Episode 16
Sage Viswamitra- an Epitome of
Perseverance[i]
(karanam.rao@gmail.com)
The story
of Viswamitra appears both in Maha Bharata and Ramayana. The story has lot of
symbolic significance and it is to be understood both at Adi Bhautika level as
well as Adhyatmika level for grasping its essence. If the story per se at Adi
Bhautika is meant for children, the understanding at Adhyatmika level is for
elders.
The story
is quite big since it has five small stories in built in it. It needs at least
half an hour for just understanding the story and its symbolism. For practicing
the values of this story, it takes life time. Spare some time, read it and
reflect.
a. Viswamitra’s encounter with Vasishta (Brahmastra
vis-à-vis Brahmma danda)
Viswamitra
was an emperor ruling the entire earth with Kanyakubja as his capital. He was
roaming around the world with huge army conquering the entire world and on his
itinerary, he happened to visit the Ashram of great sage Vasishta. Vasishta was
quite happy to receive Viswamitra and offered him to stay over there for a day
and take his great feast (आतिथ्य) for the entire army. How can a sage living
in a forest provide feast to the entire army? Viswamitra did not want to trouble the sage but
the sage insisted that he should accept the feast. At last Viswamitra agreed.
Sage
Vasishta had a divine cow, Sabala and upon his request, Sabala created celestial
food for all the soldiers of Viswamitra’s army. Everyone was surprised at the
amazing feat of the cow in providing the feast. Viswamitra wanted to have the
cow for his kingdom. He offered Vasishta thousands of ordinary cows, and if
necessary, his entire kingdom in exchange for the celestial cow. He also told, ‘Sabala is like a
jewel and all jewels in the world belong to the king’[ii].
But Vasishta
politely refused the offer as the cow was the personification of dharma and
holds the sastras and vedas and that the cow served to satisfy the vedic rituals which were very much in the
interest of the society at large (देवता अतिथि पित्रर्थं याज्यार्थं च पयस्विनी[iii]- devatā atithi pitrarthaṃ yājyārthaṃ ca
payasvinī )
Viswamitra
got wild at the audacity of the sage and went to grab the cow by force. ‘I am a Kshatriya
and as per svadharma, I can take it by force’[iv]. Vasishta
was a Bramhin and he cannot afford to exhibit anger and so he kept quiet.
Sabala came running to sage Vasishta and asked whether he has disowned her.
Vasishta told, ‘I am seeing your agony and hearing your cries. But he is taking
you by force. The
strength of a Kshatriya is his splendor; and the strength of a Bramhin is his
power of patience and forgiveness[v]. I have not
disowned you and at the same time I cannot punish him. He is superior in physical prowess and possesses
a force of one (अक्षौहिणी) akṣauhiṇī [vi] of soldiers. If you
have strength, you can punish him’.
Sabala
got the clue and started producing thousands and thousands of soldiers who
destroyed the entire army of Viswamitra[vii]. The
strong and mighty Viswamitra suddenly became weak and powerless. He left the
place and sat for tapas. God Siva appeared before him and was pleased to
present a boon. Viswamitra asked that he should be blessed with entire dhanurveda
(expertise in the usage of sastras and astras with intonation of mantras. With
the blessings of Siva’s boon, Viswamitra came to the ashram of Vasishta and
destroyed it with Agneyastra (an arrow that emits fire against the enemy).
Vasishta got wild. ‘What is the power of Kshatriya splendor before the splendor
of Brahma balam – the strength of a Bramhin?’, saying like this he put forth
his kamandal (oblong water pot) and stood like a rock. Viswamitra started
pouring out all astras including the mighty Bramhastra but all those were
swallowed by the kamandal. It was a humiliating defeat for Viswamitra. With all
tapas he got dhanurvidya only to see that it was no way matching before the
brahma balam. ‘Hell
to Khatriya balam; Brahma balam is balam’, yelled Viswamitra[viii]. He was
determined to attain the powers of bramharshi.
He left
the place and sat for tapas for a thousand years totally controlling the sense
organs. Lord Brahma appeared before him and blessed him that he would be a
Rajarshi (Viswamitra again got insulted as he was aspiring for the status of
Bramharshi equivalent to the status of sage Vasishta. He decided to continue
the tapas with more vigor.
b. King Trisanku and his encounter with
Viswamitra (Competitive spiritualism)
The king
of Ikshwakus at that time was one by name Trisanku. He had a desire to go the
heaven with his physical body. He approached his kula guru (guru for Ikshwakus)
Vasishta and expressed his desire. Vasishta told that it was not possible. Then
Trisanku approached the sons of Vasishta and requested them to perform an yagna
(sacrifice) on his behalf and send him to heaven with physical body. When
Vasisishta himself felt that it was impossible, how his sons can perform the
yagna and send him to heaven? They asked him to shun his foolish ideas and go
back to his place.
Trishanku
was not happy. He told that he would go to some other sage for getting the
yagna performed. Vasishta’s sons were watching his behavior closely. He has
already committed three blunders- desire to go to heaven with physical body is
against dharma; approaching the sons of the guru having disowned by the kula
guru is the second blunder; and having the audacity to tell that he would
approach someone else ignoring the wise words of kula guru is the third blunder
(His name Trisanku is apt as he has three sankus or
nails like blunders firmly fixed in his heart). The sons of Vasishta
cursed him to be a ‘Caṃḍāla (चंडाल)’ and soon he became a Caṃḍāla [ix].
Trishanku
approached Viswamitra and put forth his agony before him. He narrated how his
kula guru and his sons disowned him and the way they cursed him to become Caṃḍāla. Viswamitra got convinced
with the narrative of Trisanku. He assured to conduct the yagna on behalf of
Trisanku and send him to heaven with his physical body. He ordered his
disciples to go around and bring all sages, rishis and pandits of veda sastras
invoking his (Viswamitra’s) orders. If anyone talk ill about the yagna, that
should be informed to him.
It so
happened that all other sages feared Viswamitra and obliged his orders but the
sons of Vasishta did not budge. They ridiculed the adharmic yagna being
conducted by Viswamitra (an yagna is to be conducted by a brahmajñāni [x]and it should be
for establishment of dharma). Viswamitra got wild and cursed all the
sons of Vasishta to be born as Mushtikas for another seven hundred births as
persons eating the flesh of dogs[xi].
Then the
yagna continued but the gods did not descend to take the offerings of
Viswamitra. Naturally he got wild and with all anger he raised his voice and
proclaimed, ‘Hey King! Whatever power I attained by tapas for thousand years is
hereby pledged. You shall go to heaven with flesh and body right now’. When
everybody was watching with surprise, Trisanku rose into air to reach the gates
of heaven.
Indra
refused to accept Trisanku as his guest as he was disowned and cursed by his
own guru. He decided that Trisanku is ineligible to reach heaven. He ordered
that Trisanku shall fall upon earth with head down’ (Ironically
here Valmiki used the word Paka Sasana to describe Indra. Paka Sasana literally
means as a person who decides the karma phalam or karma paka of a person and
decides the acceptability to reach heaven). With his power of tapas
Viswamitra stopped Trisanku in the air (between earth and heaven) and around
him started creating one more universe including the heaven, stars, gods, etc.
Then all sages, rishis and gods appeared before Viswamitra and made him come
down from anger and become cool. They
enlightened the adharmic desire of Trisanku and how he was cursed by his own
guru. Viswamitra became cool after getting the assurance from the gods that the
heaven created by him would stay forever for the purpose of Trisanku.
Viswamitra ensured that his blessings upon Trisanku remained truthful forever
and all people left to their places.
By pledging the tapas to the
adharmic cause of Trisanku, and by cursing the sons of Vasishta in anger,
Viswamitra’s spiritual powers got depleted. Again he sat for tapas
for another thousand years.
By that
time the kingdom of Ayodhya was ruled by a king by name Ambarisha. While he was
performing the yagna, the sacrificial animal was abducted. It was considered
sin to stop the yagna if it was due to the carelessness on the part of the king
to protect the yagna pasu (sacrificial animal). In order to overcome the sin,
the ministers suggested either to trace
the original yagna pasu or substitute a human being as yagna pasu. As the king
could not trace the original animal, he started searching for a human being as
substitute. He was interested to take a person who willingly accepts for the
cause. He roamed different villages, towns, forests etc and ultimately reached
the ashram of one Rishi by name Ruchika. The king offered a lakh cows and asked
for a human substitute. The Rishi had three sons. Rishi told that he cannot
give his elder son. Ruchika’s wife told that she cannot sacrifice her younger
son. It is said even by today that while the elder is father’s pet, the younger
one is mother’s pet.
When the
parents chose the elder and younger sons, the middle son (must have got
insulted) came out and told that he would accompany the king Ambarisha as a
sacrificial animal. ‘I feel that as per Parisesha nyaya[xii], I
have been sold out by my parents since my mother opted my younger brother and
my father opted my elder brother’. The king offered a lakh cows and took
Sunassepa with him.
When the
king was moving towards his kingdom with Sunassepa, they had come across
Pushkar ghat where Viswamitra was performing tapas. Viswamitra was the maternal
uncle of Sunassepa. Though Sunassepa had agreed to be the sacrificial animal,
he was having fear of imminent death. He rushed to his maternal uncle and
prayed, ‘Hey Muni, I am in trouble now. None of my kith and kin including
parents are helping me. Please do something that help two things- the king’s yagna
should be completed and my life is also saved’. Viswamitra was moved by the
ethical request of Sunassepa.
He called
his sons and asked any one of them to become a yagnapasu and save the muni’s
son (Sunassepa). It is the putra dharma to listen and
follow the words of parents and after their death it is their duty to ensure
that they escape ‘punnama naraka’[xiii].
‘Oh sons!
all of you are in the path of dharmic deeds; all follow dharmic character. One
of you become yagnapasu of the king and see the yagna is completed and
Sunassepa is saved’. But none of the sons agreed and the same time they
insulted Viswamitra. Since they had violated putradharma, Viswamitra got angry
and gave them the same curse that he had given to the sons of Vasishta earlier
– that they should born as Mushtikas for
seven hundred births.
Viswamitra
just could not disown Sunassepa. With the power of his tapas, he bestowed two
mantras, the chanting of which would help both objectives. On the sacrificial
altar, Sunassepa chanted the slokas. Indra was pleased and saved the life of
Sunassepa and at the same time bestowed yagnaphala (fruits of yagna) to the
king Ambarisha.
d. Viswamitra’s encounter with enchanting
beauty, Menaka (stage of yielding to sensual physical pleasure- kama)
Viswamitra
lost his power of tapas and he again sat for tapas for another thousand years.
Then Brahma appeared and bestowed ‘Rishi’ ( a higher grade than Rajarshi) and
disappeared. Viswamitra intended to continue the tapas. One day Viswamitra
happened to see a celestial Apsarasa by name Menaka enjoing bath in Pushkara
lake. He could not control his senses and he was hooked to the bountiful beauty
in the form of Menaka and sought her to bestow her kindness towards him. She
agreed and they spent day and night enjoying the bliss for ten full years and
had a daughter who later on became to be called as Sakuntala.
But soon he
realized his spiritual fall. He did not want to curse
her as it was his mistake to fall prey to his sense organs. He bid
farewell to her with pleasing words and proceeded to Himalayas. This time he
decided not to yield to any temptations of the mind and performed tapas. Then
Brahma appeared and bestowed Maharshi (a stage higher than Rajarsi and rishi)
over him. Viswamitra bowed before Brahma and asked whether the bestowing of
Maharshi connotes that he had conquered his senses. Brahma said, ‘Do not think that you have conquered indrias or sense
organs. Try something more’[xiv].
e. Viswamitra’encounter with Rambha and Indra
(disguised Bramhin) and attainment of Bramharshi (Stage of repentance for
uncontrollable anger and determination to raise above all sensual pleasures)
Yes,
Viswamitra did not give up. He stood on his toes, took only air as food and did
tapas amidst blazing fire all the four sides. The tapas was terrific day by day
and the worlds trembled. Indra wanted to test Viswamitra and took Rambha, the
beauty among the beauties in Apsarasa clan to the place of Viswamitra. One day
Viswamitra opened his eyes and looked at Rambha. Rambha came nearer to
Viswamitra and tried her best to attract him. Viswamitra suspected foul and
realized that it was the strategy of gods. Unable to
control his anger he cursed Rambha to
become a stone. Since he could not control his anger, again his spiritual
powers got reduced. He repented again and again for the frailty of his mind.
Then the
gods assembled and approached Brahma. They told, ‘We tested Viswamitra in all
ways and we could not tempt him anymore. His spiritual powers have reached the
pinnacle of perfection and he is entitled to be crowned with Bramharshi. Brahma appeared before Viswamitra. ‘I am
pleased by your tapas. I bestow upon you the Bramharshi status and long life’.
Viswamitra was pleased and performed puja to Vasishta who reached there by that
time. Vasishta embraced Bramharshi Viswamitra and they became good friends.
When
Viswamitra approached the court of Dasaratha, it was Vasishta who praised the
strength of Viswamitra and goaded Dasaratha to send his sons Rama and Lakshmana
along with Viswamitra.
The Symbolic significance of the
story
Viswamitra
showed to the world that our greatest glory is never failing, but in rising
every time we fall. With perseverance and determination one can reach the
pinnacle of perfection in life. Each human being can design his destiny and
reach the goal spot.
a.
The story starts with the clash of Viswamitra with
Vasishta over the issue of possessing the celestial cow. It is really a clash of two ideologies- materialism and
spiritualism. Viswamitra tried to apply force to drag out Sabala to his
place. When Sabala destroyed all soldiers, he did tapas and obtained unmatched
physical powers from Lord Siva. The physical powers representing materialism
were no match before the spiritual powers of sage Vasishta. Viswamitra believed
in physical strength, armed powers etc and believed that everything on the
earth belong to the king. It represents dictatorship and oppression of the
weak. Vasishta believed in freedom and never supported the violation of the
feelings of Sabala. Again he did not want to punish Viswamitra for his deeds.
The
philosophy of materialism is the height of unintelligence and this materialism
suffered defeat by the spiritualism.
b.
Entire story revolves around the concept that
Bramhabalam is superior to Kshatriya balam. It does not
mean that Bramhins are superior to Kshatrias. No class conflict or varna
conflict is contemplated in this story. Bramhabalam means the qualities of
‘satva’ and Khatriyabalam symbolizes ‘rajas’ and ‘tamas’. Vasishta did
not obstruct Viswamitra when the latter was forcefully trying to carry over it
though he was capable of destroying him. He had total control over his senses
and he refused to become angry. When
Viswamitra swirled all astras, he just defended and
never offended Viswamitra.
c.
The story of Viswamitra is the story of
progression in the spiritual path. To reach the
glorious point in the spiritual ladder, one has to conquer arishadvargas
totally. These six enemies (kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada and
matsarya) are to be conquered with steadfast mental power. Viswamitra did tapas
for dispatching Trisanku to the abode of heaven. But the tapas was rajo tapas-
intending to violate the social and dharmic norms. In Gita we have the
description of rajo tapas as follows:
अभिसन्धाय तु फलं दम्भार्थमपि चैव यत् |
इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम् - Gita 17.12
इज्यते भरतश्रेष्ठ तं यज्ञं विद्धि राजसम् - Gita 17.12
abhisandhāya tu phalaṁ dambhārtham api chaiva yat
ijyate bharata-śhreṣhṭha taṁ yajñaṁ viddhi rājasam
ijyate bharata-śhreṣhṭha taṁ yajñaṁ viddhi rājasam
Its broad meaning is that Sacrifice (yagna) becomes a form of business
with God if it is performed with great pomp and show. Yagna has to be performed
without selfishness. Krishna says that sacrifice may be done with great
ceremony, but if it is for the sake of rewards in the form of prestige,
aggrandizement, etc. it is rājasic in nature.
d. Sanatana
dharma says that any tapas should be ideally for loka sangraha (for the benefit
of humanity) and not with an ulterior motto or internal agenda. One should do
the satvik tapas with nishkama yoga. In the case of Trisanku, the yagna
perfomed was for an adharmic cause. Our scriptures say that once the death
happens, the subtle body goes either to heaven or hell depending upon
karmaphala. Trisanku desired to reach heaven with his physical body which is
not contemplated as dharmic act. Again the desire to go
heaven with physical body signifies that he has not discarded ‘dehābhimāna (देहाभिमान)’- obsession with
physical body. Further Trisanku’s request was not considered by Vasishta not
because he cannot have the powers but because Vasishta felt that Trisanku was
not qualified for it ((स शरीर एवस्वर्गं लोकमेति- sa śarīra evasvargaṃ lokameti- Govindaraja
vykhya). When the kulaguru certifies that he was not qualified to reach heaven,
how
can Viswamitra take up his cause? How can Viswamitra reach spiritual glory by
supporting a cause not acceptable on the fulcrum of dharma?
Further
Viswamitra’s support to Trisanku represents his desire to help Trisanku and
also to denigrate sage Vasishta. It is a sort of
‘competitive spiritualism’ which itself is an oxymoron.
e. At each
stage in the story, he was exhibiting anger (krodha- one of the six enemies)
and cursing everyone, and thereby suffered decline in spiritual powers. He
cursed the sons of Vasishta, his own sons, Rambha etc. Even after attaining the
stature of Maharshi, he cursed Rambha. He also had fallen to the beautiful
damsel, Menaka and lost his powers. A spiritual seeker has to be steadfast in
his path and never should become a slave to senses. Devas
are the presiding deities of sense organs and they yield to that spiritual
master who could master the technique of controlling senses. Viswamitra
failed in many places. But he regained his posture on every fall and realized
his mistakes and profusely repented. He ultimately became Bramharshi by which
time Vasishta was no more an enemy but a good friend.
Other learning elements from the story
(Sociological and psychological perspectives)
a.
Display of riches attract thieves and other
intruders. Vasishta persisted to take atithya (feast given to guests) for the
entire battalion of Viswamitra. Viswamitra obliged with reluctance. But when he
saw the amazing powers of Sabala, he wanted to grab it by force. This type of aggression has been there in the history of
human civilization whenever there was display of wealth of the kingdoms, bodily
beauty by ladies, opulence and pageantry by powerful politicians and the like.
It is no surprise that what is there in Maha Bharat is everywhere and what is
not here is nowhere else.
b.
Sunassepa story indicates that parents in general
like the elder and younger kids and the middle ones are not carefully taken
care off. An idiom has developed in India since
immemorial- ‘मध्यम पुत्रः शुनस्सेपः’ which means that all middle ones have
no value in family structure.
c.
Trisanku was thrown out of heaven by Indra but he
was asked to stay back in the sky by Viswamitra. A new heaven was created for
his purpose where he was staying alone. An idiom has
developed that any person, if he feels that his fate is hanging- neither here
nor there, he says that he is in Trisanku Swarga.
d.
A dejected person by the society for his adharmic
deeds was labeled as caṃḍāla (चंडाल) in
Maha Bharat times. By the time of Manu, caṃḍāla (चंडाल) was defined as a person born to a
Brahmin woman by a Sudra man. This act must
have been viewed against the norms of the society and were shunned by the
society. Over a period of centuries caṃḍāla (चंडाल) had degenerated into caste. Much research has
been done by the scholars of Sociology. Much more research may throw newer
insights in this subject matter.
e.
Taking care of parents in old age and listening to
their counsel are the social and moral norms of the society in Maha Bharat
times. This was once again emphasized by Viswamitra in the story of Sunassepa. Even after 5000 years, these values are cherished and broadly
followed in India. The intrusion of western culture has not still destroyed
these underlying spiritual values of Indian society.
Viswamitra’s
contribution to Indian culture
2. Viswamitra is instrumental in taking out Rama and
Lakshmana from the court of Dasaratha and made them responsible for the
annihilation of Asuras. Thus he became the guru of Rama and Lakshmana. The
entire Ramayana that we cherish to read is the result of the seeds sown by
Viswamitra in nurturing his disciples capable enough to stand against and
defeat Ravana and his soldiers.
Points to ponder
1.
What are the obstacles to the path of spiritual
progress? What lessons we can learn from the story of Viswamitra?
2.
What is the importance of perseverance in
attaining one’s own goal post? What lessons we can learn from Viswamitra?
3.
Do you agree that spiritual powers have greater
value than material powers in the world?
4.
Anger scorches the person who holds it and
depletes his spiritual powers. Substantiate.
5.
What is putra dharma? Elaborate.
6.
Can we support unrighteous causes in the society
in the name of doing good to certain people? What will be the result?
Footnotes
[ii] रत्नं हि भगवन्नेतत् रत्न हारी च पार्थिवः (ratnaṃ hi bhagavannetat
ratna hārī ca pārthivaḥ) - Valmiki
Ramayana, Bala Kanda 53.8
[iv] स्वधर्मं न प्रहास्यामि नेष्यामि च बलेन गाम् (svadharmaṃ na prahāsyāmi neṣyāmi ca
balena gām ) - Maha Bharata,
Adi Parva 174.19)
[v] क्षत्रियाणां बलं तेजः ब्राह्मणानां क्षमा बलम् (kṣatriyāṇāṃ
balaṃ tejaḥ brāhmaṇānāṃ
kṣamā
balam) Maha
Bharata, Adi Parva, 174.29
[vi] अक्षौहिणी akṣauhiṇī) - 5
lac warriors (500 K), 21,870 elephants (Sanskrit gaja); 65,610
horses (Sanskrit turaga) and 109,350 infantry
[vii] Maha Bharata mentions that Sabala produces different
clans of soldiers like Chibukas, Pulindas, Chinas, Hunus and Keralas(Maha
Bharata, Adi Parva 174.37). Further research may be required whether these are
present day Chinese, Keralites etc.
[viii] धिग्बलं क्षत्रिय बलं ब्रह्म तेजोबलं बलं (dhigbalaṃ kṣatriya balaṃ brahma tejobalaṃ balaṃ ) Valmiki
Ramayanam Bala kanda, 57.23
[ix] caṃḍāla (चंडाल) – one who is
shunned by the society for total violation of dharma. Since the desires of
Trisanku happen to violate the religious and social norms, it was felt that, he
should be totally boycotted by the society. As per Manu Smriti Caṃḍāla (चंडाल) was a person born
to a Bramhin woman by a Sudra man. In Epic ages it might be the starting point
of shunning a person for violation of dharma; and slowly it must have
degenerated into caste. At present this is caste designated by Mahatma Gandhi
as Harijans.
विकृताश्च विरूपाश्च
लोकाननुचरन्त्विमान् - Valmiki Ramayana, Bala Kanda 59.19.
śvamāṃsaniyatāhārā muṣṭikā nāma nirghṛṇāḥ
vikṛtāśca virūpāśca lokānanucarantvimān
[xiii] punnāma naraka- a
hell which every person without sons has to pass through as per Hindu
mythology.
[xv] Kumbhaka-
According to B.K.S. Iyengar in Light on Yoga, the "retention or holding
the breath, a state where there is no inhalation or exalation".
Good story
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