VISHWAMITRA, A Kshatriya Who Became Bramharshi

VISHWAMITRA, A KING TO SAGE

Vishwamitra is the son of Gadhi, who is the king of Kanyakubjam. He is called as Kaushika, as he is the descendant of Kusha. He was a valiant warrior,

Valmiki Ramayana, Bala Kanda, narrates the story of Vishvamithra.
King Kaushika ruled the land, after his father, for many years. 
Once, After visiting the kingdom with his Akshouhini Sena, he came across the Hermitage/Ashram of Sage /Bramharshi Vashishta, he bowed down to him and Sage welcomed him with great enthusiasm.
After that, they asked each others well being [kushalam] and prosperity.
Then when the King was returning Sage Vashishta said him to receive his Athidhyam [honoring with a great feast].

Then sage Vashishta immediately called Shabala, calf of Kamadhenu, the cow having spiritual powers, and ordered her to create each godly dish or food of every sort [ie. to eat, to drink, to suck and to sip] which consists of all six fold taste.

The very next moment, every type of delicacies emerged out of Kamdhenu, in sufficient and also according to each individuals wish.

The King, who completely surprised, realized that the cow is the actual jewel and thought that he never saw this valuable thing even after visiting the whole world and wanted to possess the cow, Kamadhenu,  
He asked sage Vashishta to give the cow Kamadhenu to him as every valuable thing in the world belongs to the King himself, even not having the possession.
He offered many things to him in return but Sage Vashishta replied that his daily activities like Homas, yagna, yagas completely depend on the cow and refused to give the cow 
Then the king Kaushika enraged and ordered his men to capture the cow and drive along them.
The cow escaped and ran towards the sage Vashishta, out of her affection,
asked him that whether she did any fault for which she is being left by him.
Vashishta said, I don't have any capability to hold or leave you, because you are able to create anything and everything, being a sage I cannot go against the king and his army, and said her to create the army to fight against the army of King.
Then she created a vast army, which emerged out of her and destroyed the whole army [1 Akshouhini Sena] of King Kaushika.

Then the 100 sons of King fiercely rushed towards Vashishta and turned to ashes, just by a single syllable out of anger of Sage Vashishta. King felt ashamed and went back from there, and realized that his physical power, his wealth, status is nothing, and powers obtained by penance is greater than any power. He went to Himalayas and began intense austerities and penance to please Lord Shiva. At last, Lord Shiva was pleased and appeared in front of him,
Immediately after seeing Lord Shiva, he asked him the complete knowledge of Dhanurvedam [should not be concluded as a simple education of bow and arrow shooting the target] Lord Shiva granted the same.

Immediately he ran towards the Ashram of Sage Vashishta and As soon as he reached the hermitage, he by not even uttering a single word, just started attacking with each and every weapon onto the Ashram one after another, Everybody residing in the hermitage ran away out of fear. Sage Vashishta came out and challenged Vishwamitra, he enraged and lifted his stick called Bramha Dandam, and all the weapons got observed into that including Bramhastra.

Realizing that his weapons would do nothing against Vashishta’s spiritual power, Vishwamitra left the place. He thought to get more powers by practicing penance and went back.
He started a severe penance for one Thousand years with his wife and became Rajarshi.

[Also Read : Parashuram a Brahmin or Kshatriya?]

Sage Vashishta, was the Kulaguru of Ishwaku family, Once there was a king named Trishanku, he desired to go to the heaven with his material body, but Sage Vashishta refused to sent him as he is not eligible.
In order to take revenge, and to prove his superiority, Vishwamitra helped Thrishanku, to fulfill his wish and created another Swarga called Thrishanku Swarga.
He again started the penance but once when he saw Menaka, the Apsara, he got disturbed and spent Ten years with her and also had a daughter who is named Shakuntala later, 

Vishwamitra realized his actual aim and again started a severe penance and became Maharshi.
And again out of dissatisfaction, he started the completely severe penance. Indra Dev sent Rambha the Apsara, to disturb him, [as per our scriptures, Indra Dev or Indra indicates the senses and its gratification, so he always used to disturb the sages who perform severe penance out of his fear of losing his Importance or his kingdom].

Vishwamitra cursed her to remain as statue for Ten Thousand years and started penance again for one Thousand years and because of his hunger, he took a break and prepared meals for himself to eat, but Indra Dev, again came in the form of beggar and asked some food, then Vishwamitra even by knowing that it was Lord Indra, he silently gave it to him, again went back and started a severe penance for another Thousands of years and became Bramharshi and he also asked the ability to perform every spiritual activities like Yagnas, Yagas and everything which are performed by Bramhanas to Lord Bramha and granted so.
This is how a Kshatriya became Sage [Bramharshi], which is also has been destined before his birth, Click here to know.
This also shows that there are different levels or stages and order in sages like Rishi, Rajarshi, Maharshi, Bramharshi and there is a huge difference, but today we consider all as synonyms by lack of knowledge.

 [Also Read : How Sage Vishwamitra and Parashuram relate to each other?]

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