The development of the unique character of the sage Vishwamitra is described in the Puranas and other ancient works. He was born in a Kshatriya family as the son of king Gadhi. When he inherited the kingdom, he ruled as a competent and worthy king and he had great respect for saints and sages as was traditional in those days. The king had a duty to protect the sages who fulfilled the spiritual needs of society. On the other hand the king was responsible for preserving order and fulfilling the material needs of the subjects. Thus we see that the renunciate who possesses nothing and the king who has complete power compliment each other in order to give completeness to society.
O~e day Vishwami tra went to pay homage to the sage Vashishta at his Ashram. The latter gave the king a royal welcome. If he wanted, he as a renunciate could have served him fruits and berries. But he felt that a guest should be given due honour and, since he had the
means, he served the king appropriately. Through severe penance, Vashishta had acquired a divine cow that could fulfil all desires. He did not use the cow to fulfil his own needs. However, he felt that he should not impose his lifestyle onto others. The king was accustomed to having the very best so he decided to provide him with royal cuisine (Rajagopalacarya C:
1982: 20-21). However, this goodwill had an adverse effect on the king for when he realised what miracles the cow could perform, he became impatient to acquire it. He felt that such a cow could be put to maximum use in a palace and not in a hermitage. Vashishta refused to part with the cow for he knew very well that such unlimited power would be dangerous in the hands of a worldly person . . Had Vishwamitra accepted the sage's posi tion and returned to the kingdom there would have been no conflict between the two. However, this incident gave rise to a series of conflicts which clearly demonstrated Vishwamitra's conduct as extremely inappropriate. He was prepared to go to any length to fulfil his desires and the number of obstacles he had to face did not stop him from pursuing his objective.
He used all his kingly might against Vashishta but the latter's spiritual power always kept him a step ahead.
Vishwamitra could not accept defeat and eventually
abandoned his mighty kingdom and took to a path of Under no penance in order to defeat Vashishta.
circumstances did he want to be inferior for having been born in a Kshatriya family. Thus by his severe austerities he was able to rise above caste consciousness even though he faced a great deal of opposi tion and a number of obstacles. Eventually he became a great seer and intuited a Mantra.
Vishwamitra's greatness was clearly revealed after the manifestation of Sri Rama. In the Ramcharitmanas, he is introduced as a great saint who was always engaged in penance, sacrifices and Yoga at his Ashrama.
However, he and his fellow saints were constantly being disturbed by demons who did not allow the sages to complete their sacrifices. Vishwamitra was determined to complete the sacrifices for the sake of the world and decided to seek the assistance of the Lord who he
knew had incarnated Himself.
Tab munibar man keenha bicaaraa, Prabhu avatareu haran mahi bhaaraa.
Ehoo mis dekhau pad jaaee, Kari binatee aanau dou bhaaee.
Gyaan biraag sakal gun ayanaa, So prabhu mai dekhab bhari nayanaa.
"The great sage then said to himself, \ The Lord has already taken birth in order to relieve the earth of
its burden. Let me make the outrage of the demons an excuse of seeing His feet and after due entreaty bring the two brothers here. I will regale my eyes with the sight of H~ who is the abode of knowledge, dispassion and all virtues.'" (Ramcharitmanas 1/205/3-4).
The thought of the Lord filled Vishwami tra with such devotion that he forgot his past enmity with Vashishta even though he knew that Sri Rama was the disciple of Vashishta. Although Vishwamitra had tirelessly endeavoured to become a Brahmin, he now ironically sought the assistance of the Lord who was born in a Kshatriya family.
At Ayodhya, he was given a grand welcome by king Dasharatha who felt extremely blessed to have such an extraordinary guest. King Dasharatha was curious to know the reason for the sage's visit and assured him that he would fulfil his desires immediately.
Vishwamitra's reply surprised the king when he gave his reason for his visit.
Asur samooh sataavahi mohee, Mai jaacan aayau nrip tohee.
Anuj samet dehu raghunaathaa, Nisicar badh mai hon sanaathaa.
Dehu bhoop man harashit, tajahu moh agyaan.
Dharma sujas prabhu tumha kau, inha kah ati kalyaan.
"'Hosts of clemons molest me, 0 king; I have therefore come to ask something of you. Let me have the Lord of Raghus, Sri Rama, with His younger brother (Lakshmana);
with the extermination of the demons I will feel secure. Entrust them to me, 0 king, with a cheerful heart; let no infatuation or ignorance stand in your way. You will earn religious merit and fair renown thereby, and your sons will be highly blessed.' "
(Ramcharitmanas 1/206/5, 1/207).
Vishwamitra knew that it would not be easy for the king to part with Sri Rama for his filial love was very strong. Dasharatha immediately refused Vishwami tra' s proposal. In the Puranas, Vishwamitra was well known for having a short temper. If anyone went against his wishes he would become extremely angry and often he would curse them. However, in the Ramcharitmanas there seems to be a change in his at ti tude. Instead of becoming angry, he is delighted to see the king's filial love for Sri Rama. At this juncture, Vashishta intervened and advised the king that he should not be overcome by attachment for his sons and that it was for the good of the boys that they should accompany Vishwamitra. Vashishta had imparted all his knowledge to the princes but he knew that it was Vishwami tra' s
guidance and knowledge that would eventually help Sri Rama accomplish his mission on earth. Eventually king Dasharatha gave his permission for Rama and Lakshmana to accompany Vi shwamitra thereby fulfilling the desires of the sage.
Vishwamitra then happily proceeded to his hermitage wi th the princes. On the way they encountered the demoness Taraka, the mother of the wicked Maricha and Subahu. Taraka, who was vicious by nature, not only terrorised the sages but also encouraged her sons to harass the sages and destroy their sacrifices.
However, neither she nor her sons could demoralise Vishwami tra in spite of all their efforts. When she saw Vishwamitra with the princes, she became extremely angry and was about to attack them when the sage instructed Sri Rama to kill her with his arrows.
Vishwamitra himself had taken a vow to adhere to the path of non-violence yet, for the sake of the world, he had to resort to violence. But he also knew that an act of violence should be performed by one who was not a violent person or one who did not propagate violence.
That is why he did not hesitate to instruct Sri Rama to kill Taraka. Ordinarily a Kshatriya would not kill a woman since she is regarded as weak and tender. But
when she herself becomes violent and wicked then she forsakes the protection due to her. Sri Rama followed the instruction of Vishwamitra and killed Taraka with a
single arrow. Vishwamitra witnessed the destruction of Taraka and the compassion of Sri Rama who also liberated her.
A feeling of self-surrender arose in the mind of Vishwamitra and he then imparted all his knowledge of the Shastras as well as that of warfare to Sri Rama.
By this act he himself felt fulfilled.
Tab rishi nij naathahi jiy ceenhee, Bidyaanidhi kahu bidyaa deenhee.
Jaate laag na chuaa pipaasaa, Atulit bal tanu tej prakaasaa.
Aayudh sarba samarpi kai, prabhu nij aashram aani, Kand mool phal bhojan, deenha bhagati hit jaani.
"Then the seer Vishwami tra, whil.e recognisinq his Lord as the fountain of knowl.edqe, ~arted to H~ a sacred formul.a which ar.med H~ aqainst hunqer and thirst and endowed H~ with unequal.l.ed strenqth of body and a ql.ow of viqour. Makinq over to H~ every kind of weapon the saqe took the Lord to his own hermitaqe and devoutl.y qave B~ buLbs, roots and fruits to eat, perceivinq in
H~ his qreatest friend. " (Ramchari tmanas 1/208/4, 1/209).
The next day Sri Rama and Lakshmana destroyed the demons who had been constantly preventing the sacrifice of the sages from being completed. However, in spite of the sacrifice being completed, Vishwami tra did not take the princes back to Ayodhya but instead he got them to accompany him to Mithila. Here king Janaka had arranged a bridal contest whereby a suitable groom would be chosen for his daughter Sitae Vishwamitra did not regard this as just a social event for he knew that the marriage that would take place would not be an ordinary one.
On their way to Mithila, they came across a forsaken hermitage. When the princes enquired about it, Vishwamitra narrated to them the story of Ahalya who had been cursed to become a stone. However, Vishwami tra saw this as an act of compassion rather
than that of punishment. He was well aware of the divinity of Sri Rama and asked Him to have compassion on her:
Gautam naari shraap bas, upal deh dhari dheer.
Caran kamal raj caahati, kripaa karahu raghubeer.
" 'GautaJDa' s consort, havinq assumed the form of a stone under a curse, seeks with patience the dust of Your lotus-feet; show mercy to her, 0 Hero of Raqhu's race.'" (Ramcharitmanas 1/210) . Without any
hesi tation Sri Rama obediently carried out the instructions of the sage for he knew that this would benefit Ahalya. In the Ramcharitmanas, Vishwamitra told Sri Rama merely to show compassion. Tulsidasji did not go into detail when describing this episode, as he knew that most readers are acquainted with the incident. It also shows his decorum when dealing with such matters. However, in the Valmiki Ramayana Ahalya's transgression is described in detail in order to clarify the incident.
When Vishwamitra together with the princes arrived at Mi thila, he adopted a different approach from that he had done in Ayodhya. Instead of going strai9ht to the palace, he halted at a mango grove on the outskirts of the city. Here he had come as an invited guest to bestow his blessings whereas he had gone to Ayodhya to ask a favour. Many seekers had often come to the great king Janaka who was well known for his generosity as well as his spiritual wisdom. He was an enlightened king who had perceived God in His formless aspect.
Here Vishwami tra had brought God in an embodied form with him that is why he wanted Janaka himself to come and meet Sri Rama and to experience delight in God with form. The meeting of Sri Rama and Janaka was arranged
in an outstanding manner by Vishwamitra. He had sent the two brothers to see the flower garden when Janaka came to welcome him. After the meeting of the sages and the king and when the whole gathering had settled down, Sri Rama and Lakshmana arrived. A remarkable scene then unfolded. The entire assembly rose to welcome them. They were all captivated by the extraordinary beauty of the princes and gazed at them wi thout blinking. The entire scene was ethereal and unprecedented but it was what Vishwamitra had anticipated and he took delight in witnessing such an event. That is why he had sent the princes away for if they were present when Janaka and his entourage arrived, they would have had to stand in order to greet him. Sri Rama would have readily done so but Vishwamitra did not want that to happen. Then he would have had to introduce them as the sons of a great emperor. He wanted to present to Janaka God with form whose attraction was such that even unknown persons were drawn towards him and felt blessed by His sight.
King Janaka was overcome with love and he enquired about the princes for he knew that no ordinary being could have such an effect on him. He said,
Kahahu naath sundar dou baalak, Munikul tilak ki nripkul paalak.
Brahma jo nigam neti kahi gaavaa,
Ubhay besh dhari kee soi aavaa.
Sahaj biraagroop manu moraa, Thakit hot jimi canda cakoraa.
Taate prabhu poochau satibhaaoo, Kahahu naath jani karahu duraaoo.
Inhahi bilokat ati anuraagaa, Barbas brahmasukhahi man tyaagaa.
"'Tell me, my lord: Are these two pretty boys the ornament of a sage's family or the bulwarks of some royal dynasty? Or, is i t that Brahma (the absolute), whom the Vedas describe in negative te~s such as 'Not that' (Neti), has appeared in a dual fo~? My mind, which is dispassion itself in its natural fo~, is enraptured at their sight even as the Chakora bird is transported with joy at the sight of the moon.
Therefore, Sir, I earnestly enquire of you: tell me the truth, my Lordi hide nothing from me. Deeply attached to them at their very sight, my mind has perforce renounced the joy of absorption into Brahma. ' "
(Ramcharitmanas 1/215/1-3).
King Janaka's reaction gave a great deal of satisfaction to Vishwamitra. Here we see another aspect of his character. He was renowned as a seer who had intuited mantras but here he is presented as an exponent of devotion. He knew that Yoga and knowledge would satisfy only a few and he saw devotion as a means
of solving the problems of mankind. Vishwamitra seemed to have transformed from being a serious renunciate after his meeting with Sri Rama.
to king Janaka's enquiry thus:
He joyfully replied
Bacan tumhaar na hoi aleekaa.
E priya sabahi jahaa lagi praanee, Man musukaahi raamu suni baanee.
Raghukul mani dasrath ke jaae, Mam hit laagi nares pathaae.
Raamu lakhanu dou bandhubar, roop seel bal dhaam.
Makh raakheu sabu saakhi jagu, jite asur sangraam.
"'You have spoken well, 0 king; your words can never be untrue. Wba tever l i ving beings there are in this world, they all love these boys.' Sri Rama smiled wi thin Himself on hearing these words. 'They are the sons of king Oasharatha, the jewel of Raghu's race; the king has sent them for my cause. These two noble brothers, Rama and Lakshmana, are the embodjment of beauty, virtue and strength. The whole world knows
that they conquered the demons in battle and protected my sacrifice from harm.'" (Ramcharitmanas 1/215/3-4, 1/216) .
Another aspect of the character of Vishwamitra emerges when Sri Rama requests permission from him to visit the city of Mithila in order to fulfil the desire of Lakshmana. Sri Rama felt some hesitation in asking
permission for he felt that it would not be appropriate to leave the company of the sages with whom they had come. He therefore carefully chooses his words so as not to offend the sage. In spite of being a strict disciplinarian, Vishwamitra' s reaction was greatly influenced by the humble request of Sri Rama and he said:
Kas na raam tumha raakhahu neetee.
Dharam destu paalak tumha taataa, Frem bibas sevak sukh daataa.
Jaai dekhi aavahu nagaru, sukh nidhaan dou bhaai. Karahu suphal sab ke nayan, sundar badan dekhaai.
"'It is no wonder, Rama, that You should respect qood manners. You are the upholder of the moral code, my son, and brinq joy to Your servants out of love for them. Go, blissful pair of brothers, and havinq seen the city come back. Bless the eyes of all by showinq them your charminq countenance. ' " (Ramchari tmanas 1/217/4, 1/218).
A liberal aspect of the character of Vishwami tra is portrayed in the Ramcharitmanas at the end of the flower garden episode. Sri Rama and Lakshmana had gone to pick flowers for worship for the sage. At the flower garden, Sri Rama saw mother Sita and he was captivated by her incomparable beauty and modesty. As a result he was late in taking the flowers to his guru.
However, the latter did not ask for any explanation for the delay. But the guileless Sri Rama related the entire episode and unhesitatingly opened his heart to him. He felt great satisfaction in confiding in his guru. Earlier in the flower garden, Sri Rama had expressed his feelings for Sita to Lakshmana who had remained silent. Now again Vishwamitra silently listened and after his worship, he blessed the princes thereby showing his approval.
Early the next morning, Vishwamitra and the princes attended the bow sacrifice or bridal contest.
Innumerable kings in all their splendour had already assembled in the arena. Each king was accompanied by praise singers who introduced them, glorified their actions and sang their praises. Sri Rama and Lakshmana were sons of a mighty emperor yet they entered with a host of sages. After they had taken their seats, king Janaka sent for Si ta. Thereafter the contest began.
All the kings tried to lift the bow but were unsuccessful. King Janaka's speech reflected his sorrow and agitation when he stated that had he known that the earth was bereft of brave men, he would not have taken such a vow. He felt greatly pained that his beautiful and virtuous daughter would have to remain
unmarried. After the king had spoken, a deadly silence and a sense of immense despair filled the entire assembly. Suddenly the brave voice of Lakshmana echoed forth, breaking the silence and shaking the audience with his powerful speech. This was the first time that a youth had challenged king Janaka for his utterances.
The entire assembly was stunned at the audacity of Lakshmana but Vishwamitra's reaction was totally different.
Gur raghupati sab muni man maahee, Mudit bhae puni puni pulkaahee.
"The preceptor (Vishwami tra) , the Lord of the Raqhus and a11 the hermits were qlad of heart and thrilled all over aqain and aqain." (Ramcharitmanas 1/253/2).
Lakshmana's reaction to Janaka's speech was one of opposing injustice and impropriety. This pleased Vishwamitra for he knew that Sri Rama was very tolerant and that he would not react in such a manner.
Lakshmana on the other hand, was outspoken and intolerant thereby complementing the character of Sri Rama. Both Sri Rama and Lakshmana were necessary to bring a solution to the problem Janaka was facing and when Vishwamitra instructed Sri Rama to lift the bow, he went forth immediately.
Biswaamitra samay subh jaanee,