Anything we
learn with our hard work can never be forgotten. Hence in olden days kings used
to send their sons for training and gaining knowledge near Rishis deep into
forests. There they used to serve the Guru and learn their teachings in return.
It was believed that it helps the, to be ruler in building a very good
attitude. The same way one of our gods, a real human with perfect attitude
started his journey of learning from Ayodhya along with his brother Lakshmana
and Guru Brahmashri Vishwamitra.
Lord Shri
Raam is the son of King Dasharath, he is fondly loved by his father. He was
never away from his father and father was never able to stay away of him. But a
sage Vishwamitra who knows the fortune (a fight with the undefeated demon
Ravana) of the young princess decide to teach everything he knows. Oneday Vishwamitra arrives the court of King
Dasharath and requests for his help. King Dasharath assures him for anything he
needs when he was asked to send out his son Shri Raam as the protector of Yagna
to be performed. King Dasharath requests him to take anything but says he
cannot send his son. Angry Vishwamitra wishes to leave the kingdom when
Dasharath with no choice sends his son Shri Raam and Lakshmana as his protector
along with him.
Their journey started across
mountains, forests and the young princes who are never away from their fort
gets thirsty. Vishwamitra asked the brothers to perform Aachamana (ritualistic
sipping of water) with the water of holy river Sarayu and after it Sage
initiates them two mantras (sacred verses)- Bala and Atibala ( Mother of all
Knowledge) which will keep them fresh and free from fatigue also they will not
feel hunger and thirst. Even Rakshas ( demon) cannot approach them though they
are asleep. With the Sacred verses the strength of brothers Ram and Lakshman
gets doubled. At night they take rest on river bank.
Story of
Brahmarshi Vishwamitra
The story
begans when Brahmarshi Vishwamitra starts telling how to destruct ego first
after being a king, he tells about himself to Lord Shri ram.
Brahmarshi Vishwamitra was none
other than the great king Kaushika (descendant of kusha who is brain child of
Lord Brahma).He is the founder of Gayatri Mantra , which is found in the Rig,
Yajur and Sama Vedas. One day with his huge army he came across the hermitage
of sage Vashista. When the peaceful sage requested him to be his guest.
Kaushika thinking that sage cannot feed the entire army rejects his offer. Sage
told him not to worry and informed him that he is having the Wish fulfilling
cow (Kamadhenu) Sabala with him. He called out the divine cow and it had fed
the entire army with a great feast. King thinking that it would be more useful
for him than if it is near a sage, asks to give it to him. Sage Vashista
smoothly rejects his offer when King gets angry and wishes to take it forcibly.
Sabala made her own army to defend against the king kaushika and defeats him.
King realizes that the real power is obtained only through penance.
Defeated
King leaves his kingdom in a thought to become more powerful than Vashista
commences Penance for 12 years. With his deep Penance he made Indra to think
that he will dominate his power. Indra sends Menaka an Apsara to seduce
kaushika and disturb the deep meditation. Kaushika loses his concentration and
lives with menaka for years. They gave birth to baby girl Shakuntala King after
realizing the loss done to him. Menaka leaves her baby and leaves back to
heaven.
Kaushika requests Sage Kanva to adopt his daughter, when he accepts. He
curses Menaka that she will not possess her beauty in next birth. Kaushika
continues his meditation again when an attempt to seduce him one more time is
done again through Rambha. Kaushika curses her to become a stone for thousand
years.
King
Kaushika continues his penance in severe at Himalayas for thousand years. He
ceases to eat completely and his yogic powers becomes peak. Indra to test him
again takes the form of a poor Brahmin and begs food near kaushik when he is
about to eat after years of Tapasya. King Kaushik gives away his food and
resumes his tapasya.Thus finally he masters his passions.
One day
Trishanku a friend of Kaushika came to him. He is the Contemporary king of him.
Trishanku wanted to go heaven with his body but not with soul. So he goes to
sage Vashista who is his guru and requests him to send him with body. Sage
Vashista rejects him and hence he reaches Kaushika. Kaushika who is waiting for
a chance to prove him more worthy than Vashista immediately sends him to heaven
with all his yogic powers. Lord Indra king of heaven throws him down with all
the force he have, replying that none one can enter the heaven with his own
body. Kaushika holds him in midair and warns Indra for his doing. Indra replies
he cannot make an exception to Trishanku. When the angry Kaushika creates
another heaven for Trishanku and makes him king for it. His more powers make
Indra so miserable and think a lot of him.
Kaushika
turned his name to Vishwamitra and started his penance again for attaining the
status of Brahmarshi, to equal Vashista. When he came to know that he can
attain it through Vashista and Brahma. He continues his penance and finally
both Vashista and Lord Brahma appears before him and gives him the name
Brahmarshi Vishwamitra. They reminds him that his fight is to fulfill the greed
of having a cow. Vishwamitra thinks what he has done and finally gets into the
control of nature. He understands what his ego has done and apologizes to
Vashista. Sage Vashista accepts him as his best pal thereafter.. J
There were many stories with Lord Shriraam and Lakshman was
explained with morals from Vishwamitra.
Another such story is of Ahalya where he learns how a women
has to be respected, while crossing the hermitage of Sage Gautam.
Click here for Story of Ahalya a Livingstone…..
Vishwamitra reaches the confluence of Sarayu with Ganges. He
says them the story of Ganga descending to earth through their ancestor
Bhageeratha.
Click here for
Story of Ganges ….
For anything on earth woman is the
origin and for her Love man or god will do anything. Vishwamitra tells Lord
shriram and Lakshmana about the marriage of Lord Shiva and Parvathi. Though shiva is god
the obstacles faced by him and how they lived happily forever.
Click here for
Story of Lord Shiva and Parvathi Marriage ….
Vishwamitra teaches lord shriram
and lakshman the usage of most powerful weapons such as Brahmastra too in their
journey of learning. The young prince becomes more powerful with his new
learnings. Vishwamitra tells them that the power can be used only against
injustice. He says that any weapon which fights for justice through a truthful
person is more powerful than even Brahmastra and hence the arrow of Raam have
that power.
Lord Shriram learns what is justice
in case of women and When to Kill a Women with the story of Tataki.Tataki is a
women demon who is very powerful. She is the mother of Maricha and Subahu- who
play a key role in separating Shri ram and Sita devi.
Click here for
Story of Killing Tataki and getting rid of her sons….
Knowing the death of Tataki her
sons act upon rage. They reach the Yagna place of Vishwamitra and tries to
disturb it. When the young prince and his brother Lakshman builds a Chakra with
arrows above the place which will not allow anything to come beyond from sky.
The Yagna went undisturbed with the guarding of
prince Rama and Lakshmana and the proudful guru continues with them for
the Sita Swayamwara of King Janaka. King Ravana listens to the name of Lord
Shriram for the first time through demon Maricha.
On a day sita was playing with her
friends with a ball and it went under a huge table which is carrying the mighty
bow of lord Shiva. This Bow is presented to Janaka through sage vashista which
is used during a war between lord Shiva and lord Vishnu. It was very heavy to
carry for even 50 best warriors of the country. Devi Sita moves it along with
the table using single hand. Looking at the scene king Janaka surprises and
decides to give her hand to a person who can really lift the bow and string it.
Ravana doesn’t get the invite but
still he listening to the beauty of sita wish to visit the swayamwar. He tries
to lift the mighty bow of lord shiva and fails. Looking at the failure of demon
king everyone withdrew themselves from the competition. Lord Shri Ram takes the
bless of his guru Vishwamitra and walks ahead to lift the bow. Before he try to
lift it, he prays lord Maha shiv and easily succeeds. While trying to string
the bow it cracks and thus he wins on the swayamwar announced. Demon King Ravan
for the second time notices the strength of Lord Shri Ram.
In a Superb
manner their marriage is conducted and even today it is believed as the best
marriage in India. Along with Lord Shri Ram his three brothers also got married
to the sisters of Sita.
Thus Lakshmana is
married to Urmila, Bharatha is married to Maandavi and Shatrughna to
Shrutakeerthi.
*** JAI SHRI RAM***
narration is interesting
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