Rama and Lakshmana following Viswamitra traveled towards northeast direction and neared the hall of Vedic ritual of Janaka in Mithila kingdom.
Vishwamitra, at the request of Rama, arranged a camp at an unfrequented place that had refreshing water. Learning that Vishwamitra had arrived in Mithila, king Janaka instantly came with his followers to Vishwamitra, keeping his unreprovable priest Shataananda afore of the team, in deference to Vishwamitra. Even the Ritvik-s, the administrators of that Vedic ritual, of the great king Janaka arrived with posthaste taking holy waters, and they had ritualistically offered that sanctified water to Vishwamitra. On receiving that veneration from the great Janaka, Vishwamitra inquired after the well-being of the king Janaka, as well as about the unhindered proceedings of that Vedic-ritual. Then Vishwamitra asked after the well-being of saints, mentors, clerics, as befitting to their order, and proceeded to join the company of all of the sages. But the King Janaka requested him to sit along with the other VVIPs.; and Viswamitra obliged him.
King Janaka told Viswamitra that only twelve more days were remaining to complete the observation of ritual-pledge, and he requested Viswamitra to remain and see the gods who would arrive at the conclusion of this Vedic-ritual to take their dues in the ritual.
He (King Janaka) seeing Rama and Lakshmana asked Viswamitra about them.
Vishwamitra informed him that those two were the sons of king Dasharatha. He then added about the coming of Rama and Lakshmana to the Hermitage of Accomplishment, their stopping over there and elimination of demons at that place, their travel along with him, beholding the City of Vishaala, seeing Ahalya, her reuniting with Sage Gautama, and their coming there to have a look of the great bow of Shiva. Shataananda, who incidentally was the son of Ahalya, was also there with the king Janaka.
Vishwamitra, at the request of Rama, arranged a camp at an unfrequented place that had refreshing water. Learning that Vishwamitra had arrived in Mithila, king Janaka instantly came with his followers to Vishwamitra, keeping his unreprovable priest Shataananda afore of the team, in deference to Vishwamitra. Even the Ritvik-s, the administrators of that Vedic ritual, of the great king Janaka arrived with posthaste taking holy waters, and they had ritualistically offered that sanctified water to Vishwamitra. On receiving that veneration from the great Janaka, Vishwamitra inquired after the well-being of the king Janaka, as well as about the unhindered proceedings of that Vedic-ritual. Then Vishwamitra asked after the well-being of saints, mentors, clerics, as befitting to their order, and proceeded to join the company of all of the sages. But the King Janaka requested him to sit along with the other VVIPs.; and Viswamitra obliged him.
King Janaka told Viswamitra that only twelve more days were remaining to complete the observation of ritual-pledge, and he requested Viswamitra to remain and see the gods who would arrive at the conclusion of this Vedic-ritual to take their dues in the ritual.
He (King Janaka) seeing Rama and Lakshmana asked Viswamitra about them.
Vishwamitra informed him that those two were the sons of king Dasharatha. He then added about the coming of Rama and Lakshmana to the Hermitage of Accomplishment, their stopping over there and elimination of demons at that place, their travel along with him, beholding the City of Vishaala, seeing Ahalya, her reuniting with Sage Gautama, and their coming there to have a look of the great bow of Shiva. Shataananda, who incidentally was the son of Ahalya, was also there with the king Janaka.
Shataananda, the eldest son of Sage Gautama, was overjoyed to hear the news about his mother, and was highly amazed just on seeing Rama. On observing raptly those two princes who were sitting cosily with their heads bending down submissively, Shataananda thanked Vishwamitra effusively and exclaimed at the marvel occurred through Rama. Viswamitra replied Sage Shataananda. "I have done whatever good is to be done and nothing is left undone, and the wife of the sage, namely Ahalya, is reunited with her husband sage Gautama, just like Renuka who was reunited with sage Jamadagani, the descendent of Bhrigu."
Renuka is the mother of Parashu Rama, another human incarnation of Vishnu as a Brahmin to exterminate erring Kshatriya kings of an earlier era. Renuka's husband is Sage Jamadagni, the descendent of Bhrigu (and hence also called as Bhaargava). On a certain occasion, Jamadagni ordered his son Parashu Rama to behead Renuka (i.e. Parashu Rama's own mother) and Parashu Rama unhesitatingly carried out his father's orders. Thus, Parashu Rama is also called Bhaargava Rama, with an axe as his unsurpassed weapon. This Parashu Rama confronts Rama of Ramayana after Seetha's marriage.
Shataananda thanked Viswamitra and turned to Rama and said "This highly resplendent Vishwamitra's exploits are unimaginable. He attained the highest order viz. Brahma-sage (ப்ரம்ம ரிஷ) by his ascesis, thus illimitable is his ascetic resplendence, and he should be known as an ultimate course, not only to you alone, but also to everyone." He then told the legend of Viswamitra i.e. his conflict with Sage Vashishta, his determination to get Brahma Rishi title etc. Ah! We have already covered all this, way back in Chapters 2 and 3. We can brag ourselves that we came to know something long before Rama did!
Shataananda told Rama about Shunashepa, too. I did not include that then as it was nothing to do with Viswamitra's travel to Brahma Rishi-hood. Let us now see what that story is.
One of the great kings of Ayodhya, renowned as Ambariisha, embarked on to perform a Vedic-ritual. But Indra clandestinely impounded the animal of the ritual. When that animal was found vanished, the officiate Brahman of the ritual told the king. "Oh, king, the animal you have fetched for the ritual has gone astray owing to your negligence. You have to get that animal only for the ritual. The next best alternative is that a man may be fetched as ritual-animal, and only after that the deeds of the ritual can be continued."
On hearing those words of his teacher, the king tried for a human-ritual-animal for a barter of thousands of cows. While that king was going about in search of a man as a ritual-animal he came upon Sage Riciika who was well settled on Mt. Bhrigutunga along with his sons and wife. After wishing the Sage Riciika in the manner as observed in those days, and asking him about his well-being in every aspect, king Ambariisha said "Oh, godlike sage, if you barter one of your sons for a hundred thousand cows for the purpose of a ritual-animal, I deem my ends are achieved. With our best efforts we could not find that animal of the ritual. I will be highly obliged to you if you would give one of your sons, for a value."
Sage Riciika was thinking aloud that he would not possibly sell his eldest son, in anyway. On hearing the words of Sage Riciika, his wife declared that her youngest son, namely Shunaka, was a cherished one for her and therefore, she would not part with him.
The wife of the Sage Ruciika was Satyavathi, the sister of Vishwamitra whose legend was narrated in chapter '6. Legend of Vishwamitra's dynasty.'
On hearing the declarations of his parents, the middle son Shunashepa glumly offered himself to the king.
After giving gold, silver, and gemstones, each in ten million heaps, and a hundred thousand cows, the king took away Shunashepa.
On hearing the declarations of his parents, the middle son Shunashepa glumly offered himself to the king.
After giving gold, silver, and gemstones, each in ten million heaps, and a hundred thousand cows, the king took away Shunashepa.
On the way with Shunashepa, Ambariisha took rest at noontime on the lakeside of Holy Lake.
While the king Ambariisha was taking rest, Shunashepa, who was highly anxious, wandered and came to the side of the main Holy Lake. There he saw his maternal uncle Sage Vishwamitra who was performing ascesis along with his sons and other sages. Shunashepa with a pitiable and sulky face approached Viswamitra and fell on the lap of the saint Vishwamitra due to strain, thirst and exhaustion. He looked at his uncle and said "My mother and father sold me for getting sacrificed in lieu of a ritual animal. Therefore, cousins or other relatives will have to protect me. Oh, Sir, I request you to save me according to saintliness. You alone are the saviour of each and every one, ain't you? You alone are the guardian angel, ain't you? Hence, please contrive to let the purpose of the king Ambariisha be achieved, and let me live to enjoy the world."
Vishwamitra pacified him with kind words and told his sons that they should do something noble for this hapless kid for his(i.e. Viswamitra, their father) place in heaven.
Vividly: 'A father's ambition in begetting sons is to do something good and positive to the society in the present world and when departed, a right place is acquired in heavens through these sons, by their yearly death-day rituals etc., and hence you do some good in saving this boy from premature death and earn an apt place for me in heavens...'
He added further "This young man is the son of a sage and he aspires shelter from me. My dear sons, give him satisfaction just by giving life to him. You all have done very good pious deeds and you all abide by probity. Hence, you bestow appeasement to Agni, the Fire-god by your becoming the ritual-animal of king Ambariisha in lieu of this boy Shunashepa."
But none of the sons of Vishwamitra agreed with him on this issue. They not only declined to accede to his wishes, but ridiculed him by saying "On sacrificing your own sons how can you save another's son, oh, lordly father? We deem this as a misdeed and as good as 'eating dog's meat for dinner'."
Vishvamitra was being nagged by almost all, including his sons, on this 'dog-meat-eating.' There is a parable in Maha Bharata that Vishwamitra once tried to eat a dog's meat when he did not get any food, but caught red-handed. Later this has become the curse-theme to Vishwamitra when he cursed Vashishta's sons. At the present juncture also he curses his own sons with the same theme.
The refusal added with the insult made Viswamitra highly furious. He cursed them that they all would be whirling around the earth totally for a thousand years by taking birth in the race that subsists on dog's meat, like the sons of Vashishta.
He then told Shunashepa "When you are fastened with sacred fastener to the sacrificial post of Vishnu, smeared with red paste and garlanded with red garlands, you start praising Agni, the Fire-god with the words I am going to impart to you in Vedic hymns. Chant these two divine hymns in the Vedic-ritual of Ambariisha. You will then obtain your aspiration." Vishwamitra taught the two Vedic hymns to the boy. Shunashepa, armed with those two hymns from Vishwamitra, instantly went to the king Ambariisha and said "Your Majesty, let us go promptly to your ritual place and you may fulfill your pledge in completing the ritual, with me as its sacrificial animal.'
King Ambariisha was very delighted to hear those words and proceeded spiritedly to the ritual hall immediately. The king with the permission of the officiators of ritual got the boy prepared as a ritual animal with sanctified bodily features and clad him in red clothes and got him securely fastened to the sacrificial post.
When Shunashepa was tied to the ritual post he immensely pleased the two gods, namely Indra and Upendra, with those two hymns he got from Vishwamitra. Then Indra who was satisfied and gratified with those esoteric laudation, bestowed longevity to Shunashepa.
King Ambariisha also got the fruits of that Vedic-ritual manifold, resulted from the grace of Indra.
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While the king Ambariisha was taking rest, Shunashepa, who was highly anxious, wandered and came to the side of the main Holy Lake. There he saw his maternal uncle Sage Vishwamitra who was performing ascesis along with his sons and other sages. Shunashepa with a pitiable and sulky face approached Viswamitra and fell on the lap of the saint Vishwamitra due to strain, thirst and exhaustion. He looked at his uncle and said "My mother and father sold me for getting sacrificed in lieu of a ritual animal. Therefore, cousins or other relatives will have to protect me. Oh, Sir, I request you to save me according to saintliness. You alone are the saviour of each and every one, ain't you? You alone are the guardian angel, ain't you? Hence, please contrive to let the purpose of the king Ambariisha be achieved, and let me live to enjoy the world."
Vishwamitra pacified him with kind words and told his sons that they should do something noble for this hapless kid for his(i.e. Viswamitra, their father) place in heaven.
Vividly: 'A father's ambition in begetting sons is to do something good and positive to the society in the present world and when departed, a right place is acquired in heavens through these sons, by their yearly death-day rituals etc., and hence you do some good in saving this boy from premature death and earn an apt place for me in heavens...'
He added further "This young man is the son of a sage and he aspires shelter from me. My dear sons, give him satisfaction just by giving life to him. You all have done very good pious deeds and you all abide by probity. Hence, you bestow appeasement to Agni, the Fire-god by your becoming the ritual-animal of king Ambariisha in lieu of this boy Shunashepa."
But none of the sons of Vishwamitra agreed with him on this issue. They not only declined to accede to his wishes, but ridiculed him by saying "On sacrificing your own sons how can you save another's son, oh, lordly father? We deem this as a misdeed and as good as 'eating dog's meat for dinner'."
Vishvamitra was being nagged by almost all, including his sons, on this 'dog-meat-eating.' There is a parable in Maha Bharata that Vishwamitra once tried to eat a dog's meat when he did not get any food, but caught red-handed. Later this has become the curse-theme to Vishwamitra when he cursed Vashishta's sons. At the present juncture also he curses his own sons with the same theme.
The refusal added with the insult made Viswamitra highly furious. He cursed them that they all would be whirling around the earth totally for a thousand years by taking birth in the race that subsists on dog's meat, like the sons of Vashishta.
He then told Shunashepa "When you are fastened with sacred fastener to the sacrificial post of Vishnu, smeared with red paste and garlanded with red garlands, you start praising Agni, the Fire-god with the words I am going to impart to you in Vedic hymns. Chant these two divine hymns in the Vedic-ritual of Ambariisha. You will then obtain your aspiration." Vishwamitra taught the two Vedic hymns to the boy. Shunashepa, armed with those two hymns from Vishwamitra, instantly went to the king Ambariisha and said "Your Majesty, let us go promptly to your ritual place and you may fulfill your pledge in completing the ritual, with me as its sacrificial animal.'
King Ambariisha was very delighted to hear those words and proceeded spiritedly to the ritual hall immediately. The king with the permission of the officiators of ritual got the boy prepared as a ritual animal with sanctified bodily features and clad him in red clothes and got him securely fastened to the sacrificial post.
When Shunashepa was tied to the ritual post he immensely pleased the two gods, namely Indra and Upendra, with those two hymns he got from Vishwamitra. Then Indra who was satisfied and gratified with those esoteric laudation, bestowed longevity to Shunashepa.
King Ambariisha also got the fruits of that Vedic-ritual manifold, resulted from the grace of Indra.
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