RSYASRNGA THE GREAT SAGE

 

Birth:

RsyaSrnga was the son of the sage Vibhandaka, who was the son of Kasyapa. There is a strange story about RsyaSrnga in the Mahabharata. One day, Vibhandaka saw the celestial woman Urvashi at Mahahrada. This sight caused an involuntary emission of semen, which fell into the water. A female deer came to drink the water and swallowed the semen. Later, the deer became pregnant and gave birth to a human child with deer horns. Because of this, Vibhandaka named the boy RsyaSrnga. The father and son lived together in the forest, and RsyaSrnga grew up there, never having seen anyone except his father.

Rainfall in Anga:

The kingdom of Anga was ruled by King Lomapada, who was a friend of King Dasaratha. Lomapada once wronged a Brahmana, which caused all the Brahmanas to leave the kingdom. After this, there was no rain, and a terrible drought and famine followed. The King consulted some Brahmanas, who advised him that if he could bring a sage who had never seen a woman to perform a yaga (sacrificial ritual), rain would return to the land. After searching far and wide, Lomapada learned about RsyaSrnga, the sage who had never seen a woman. Lomapada thought of a plan to bring RsyaSrnga to Anga. He called for a group of women, including a prostitute, to try and tempt RsyaSrnga. The women sailed on a boat near the forest where RsyaSrnga lived. One woman went to meet him, and using her charms, she captivated him. She claimed to be the daughter of another sage and created a strong attraction in RsyaSrnga. After she left, he felt lonely and unhappy.

When his father Vibhandaka returned, he noticed RsyaSrnga's distress and asked what happened. RsyaSrnga, not understanding the nature of women, described her as a young man, which made Vibhandaka realize it was a woman. The woman returned again, and this time, RsyaSrnga followed her. They sailed in the boat down the river until they reached Lomapada’s palace. There, RsyaSrnga was married to Lomapada’s daughter, Santa. To make up for the trouble caused, Lomapada sent valuable gifts to Vibhandaka. When Vibhandaka arrived, he was greeted by the people of Anga. After realizing that the kingdom now belonged to his son, he calmed down. He told RsyaSrnga to return to the forest after having a child, and left the palace. As a result of RsyaSrnga’s yaga, rain returned, and the famine ended.

RsyaSrnga in Ayodhya:

King Dasaratha of Ayodhya had no children for many years. His minister, Sumantra, suggested that he invite RsyaSrnga to perform a yaga. Lomapada sent RsyaSrnga to Ayodhya, where he performed a special yaga called Putrakamesti. From the sacrificial fire, a dark figure appeared holding a pot of pudding. Dasaratha received the pudding and shared it with his wives. Kausalya and Kaikeyi gave part of their share to Sumitra. As a result, Kausalya gave birth to Rama, Kaikeyi to Bharata, and Sumitra had two sons, Lakshmana and Shatrughna. This yaga granted Dasaratha his sons, fulfilling his long-held wish.