Arjuna then asked the Gandharva, who is this Vashistha, who saved the king?
The Gandharva said , this was one great sage who had great self control. Vishwamitra troubled him a lot, but still he did not loose his temper.
Arjuna asked what the reason for Vishwamitra to cause trouble for Vashistha? The gandharva then said, listen to this.
In the land of Kanyakubja, there was a king called Gaadhi. One day the son of Gaadhi went on a hunt along with his army. Having roamed around for long, tired, the prince came across the ashrama of the sage Vashishtha. He entered there. The sage seeing he had guests, welcomed them. Seeing that the prince and the army was tired he asked his cow, Nandini, to help provide some food for them. Hearing this, Nandini arranged for tasty food for all. Nandini also arranged for comfortable beds for the guests to rest on.
Seeing this, the prince asked the sage to gift Nandini to him. In exchange, he said, he would many cows with hooves of gold. He would also give part of the kingdom to the sage in exchange of Nandini.
Vashishtha refused to part with Nandini at which the prince said this was not fit behavior for a sage. A sage did not things like this which was fit for a king.
The prince further said if the sage would not give up the cow, he would use force to get the cow.
As the sage still refused the prince instructed his army to attack. The army tied the cow with ropes and tried to pull it away. The cow would not move. It looked at the sage.
Vashishtha said he was powerless. Hearing this, the cow increased its size. It made a terrible noise and suddenly a massive army appeared. This army soon overpowered the prince's army.
The prince, whose name was Vishwamitra, was amazed to see this. He thought that a brahman was the most powerful of all humans.
Sending all his followers home, he decided to stay back in the forest and meditate.
His penance was very austere. He would sit around a fire in the summer and pray. In the monsoon, he would stand in the lakes and pray. In the winters he would discard his clothing and go to the mountains and pray.
Seeing his meditation Brahma appeared before him and asked him to ask for a boon. Vishwamitra said he wanted to become a brahman. Brahma said as Vishwamitra was born a kshatriya, he would not be able to become one now. Brahma said it would be possible in the next birth.
Vishwamitra did not agree and Brahma left.
Vishwamitra further intensified his penance. He was reduced to a skeleton. So severe was his penance, that the Gods were scared. Brahma came once again and asked him what he wanted. Vishwamitra said he wanted to be a brahman.
Brahma agreed.
Though having become a brahman, he was still harboring the insult that he had felt in the hands of Vashishtha.
The Gandharva said , this was one great sage who had great self control. Vishwamitra troubled him a lot, but still he did not loose his temper.
Arjuna asked what the reason for Vishwamitra to cause trouble for Vashistha? The gandharva then said, listen to this.
In the land of Kanyakubja, there was a king called Gaadhi. One day the son of Gaadhi went on a hunt along with his army. Having roamed around for long, tired, the prince came across the ashrama of the sage Vashishtha. He entered there. The sage seeing he had guests, welcomed them. Seeing that the prince and the army was tired he asked his cow, Nandini, to help provide some food for them. Hearing this, Nandini arranged for tasty food for all. Nandini also arranged for comfortable beds for the guests to rest on.
Seeing this, the prince asked the sage to gift Nandini to him. In exchange, he said, he would many cows with hooves of gold. He would also give part of the kingdom to the sage in exchange of Nandini.
Vashishtha refused to part with Nandini at which the prince said this was not fit behavior for a sage. A sage did not things like this which was fit for a king.
The prince further said if the sage would not give up the cow, he would use force to get the cow.
As the sage still refused the prince instructed his army to attack. The army tied the cow with ropes and tried to pull it away. The cow would not move. It looked at the sage.
Vashishtha said he was powerless. Hearing this, the cow increased its size. It made a terrible noise and suddenly a massive army appeared. This army soon overpowered the prince's army.
The prince, whose name was Vishwamitra, was amazed to see this. He thought that a brahman was the most powerful of all humans.
Sending all his followers home, he decided to stay back in the forest and meditate.
His penance was very austere. He would sit around a fire in the summer and pray. In the monsoon, he would stand in the lakes and pray. In the winters he would discard his clothing and go to the mountains and pray.
Seeing his meditation Brahma appeared before him and asked him to ask for a boon. Vishwamitra said he wanted to become a brahman. Brahma said as Vishwamitra was born a kshatriya, he would not be able to become one now. Brahma said it would be possible in the next birth.
Vishwamitra did not agree and Brahma left.
Vishwamitra further intensified his penance. He was reduced to a skeleton. So severe was his penance, that the Gods were scared. Brahma came once again and asked him what he wanted. Vishwamitra said he wanted to be a brahman.
Brahma agreed.
Though having become a brahman, he was still harboring the insult that he had felt in the hands of Vashishtha.
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