ValmikiRamayana-11.The legend of Visvamithra

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11.The legend of Visvamithra

Sathanandha spoke to Rama 'svAghathamthE naraSrEshata dhishtyA prApthosi raghava,' welcoming him and saying that he has come there by the divine will.Ramavathara was for the sake of dhushtanigraha and sishtaparipalana , punishing the wicked and protecting the good and both functions of the incarnation have started already by killing Thataka and others and redeeming Ahalya.Now for the fulfilment of the main purpose of avathara , that is, Ravanavadha he has come to Mithila to be united with the divine mother.The glance of Sri has already fallen on him to ensure success in all his doings starting from the breaking of the bow ending with Ravanavadha. Without Sri the Lord will not be Srinivasa and lakshmikataksha is as necessary for Him as for other beings.SIta looked at Sugriva and he got his kingdom and she must have looked at Vibheeshana when he travelled through the sky over asokavana to approach Rama (heard in the harikatha of Madurai TNSeshagopalan),and hence he got the kingdom of Lanka. for the same reason Rama showed Sita the kishkindha and sringiberapura while they were coming back to Ayodhya in the celestial chariot to ensure that the regions will be prosperous.again this was why Sita, while speaking to Ravana in asokavana, never looked at him but placed a blade of grass in between .

Then Sathanandha started relating the story of Visvamithra and his exploits to Rama.He said that Visvamithra was 'achinthyakarmA thapasa brahmarshih athulaprabhah,' He has achieved through his thapas powers beyond comprehension, becoming brahmarshi through thapas alone. Rama, said Sathanandha, has been singularly blessed to have Visvamithra as his guru. It is really delightful to see the soulabhya of the L:ord in His incarnations when He acted the role that is expected of Him, as Vedantadesika puts it in Yadhavabhyudhaya,'namyasya namathaH kshudhrAn, varadhasya varArThinah;puthraiH pithrmathaH kreedA kaTHam thE kEna varnyathE.' He bows down to people who worship Him, requests favours from those whom He bestows His grace and treats His own children as His parents.His leela is thus indescribable!

Visavamithra was the descendent of Brahma himself and was a king who incurred the wrath of Vasishta, trying to confiscate his celestial cow Kamadhenu and was vanquished by him through his brahmathejas before which all the asthras and sathras Visvamithra got through penance became futile. Then he wanted to become a brahmarshi like vasisihta to equal him in power and had to undergo great difficulties to accomplish that. Being a kshathriya he had the qualities normal to a king, such as desire, anger and arrogance. He had to conquer each of these undergoing trials and tribulations.

Visvamithra went to forest with his wife and did penance and obtained the title of rajarshi from Brahma. But he was not satisfied and wanted to become brahmarshi.and started to do penance again when he took pity on Trisanku, a king of Ikshvaku clan who wished to go to heaven with his physical body and wanted to do a yajna for that purpose. Visvamithra wasted his power in creating a heaven for him with stars and all but stopped by the devas who made him to see reason.

Then he started to do penance again and attained the state of rshi but was tempted by Menaka, a celestial damsel and lived with her for sometime but realised his mistake and continued his penance again at the end of which Brahma gave him the title of maharshi and said since he had not conquered his senses he could not become brahmarshi. Not put out by this Visvamithre did severe penance again and Indra frightened by it sent Rambha another apsara who was cursed by Visvamithra to become a stone.

 

Thus eventhough he was not tempted by her, having conquered kAma, he found that he had yet to control his anger to become the master of his senses and then contuinued to do very severe penace by which the whole universe was agitated and Brahma appeared before him and conferred the title of Brahmarshi. Visvamithra said 'brAhmaNyam yadhi mE prAptham dheergham AyuH thaTHaiva cha;OmkArascha vashatkarO vedhAScha varayanthu mAm.' That is, he asked the boon that the vedas, Omkara and vashatkAra should come to him. This means that he should have the right to do veda adhayayana and to act as a priest in sacrifices.Further he asked the devas and Brahma to make Vasishta confirm his title of brahamrshi.. Vasishta also came there and did like wise.Thus the story of Visvamithra illustrates that anything can be achieved by strenous and persistent effort and also that to attain any eminence there would certainly be obstacles and trials whcih should be conquered.