Vishvamitra narrates his family history to Sri Rama .... Vanam Vasudasa Valmiki Ramayana-10 : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Vishvamitra narrates his family history to Sri Rama

Vanam Vasudasa Valmiki Ramayana-10

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

Hans India (08-03-2020)

Narrating his family history on his own and later through Sage Shatananda, Sage Vishvamitra commenced like this.

Once upon a time there was righteous king by name Kusha. He begot through his wife, the princes of Vidarbha, four mighty sons namely, Kushambha, Kushanabha, Adhoortarajasa and Vsuvu. Kusha told his sons who were known for their formidable heroism, courage and valor to establish their own rulership. They, accordingly identified places suiting to them and established their kingdoms. Kushambha built Kaushambhi, Kushanabha built Mahodaya, Adhoortarajasa built Dharmaranya and Vsuvu built Girivraja cities and made them as their capitals. This is the place where we are now, that was known as land of virtue. The city Girivraja is surrounded by five huge mountains. River Shona that was originated in Magadha after exiting from there and flows amidst five of these elevated huge mountains. It flows towards west. Meanwhile Kushanabha after marrying Ghrutachi gave birth to hundred daughters.

Story of Kushanabha’s daughters

            The hundred daughters of Kushanabha after attaining youthfulness, went to their gardens and moved around jubilantly with full of joyous and happy, singing and dancing at their free will. On seeing these beautiful girls, the wind god desired all of them to become his wives. The girls laughed at his proposal and ridiculed him. They told him “we are the daughters of Kushambha. If he comes to know about your advancement to us, he will certainly kill you. Better you leave the place before he knows about you. Our father is our lord and knows what is ultimate good for us. To whomever he offers us we will marry him. He will be our husband. You better get out from here”.

The powerful wind god then angrily entered into all the parts of their body and disfigured them mercilessly. They entered the palace chambers with disfigured body shape with lot of embarrassment and humiliation. Their father perturbed on seeing them enquired as to who was responsible for their fate.

Kushanabha daughters reveal that

wind god made them like that

            On hering his father all the hundred daughters of him touched his feet and said “It was the all prevalent wind god dishonored and destroyed us. When he said that he will marry us we replied that he should ask our father and are dependent on him. He refused to take note of what we said to him harmed us like this. The father Kushanabha admired his daughters for forgiving the wind god and for not cursing him. Later Kushanabha started thinking of a strategy to get his daughters married. At about the same time a great sage named Chuli was performing penance and one by name Somada daughter of Urmila, a spiritual woman was serving him all-through with dedication.    

The story of Brahma Datta

            After lapsing of some years Chili having satisfied with the services of Somada, magnanimously spoke to her and enquired about her cherish that he can fulfill. Highly delighted with the promise of Chuli, Somada requested that she be gifted with a righteous son who will possess spirituality equivalent to that of Lord Brahma. Responding to her request Chuli bestowed her with unique and Brahma-like son who came to be known as Brahma Datta. Somada’s son Brahma Datta ruled from a city called Kampilya. Kushanabha got all his hundred daughters to Brahma Datta. Immediately after the marriage, Brahma Datta when touched his wives with his palm, their distorted shape vanished and regained their earlier beauty. Father Kushambha became highly joyful and so also Brahma Datta mother Somada. The place where the daughters lived came to be known as Kanya kubjam. It is now known as Kanauji.  

Gadhi the father of sage Vishvamitra

            After his marriage to Kushanabha’s hundred daughters, Brahma Datta left the place along with his wives to his place. Then King Kushanabha performed a Vedic ritual to beget a son. During the course of ritual, Kusha, the brainchild of Brahma and father of Kushambha appeared and told his son that, he will have a highly virtuous son to be known as Gadhi through whom he will get an everlasting fame and name. Accordingly, Kushambha begot a righteous son named Gadhi. Vishvamitra told Rama that the eminent righteous Gadhi was his father and since he was born in Kusha dynasty he came to be known as Kaushik.

Vishvamitra further said that “Ramachandra! I became famous not only due to my efforts but also due to my sister Satyavathi who undertook benevolent vows and who was married to sage Ruchika. She went to heaven with her body following her husband and later she coursed as a great River known as Kaushiki taking recourse to Mountain Himalayas. Out of love and affection to her I am delightfully residing on the mountains of Himalayas. This river now is known as Kusi. Though I am not supposed to narrate about my own greatness I had to reveal all that since you had asked for it. This is all about mu dynasty and my province where we are presently staying namely the banks of River Shona”. 

Sri Rama queries Vishvamitra on River Ganga

            On staying that night on the bank of River Shona Vishvamitra got up early in the morning and woke up Rama and Lakshmana. All of them completed morning time rituals and got ready for further journey. They crossed the River Shona and by mid-day reached the banks of River Ganga. On seeing the River all of them were delighted. After having a holy bath in the River and after offering prayers to the River, all the sages and also Rama and Lakshmana surrounded sage Vishvamitra and conversed with the sage.

            Sage Vishvamitra commenced narrating the story of origin, emergence and evolution of River Ganga or Ganges. He said that, “there is none who is not aware of the famous Mount Himalaya. Himavantha married the charming daughter of Mount Meru, namely Mena and gave birth to pair of beautiful daughters. The elder one was named as Ganga and the younger one as Uma. While they were in the process of growing up, the Devatas approached Himavantha with a request to spare one way of Ganga who was destined to become a three-way traveling river. Conceding to their request the righteous thinking Himavantha spared his daughter as desired by the Devatas. They welcomed Ganga and returned to heaven fetching Ganga that was capable of travelling through the sky ways on her own volition with them. The younger daughter Uma performed a rigorous ritual-penance after which she was got married to Lord Shiva. Thus, both the daughters of Himavantha, Ganga and Uma who were highly revered by the world became the wives of Lord Shiva. River Ganga ascended the abode of divinities and came to be known as Devganga”.