VASISTHA THE WISE SAGE

                                                   

Vasistha was a wise sage and the son of Brahma. He is famous in ancient stories and was born three times.

In his first birth, he was created from Brahma’s breath. He married Arundhati, who was raised in a hermitage. When she was five, Brahma arranged for her to be educated by celestial women. One day, she saw Vasistha, and they fell in love. Their marriage was blessed by the gods. They had seven sons, all great sages. The name Vasistha means someone who controls great powers, and Arundhati means one who follows her husband faithfully. After their death, they became stars in the sky. In India, married women are shown the star Arundhati as a symbol of devotion.

In his second birth, Vasistha was born from a sacrificial fire of Brahma. His wife was Aksamala, a rebirth of Arundhati. However, his life ended due to a curse from a king named Nimi.

In his third birth, Vasistha was born from a pot as the son of Mitravaruna. His brother was Agastya, and his wife was another Arundhati, Narada’s sister. Many stories about Vasistha likely happened in his second and third births.

VASISTHA AND VISVAMITRA

Vasistha and Visvamitra were two powerful sages who were enemies throughout their lives. Their conflict began due to a sacred cow named Kamadhenu that belonged to Vasistha.

One day, King Visvamitra and his army visited Vasistha’s hermitage. Vasistha welcomed them and, with the help of Kamadhenu, provided a grand feast. Visvamitra was amazed and asked to buy the cow, but Vasistha refused. Angry, Visvamitra tried to take Kamadhenu by force, but the cow created a powerful army that defeated Visvamitra’s men. When Visvamitra attacked Vasistha directly, his arrows turned into flowers upon touching him. Realizing Vasistha’s spiritual power was greater than his own, Visvamitra vowed to become a powerful sage himself.

In another incident, King Trisanku wanted to go to heaven in his human body. Vasistha refused to help, but Visvamitra performed a ritual to lift him up. However, Indra, the king of the gods, rejected Trisanku, so Visvamitra created a new heaven for him in the sky. This increased their rivalry.

Later, King Harishchandra was caught in a dispute between the two sages. Vasistha tried to help him, while Visvamitra put him through great suffering. This led to another fierce argument, where they cursed each other. As a result, Visvamitra became a stork, and Vasistha became a kingfisher. They fought every day as birds, until Brahma, Vasistha’s father, freed them from the curse.

In another fight, Visvamitra forced the river Sarasvati to drag Vasistha away. However, the river did not want to harm Vasistha, so she carried him past Visvamitra’s hermitage. Angry, Visvamitra cursed the river, turning its water red. Finally, the gods intervened, and both sages made peace. The place became a holy site, known as Vasisthapavaha.