The Legend of Shunashepa ..... Vanam Vasudasa Valmiki Ramayana-19 : Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

The Legend of Shunashepa

Vanam Vasudasa Valmiki Ramayana-19

Vanam Jwala Narasimha Rao

            Sage Shatananda continues with the legend of Shunashepa as part of long story of Vishvamitra. He said that, “On bidding farewell to all those who came to witness the ritual meant for sending Trishanku to heaven, Vishvamitra decided to leave the place where until then he was engaged in his penance as severe hindrances cropped up time and again there. He revealed the same to all the sages. He then went towards the western direction and continued his rigorous penance. Around the same period Ambarish who was the king of Ayodhya decided to perform a Vedic-Ritual. While he was performing the ritual, Indra abducted his ritual animal. When the ritual animal was no seen, the Brahmin Ritwik told Ambarish that, in its absence the ritual he was performing would be futile and would also become destructive for the king who was performing the ritual. They advised him either fetch the animal or in its absence a man could be offered as oblation in place of animal. Ambarish searched in all the places to fetch a man in vain. He however did not want to force and pressurize anyone for this purpose”.      

            “One day Ambarish found sage Ruchika who was husband of Vishvamitra’s sister. Ambarish requested him to spare one of his three sons for his ritual. His elder son could not be spared by him while sparing last son was not acceptable to his wife. The intermediate son Shunashepa told Ambarish to take him for his ritual. Ambarish proceeded with him and halfway through they rested on the lakeside of a Holy Lake for a while”.

Shunashepa seeks asylum under Vishvamitra

            “While the king Ambarish was taking rest, Shunashepa escaped from him and went running to his uncle Vishvamitra. Shunashepa sought protection from Vishvamitra and requested him to somehow see that the desire of Ambarish was fulfilled and also his longevity was ensured”.

            “On hearing Shunashepa words and on pacifying him, Vishvamitra told his sons that one of they may replace Shunashepa for Ambarish ritual. He said if anyone of them goes along with Ambarish his ritual will be completed and devatas will be pleased. None of the sons of Vishvamitra agreed to the suggestion of their father and all in one word outrightly rejected arrogantly. They said that they deem the proposal of Vishvamitra as an offense and as good as dog’s meat in a meal”.

            “On hearing his sons Vishvamitra got angry and cursed them harshly. He said they all not only defied his word but stubbornly replied in a brazen manner which is retaliatory. Then he cursed destining them as revolving around the earth for a thousand years taking birth in the race that survives on dog’s meat, like the sons of sage Vasishta. Then he pacified Shunashepa and tutored him with purifying hymns. Vishvamitra taught Shunashepa two Vedic Hymns namely “IMAMME VARUNA” and told him to address fire god with them when he was fastened to the sacrificial post of Vishnu in the Vedic Ritual of Ambarish. With this said Vishvamitra, that, Shunashepa will obtain his aspiration to live for long”.

            “Shunashepa went to Ambarish and told him to continue performing his ritual with him as his sacrificial animal. Ambarish was happy and told his Ritwiks to continue with the ritual. The king on the advice of Ritwiks got Shunashepa prepared as a ritual animal with holy physical features by cladding him in red robes and then got him securely fastened to the sacrificial post of Vishnu. When this was done Shunashepa was not only unperturbed but also promptly pleased immensely Indra and Upendra, the two gods, by reciting the two hymns taught to him by Vishvamitra. Indra felt delighted and bestowed longevity to Shunashepa. Ambarish also obtained the fruits of the Vedic Ritual multifold with the grace of god Indra. Vishvamitra continued his penance at the same place for another thousand years”.

Vishvamitra in love with Menaka

            Shatananda continued his narration of legend Vishvamitra. “When thousand years were completed in rigorous penance by Vishvamitra Lord Brahma in union with Devatas came to see him to bestow him with boon. Brahma told Vishvamitra that he became a kingly sage by virtue of his great penance. Then Brahma vanished and returned to his abode. Not satisfied with the words of Brahma, Vishvamitra continued further with his more rigorous penance. While he was engaged and engrossed like that, a prominent Apsara by name Menaka arrived near the holy lake, the place of Vishvamitra penance and started swimming. Vishvamitra noticed her and her incomparable beauty while she was swimming in the lake and approached her. He welcomed her to come to his hermitage, and to stay with him, oblige him and his love to her. He said that he fell in love with her and she would be safe with him”.

            “Having accepted the offer of Vishvamitra, Menaka stayed in his hermitage for ten years and spent as husband and wife. That was a great hindrance to his penance and Vishvamitra realized this after a lapse of ten years. There was a rethinking in him and felt bad for wasting ten precious years. He became dejected with anguish and then an indignant thought occurred to him. He understood that it was a mischievous action of gods to dissuade him from his penance which made him a prey of influence of lust and lure. On seeing Vishvamitra in deep thoughts, Menaka got scared and started shivering for fear of being cursed by Vishvamitra. She was however sent out calmly by Vishvamitra saying that it was not her fault. Later, Vishvamitra went to the northern Himalayan mountains for more rigorous penance there”.