STORY OF SAGE VISHWAMITRA - 1

Sage Vishwamitra is one of the Saptarishis who have formed the Saptarishi Mandala as Stars. This Saptarishi Mandala has been named as Great Bear by the scientists.

Other sages of Saptarishi Mandala are Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadwaja, Gautama, Jamadagni and Vasishtha, as mentioned in Shalya Parva of Mahabharata. However, there is a slight change in the names of these sages in the Shanti Parva of Mahabharata, where the names have been mentioned as: Mareechi, Atri, Angirasa, Pulastya, Kratu and Vasishtha. Scholars are of the opinion that due to change in the Kalpa, which denotes a complete cycle of Kruta Yuga, Treta Yua, Dwapara Yuga and Kali Yuga. The first set of Saptarishis belong to the present Vaivaswata Manvantara. The variation in the names only indicates that the other set belong to another Manvantara.

The story of Vishwamitra is mentioned in Mahabharata and Ramayana. In Ramayana, Shatananda, Chief Minister of Janaka Maharaja, narrates the transformation of King Vishwaratha, a descendant of Kushika dynasty and hence addressed as Kaushika in some places, and his father was Gadhi. The origin of Vishwaratha finds mention in Hari Vamsha and Vayu Purana, besides Mahab

harata. Wife of Vishwaratha was Haimavati. He had several other wives, including Shalavati, Drushadwati, Renu, Madhavi and so on. Madhuchchandana, Kati, Panina, Yajnavalkya, Sankruti, Gala, Mudgala, Devala, Ashtaka, Devarata and his most beloved Shunashyepa were among his over one hundred children. As the king in the lineage of Chandra Vamsha or dynasty, he once goes on a hunting spree and chances to enter the hermitage of Vasishtha, another sage among the Saptarishis, and then attains the Brahmarshi status through penance, which is a very thrilling, meritorious and interesting story. This is an introduction to that thrilling story, which will be narrated here from the next issue for my dear FACEBOOK friends. This portion is also an excerpt of Chapter 50 onwards in Balakanda of Sri Ramayana. Please go through, comment and share it if you like it. HAPPY READING