syllable. Vishvamitra then undertakes a
tapasya
for several years to please
Shiva
, who bestows upon him the knowledge of celestial weaponry. He proudly goes to Vasi?tha's ashram again and uses all kinds of powerful weapons to destroy Vasishta and his hermitage. He succeeded in the killings of Vasistha's thousand sons but not Vasistha himself.
An enraged Vasistha brings out his
brahmadanda
, a wooden stick imbued with the power of
Brahma
. It consumes Vishvamitra's most powerful weapon, the
brahmastra
. Vasistha then attempts to attack Vishvamitra, but his anger is allayed by
Devas
. Vishvamitra is left humiliated while Vasistha restores his hermitage.
[14]
[15]
Seduction by Menaka
[
edit
]
Menaka
was born during the
churning of the ocean
by the devas and asuras and was one of the most beautiful
apsaras
(celestial nymph) in the world with quick intelligence and innate talent. However, Menaka desired a family. Due to his penance and the power he achieved through it, Vishvamitra frightened the gods and even tried to create another heaven. Indra, frightened by Vishvamitra's powers, sent Menaka from heaven to earth to lure him and break his meditation. Menaka successfully incited Vishvamitra's lust and passion. She succeeded in breaking the meditation of Vishvamitra. However, she fell in genuine love with him and a girl was born to them who later grew in Sage Kanva's ashram and came to be called
Shakuntala
. Later, Shakuntala falls in love with King Dushyanta and gives birth to a child called
Bharata
.
[16]
Kanva
describes this tale in the
Mahabharata
:
[17]
And the timid and beautiful Menaka then entered the retreat and saw there Visvamitra who had burnt, by his penances, all his sins, and was engaged still in ascetic penances. And saluting the Rishi, she then began to sport before him. And just at that time Marut robbed her of her garments that were white as the Moon.
And she thereupon ran, as if in great bashfulness, to catch hold of her attire, and as if she was exceedingly annoyed with Marut. And she did all this before the very eyes of Visvamitra who was endued with energy like that of fire. And Visvamitra saw her in that attitude.
And beholding her divested of her robes, he saw that she was of faultless feature. And that best of Munis saw that she was exceedingly handsome, with no marks of age on her person.
And beholding her beauty and accomplishments that bull amongst Rishis was possessed with lust and made a sign that he desired her companionship. And he invited her accordingly, and she also of faultless features expressed her acceptance of the invitation. And they then passed a long time there in each other’s company.
And sporting with each other, just as they pleased, for a long time as if it were only a single day, the Rishi begat on Menaka a daughter named Sakuntala. And Menaka (as her conception advanced) went to the banks of the river Malini coursing along a valley of the charming mountains of Himavat. And there she gave birth to that daughter. And she left the new-born infant on the bank of that river and went away.
However, later, Vishvamitra merely cursed Menaka to be separated from him forever, for he loved her as well and knew that she had lost all devious intentions towards him long ago.
After succumbing to Menak?'s flirtations, and after having a daughter with her, Vishvamitra then travels south to the
God?var?
to resume his austerities, settling down at a spot next where ?iva stood as K?lanjara.
[18]
Vishvamitra was also tested by the Apsara
Rambha
. She, however, was also cursed by Vishvamitra.
[19]
Rise to Brahmarishi
[
edit
]
After cursing Rambha, Vishvamitra goes to the highest mountain of
Himalayas
to perform an even more severe tapasya for over 1000 years. He ceases to eat and reduces his breathing to a bare minimum.
He is tested again by Indra, who comes as a poor
Brahmin
begging for food just as Kaushika is ready to break a fast of many years by eating some rice. Kaushika instantly gives his food away to Indra and resumes his meditation. Kaushika also finally masters his passions, refusing to be provoked by any of Indra's testing and seductive interferences.
At the penultimate culmination of a multi-thousand-year journey, Kaushika's yogic power is at a peak. At this point, Brahma, as the head of
Devas
led by Indra, names Kaushika a
Brahmarishi
and names him
Vishvamitra
or
Friend of All
for his unlimited compassion. He then goes to meet Vashishta. It was customary that, if a sage was greeted by an equal or superior person, the sage would also greet the person. If the sage was greeted by an inferior person, the sage would simply bless them. Initially, when Vishvamitra greeted Vashishta with the pride of being a new Brahmarishi in heart, Vashishta simply blessed him. Suddenly all pride and desire left Vishvamitra's heart and he became a clean and clear Brahmarishi. When Vishvamitra turned back to leave, Vashishta realised a change of heart and proceeded to greet Vishvamitra. Vishvamitra is also embraced by
Vashista
and their enmity is instantly ended.
[20]
Trisanku
[
edit
]
Another story Vishvamitra is known for is his creation of his own version of
Svarga
or heaven, called
Trisanku Svarga
.
When a proud King
Trisanku
asked his
Guru
Vashista
to send him to heaven in his own body, guru responded that the body cannot ascend to heaven. King Trisanku then asked Vashista's hundred sons to send him to heaven. The sons, believing that Trisanku should not come to them after their father had refused, took outrage and cursed Trisanku to be a Chandala. Trisanku was transformed into a person with body smeared of ash, clothed in black and wearing iron jewelry. Unrecognizable to his subjects, he was driven out of the kingdom.
In his exile, Trisanku came across the sage Vishvamitra, who agreed to help him. Vishvamitra organized a great sacrifice and ritual propitiating the
Devas
, pleading that they accept Trisanku into heaven. Not one Deva responded. Angered, Vishvamitra used his yogic powers and ordered Trisanku to rise to heaven. Miraculously, Trisanku rose into the sky until he reached heaven, where he was pushed back down by
Indra
.
Enraged even more by this, Vishvamitra commenced the creation of another universe (including another Brahma) for Trisanku. He had only completed the Universe when
Brihaspati
ordered him to stop. Trisanku, however, did not fully transcend through Trisanku
Svarga
created for him. He remained fixed and upside-down in the sky and was transformed into a
constellation
, which is now known as
Crux
.
[21]
In the process of forming a new universe, Vishvamitra used up all the tapas he had gained from his austerities. Therefore, after the Trisanku episode, Vishvamitra had to start his prayers again to attain the status of a
Brahmarshi
and become an equal of Vashista.
Harishchandra/Ambarisha's sacrifice
[
edit
]
While undertaking a penance, Kaushika helps a boy named
Shunashepa
who has been sold by his parents to be sacrificed at
Harishchandra
/
Ambarisha
's
yagna
to please
Varuna
. The king's son Rohit does not want to be the one sacrificed, as was originally promised to Varuna, so young
Sunashepa
is taken. A devastated and terrified
Sunashepa
falls at the feet of Kaushika, who is deep in meditation and begs for his help.
[22]
Kaushika teaches secret mantras to Sunashepa. The boy sings these mantras at the ceremony, is blessed by
Mitra
and
Varuna
and Ambarisha's ceremony is completed.
In another version of the story, Sunahshepa is lost son of Vishvamitra. When Vishvamitra was Prince of Bharats (Kaushik) - and his name was Vishwarath then, he was abducted by the enemy king Shambar. There, Shambar's daughter, Ugra, falls in love with Vishvarath. Ugra convinces Prince Vishvarath to marry her. Looking at the good character of Vishvarath, Shambar also agrees for the marriage. Soon after the marriage, the Bharatas win the battle against Shambar. When they found their Prince Vishvarath alive, they feel happy but they could not accept Ugra as their future queen as she is an Asura. To convert Ugra into an Sura, Vishvarath creates Gayatri Mantra, but people still refuse to accept her. Soon she gives birth to a son, but to save the son from the angry people, the greatest female sage
Lopamudra
sends the child to a hidden place. To Lopamudra and Vishvarath's sadness, people kill Ugra. But the son is saved, without the knowledge of Vishvarath. This child grows young and he comes to sacrifice himself in the ceremony of Ambarisha (or King Harishchandra).
[23]
Teacher of Rama
[
edit
]
In the
Hindu epic
Ramayana
, Vishvamitra is the preceptor of
Rama
and his brother
Lakshmana
. Rama is prince of
Ayodhya
, and believed to be the seventh
Avatar
of god
Vishnu
.
Vishvamitra gives them the knowledge of the
Devastras
or celestial weaponry [bala and ati bala], trains them in advanced religion and guides them to kill powerful demons like
Tadaka
,
Maricha
and
Subahu
. He also leads them to the
Swayamvara
ceremony for princess
Sita
, who becomes wife of Rama.
[24]
Works
[
edit
]
Vishvamitra is said to have written the
Gayatri Mantra
. It is a verse from a sukta of Rigveda (Mandala 3.62.10). G?yatr? is the name of the
Vedic meter
in which the verse is composed.
Gayatri mantra is repeated and cited very widely in Vedic literature
and praised in several well-known classical Hindu texts such as
Manusmriti
("there is nothing greater than the
Savitri (Gayatri) Mantra
.", Manu II, 83),
Harivamsa
and
Bhagavad Gita
.
The mantra is an important part of the
upanayana
ceremony for young males in
Hinduism
and has long been recited by
dvija
men as part of their daily rituals. Modern
Hindu reform movements
spread the practice of the mantra to include women and all castes and its recitation is now widespread.
Descendants
[
edit
]
Vishvamitra had many children from different women.
Madhuchhanda
was also a composer of many hymns in the Rigveda.
[32]
According to the
Mahabharata
,
Sushruta
, the father of plastic surgery, was one of his sons.
[33]
Ashtaka, who was born from Madhavi, was successor to his kingdom.
[34]
[35]
Shakuntala
was born from the damsel
Menaka
. She was the mother of
Bharata
, who became a powerful emperor as well as an ancestor of
Kuru
kings.
[36]
[37]
Vishvamitra is one of the eight main gotras of Brahmins. All Brahmins belonging to Kaushika or Vishvamitra gotra are believed to have descended from Sage Vishvamitra.
[38]
[39]
The distinction can be found from the respective pravaras,
[40]
- Vishvamitra, Aghamarshana, Kaushika
- Vishvamitra, Devarata, Owdala
- Vishvamitra, Ashtaka
- Vishvamitra, Maadhucchandasa, Dhananjaya
Kaushika is one of the pravara gotras of Vishvamitra gotra among
Brahmins
.
[41]
In popular culture
[
edit
]
Literature
[
edit
]
The story of the king Vishwamitra turning into a
Brahmarishi
has been the topic of a mytho-fiction book by Dr. Vineet Aggarwal.
[42]
Graphic Novel
[
edit
]
Amar Chitra Katha
series number 599 titled Vishwamitra, published in 1975, also tells the story of Vishwamitra in the form of a graphic novel.
[43]
In film and television
[
edit
]
- Vishvamitra is shown in the 1985
Tamil
movie
Raja Rishi
with
Sivaji Ganesan
playing the role of the Sage.
- Vishvamitra's role is played by Shrikant Soni in the TV series Ramayan, 1987 and Uttar Ramayan, 1988 on Doordarshan.
- Vishvamitra is shown in 1991
Telugu
movie
Brahmarshi Vishvamitra
with
N. T. Rama Rao
playing the role of Sage.
- The TV show
Vishvamitra
(1989) is made on the story of Brahmarishi Vishvamitra. The role of Vishvamitra is played by
Mukesh Khanna
.
- Vishvamitra's role is played by Ashok Banthia in the TV series Ramayan, 2008 on Imagine TV.
- Vishvamitra is shown in the show
Siya Ke Ram
airing on
Star Plus
, starring
Manish Wadhwa
.
[44]
- The TV show
Piya Albela
is also based on the classic love story of Menaka and Vishvamitra, depicted as a modern-day love story revolving around Naren and Pooja.
- Vishvamitra also appears in
Shani (TV series)
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Kadambari: Bana
. Penguin UK. 12 March 2010.
ISBN
9788184752472
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Archived
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- ^
a
b
Ancient India, from the earliest times to the first century, A.D by Rapson, E. J. p.154
[1]
- ^
Jamison, Stephanie; Brereton, Joel (2014).
The Rigveda: 3-Volume Set
. Oxford University Press. p. 464.
ISBN
978-0-19-972078-1
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- ^
a
b
Witzel, Michael (1995). "?gvedic history: poets, chieftains and polities". In Erdosy, George (ed.).
The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia: Language, Material Culture and Ethnicity
. De Gruyter. pp. 248?249, 251.
- ^
Macdonell, Arthur Anthony; Keith, Arthur Berriedale (1912).
Vedic Index of Names and Subjects
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- ^
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Archived
from the original on 13 January 2007
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26 March
2013
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- ^
A Classical Dictionary of Hindu Mythology and Religion, Geography, History, and Literature
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- ^
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Archived
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26 March
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- ^
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ISBN
8184823444
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- ^
Wilkins, W.J. (2003).
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ISBN
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ISBN
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2020
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Sattar, Arshia (22 June 2017).
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Archived
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- ^
Sathaye, Adheesh A. (26 May 2015).
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ISBN
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Archived
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26 November
2021
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"apsara rambha | ?????? ????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ???? ????, ????? ?????"
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Archived
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the original
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madhuchanda son of vishvamitra rigveda.
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{{
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.
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Saptarshi
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2nd (Svarocisha) Manvantara
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3rd (Uttama) Manvantara
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4th (Tapasa) Manvantara
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5th (Raivata) Manvantara
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6th (Cakshusha) Manvantara
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7th (Vaivasvata) Manvantara
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Other
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