Chapter 167 - Viśvāmitra Renounces Kingdom

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Sūta said:

1-3. By taking in the Caru and as a result of the Mantras, Gādhi’s auspicious wife conceived during those days.

O excellent Brāhmaṇas, when the splendid lady became pregnant she became interested in pilgrimage. The chaste lady was highly devoted to holy Vratas.

Whereever the sound of Vedic chanting arose she became delighted and experienced horripilation in all her limbs. She always listened to it eagerly even ignoring all the ornaments and embellishments pertaining to the royal status and the happiness therefrom.

4. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, when the tenth month arrived she gave birth to a lustrous son endowed with Brāhmaṇical glory and radiance.

5. He became well-known as Viśvāmitra^[1] in all the three worlds consisting of mobile and immobile beings. That highly esteemed one grew up day by day surpassing all men.

6. He grew up like the moon in the bright half of a month in the sky and attained the prime of youth, O excellent Brāhmaṇas.

7. He was considered capable of looking after the kingdom and was appointed to rule over the realm of his ancestors but he was unwilling.

8. He proceeded ahead in the path that befitted Brāhmaṇas. He showed much inclination for Vedic study and he recited the Vedas everyday:

9. Gādhi crowned his son in the kingdom and went to the forest. The highly esteemed one entered the stage of life of a forest-dweller along with his wife.

10. Though crowned as king, Viśvāmitra was more devoted to the adoration of Brāhmaṇas. He moved about in the company of Brāhmaṇas and engaged himself in holy ablution and performance of Japas.

11. Once he became inclined for Pāpardhi (hunting wild animals) and entered a terrible forest infested with different kinds of beasts.

12-13. He was urged by a desire to chase, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, in the course of his wandering in the great forest, and killed boars, Saṃbara deer, elephants, bears, Ruru deer, rhinoceros, wild buffalos, lions, tigers, huge pythons and Śarabhas.

14-15. The sun was in the zodiac Taurus and the time was mid-day, O excellent Brāhmaṇas, Viśvāmitra became utterly weary due to hunger and thirst. He reached the sacred hermitage of the noble-souled Vasiṣṭha who received the excellent king Viśvāmitra.^[2]

16. With great joy, he met the king directly (lit. face to face). As he entered the hermitage the sage offered him Arghya and Madhuparka.

17. He spoke: “Welcome unto you, O king. Do tell me what I can do unto you who have come to my abode.”

Viśvāmitra said:

18. O great sage, I became too tired after hunting. All my sense-organs are upset due to thirst. I came to your hermitage for the sake of drinking water.

19. Cool water has been drunk and I have quenched my thirst. O holy Brāhmaṇa, permit me to go back to the palace.

Vasiṣṭha said:

20. O king, this is the terrible time of midday. The sun is greatly scorching. Take your food and go back to your residence in the afternoon. Do take in food (cooked rice) in my hermitage.

The king said:

21-23. I have come for hunting with the full complement of the four divisions of my army. They are left at the entrance of your penance-grove. If the master takes food even as the servants are hungry, he soon falls into terrible hell bereft of all good qualities. Hence, O sage, allow me to go back home.

Vasiṣṭha said:

24. If your attendants are at the gateway and are hungry, summon them all quickly hither. I shall make them satisfied.

25. O excellent king, I have a splendid cow named Nandinī acquired by means of my penance. It gives me whatever I desire.

26. O excellent King, it will satisfy the entire army of yours. Let them be fetched here and you can witness the gift of my cow.

27-28. On hearing it, the king summoned the entire host. He took his bath and offered libations to the Pitṛs and Devatās. Then he performed Japa. After making the Brāhmaṇas chant the Vedic passages, he took his rest on a throne-like seat. In the meantime the cow Nandinī was called in.

29. On being summoned by Vasiṣṭha, she came and stood before Viśvāmitra. Then she spoke these words to Vasiṣṭha, the excellent sage.

30. “May I be commanded. What shall I do? Order me.”

Vasiṣṭha said:

31. At my instance carry out everything pertaining to the washing of the feet and the like in regard to the saintly king Viśvāmitra. Do manage everything including the preparation of the food.

32. Fully satisfy the king and the army with all types of food—lambatives, drinks of diverse kinds and things that can be sucked. Let the horses and elephants be rendered satisfied with grass etc. duly.

Sūta said:

33. “Yes as per your order”, said the cow and in a moment created whatever was called for by the sage to cater food to the ten thousand (soldiers of the king).

34. Those attendants served the food to each of the guests severally, with great solicitude.

35. Thus the cow rendered the king and his attendants fully satisfied, along with the soldiers, elephants, camels, horses and bullocks.

36. On watching such goings-on creating wonder and curiosity. King Viśvāmitra and his ministers were surprised, O Brāhmaṇas. They whispered to one another:

37. “Oh, how wonderful it is! How marvellous! Our entire army was overwhelmed with hunger and thirst! Now every member of it has been rendered satisfied by this cow.

38. Hence let this excellent cow be taken to our hometown. What can this Brāhmaṇa do? He is isolated in the forest. He has no servants of his own.”

39-40. Then he called Vasiṣṭha and spoke these words: “Let this Nandinī be given no me. What will you do with her? You are alone. You stay in forest. You are free from the mutually opposed passions. You don't require any possessions. Or, O excellent sage, if you have any expenses of your own I shall hand over to you excellent villages, elephants, houses and other desired things.”

Vasiṣṭha said:

41-42. O king, this cow is an adjunct to the Homa rites. Whatever we desire can be milked out of her. Further, O great king, even an ordinary cow cannot be given away by the twice-born ones. It is all the more so in the case of Nandinī who accords to me all that I desire? Listen to one thing more, O great king. There is this excellent statement in the Smṛti text.

43-44. It is laid down by Manu himself in the context of the sale of cows:

"An excellent Brāhmaṇa who accepts cash proceeding from the sale of cows, should be considered an Antyaja (Śūdra). He is no better than the seller of his own mother.”

Hence, O king, I will not give you the cow Nandinī.”

45. Neither through conciliatory pleadings, nor by threats, neither as an exchange for some gift nor by the punishment (i.e. force) meted out, will I give you the cow. Hence, do go back to your own abode.

Viśvāmitra said:

46. O Brāhmaṇa, persons conversant with monetary transactions are of this view that every jewel, excellent and valuable, that is on the earth belongs to the king.

47. This cow Nandinī is present here as a jewel belonging to me. If you do not part with her at my earnest request I will seize her meting out punishment to you.

48. After saying thus to Vasiṣṭha, King Viśvāmitra commanded his servants. “Let this Nandinī be seized.”

49. The group of servants led Nandinī away. They even hit her with stones and sticks.

50. The blows shattered the poor cow. Tears filled her eyes. With great difficulty she rushed towards Vasiṣtha, the excellent sage and said:

51. “O excellent sage, have I been transferred to this king? His men dare to handle me like my masters.”

Vasiṣṭha said:

52. O my dear cow, I will not give you away even if my death is imminent. So protect yourself, by my own power.

53. On being told thus by the noble-souled Vasiṣṭha, the cow became furious. She made gruff and dreadful hissing sounds.

54. At the gruffing sound of the cow innumerable men, Śabaras, Mlecchas, Pulindas all equipped with arms came out.

55. All the servants of King Viśvāmitra were killed by them. Thereupon King Viśvāmitra was overcome with anger.

56. With great fury he got his army of four divisions ready to fight with them. He resolved even to die if needed.

57. Even as he kept on watching them his soldiers, elephants and horses were killed in no time by the men created by the cow.

58-60. Barring Viśvāmitra everything else was struck. On noticing that though the king continued to fight he was pretty well surrounded by Mlecchas, Vasiṣṭha took pity on him and spoke to Nandinī thus: “O Nandinī, save the king encircled by these Mlecchas. The king should be assiduously protected. It is due to his favour that these all (people) abide by the path of the good and all desist from following the wrong path.”

61. Thereupon, Nandinī came there to dissuade (the Mlecchas etc.) when Viśvāmitra raised his sword and tried to strike (Nandinī) with it.

62. On seeing the cow about to be killed, Vasiṣṭha rendered the hand and the sword of the king motionless and benumbed.

63. Thereat King Viśvāmitra found himself discomfited. Overcome with shame, he spoke to Vasiṣṭha, the best of sages:

64-66. “O excellent sage, save me who am about to be killed by the dreaded Mlecchas. Render my hand free from the benumbed state.

It is my fault (offence) that caused the destruction of my vast army. Hence I go back to my place. I have nothing to do with the battle.

A rude and impolite fellow cannot stand the rigour of a battle for long, though he may have won glory, learning and prosperity like me who have become haughty and arrogant.”

Sūta said:

67. On being appealed to thus by King Viśvāmitra, Vasiṣṭha relieved that hand from the defect of numbness.

68-69. After making the hand excellent (free) he laughingly spoke these words: “O king, go alone. I have rid you of the fault of stupefaction. Do not come into clash and rivalry again with Brāhmaṇas.” Thus Viśvāmitra, the king, was allowed to go by him.

70. O excellent Brāhmaṇas, he went to the palace bashfully on foot alone and reached the gate of his capital at nightfall when everything was shrouded in darkness.

71 -73. There he lamented with the eyes dimmed with tears: “Fie upon the strength of Kṣatriyas! Fie upon their vigour! Fie upon their very life! Praiseworthy is the power of Brāhmaṇas alone, their radiance alone. I have to do that whereby I will have the Brāhmaṇical power. Abandoning my kingdom, I will perform great penance.”

74. After resolving thus, he crowned his son named Viśvāsaha as the king and went to the penance grove.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The birth of Viśvāmitra due to change of Carus is described in Mahābhārata, Śānti ch 49 and again in Anuśāsana Parva ch. 4.

[2]:

This story of Vasiṣṭha’s hospitality with the help of his cow Nandinī, Viśvāmitra’s attempt to take her away by force and defeat, is found in Mbh, Ādi ch. 174.