RamarpaNam-106

File 106

Dated: August 27th, 2012.

Jai Sri Ram

Vishvamitra turns Brahma-Rishi.

Vijaya Raghavan means the Victorious Rama. Not only He parlays His enemies, He wins over the poor by gifts, Rishis by Service and the outer world by His Dharma. So He is called Vijaya Raghavan or PoretRu Naayanar.

How Vishvamitra won over His senses is narrated by Shataananda in the reminder of the story.

atha haimavatiim raama disham tyaktvaa mahaamuniH |
puurvaam disham anupraapya tapaH tepe sudaaruNam

Leaving the north, Vishvamitra reached the Eastern corridor and commenced extremely severe penance without food or water and stood a skeleton for thousand years. In the south He could give up nothing. In the west He Indulged in Kaama in the company of Menaka but resolved to overcome the same in the North. He having fallen victim to Kobha, resolved to overcome the same in the East. Going food less and keeping dump, overcame all the obstacles.

On completing 1000 years He cooked food to break the fasting, When Indra came to His door steps in the guise of a Brahmana and took it in alms.  Vishvamitra, thinking it be a test for His control over appetite gave away every thing to Indra and starved without showing a word of anger or dejection, conforming to His vow of dumpiness.

atha varSa sahasram ca na ucChvasan munipungavaH |

Another 1000 years He continued His penance breathless making all the three worlds to tremble. At that all the Gods appealed to Brahma to proclaim that Brahma-Rishi title is achieved by Vishvamitra. Sage Vashishta too reaffirmed the same with blessings words.

diirgham aayuH ca te brahman dadaami sa marud gaNaH ||
svasti praapnuhi bhadram te gacCha saumya yathaa sukham

Vishvamitra appealed further that if Brahman-hood is to stay permanently, He be blessed with AUM and vaSat syllables along with Vedas’ in its entirety be revealed to Him.

AUM kaaro atha vaSaT kaaro vedaaH ca varayantu maam

King Janaka reverentially paid His gratitude to the Sage for having graced the Yajna while Vishvamitra and Rama, LakshmaNa too retired to respective places.

Vishvamitra after achieving His goal could have shown His pride to Vashishta, His arch rival. But He didn’t do that, as otherwise He would be un-worthy of His Brahma-Rishi title. This goes to prove that scholarliness brings humbleness.