# Bāla Kāṇḍa 56 — Story of Viśvāmitra: The rājarṣi rank and Triśaṅku’s request *Brahmā grants Viśvāmitra the rank of rājarṣi, he resumes austerity while Triśaṅku seeks bodily ascent to heaven and is refused by Vasiṣṭha* Portion: Story of Viśvāmitra · Verses: 20 · Ref format: 1.56. ## Sequence - Still distressed by defeat, Viśvāmitra goes south with his Queen and lives on roots and fruit during severe austerities (56.1–2) - four sons are born: Haviṣpanda, Madhuṣpanda, Dṛḍhanetra, and Mahāratha (56.3) - after a thousand years Brahmā recognizes him as a rājarṣi and departs (56.4–6) - disappointed that he has not attained the higher status he seeks, Viśvāmitra renews his austerity (56.7–9). Śatānanda introduces a concurrent event: King Triśaṅku of the Ikṣvāku line wishes to enter heaven in his physical body through a sacrifice (56.10–11) - Vasiṣṭha declares it impossible (56.12) - Triśaṅku goes south to Vasiṣṭha's hundred sons (56.13–14) - he bows and asks them to officiate, explaining that his family priest has refused → he says that, after the family preceptor, they are his only refuge for accomplishing the bodily ascent (56.15–20). ## Verses **1.56.1** tataḥ saṃtaptahṛdayaḥ smaran nigraham ātmanaḥ viniḥśvasya viniḥśvasya kṛtavairo mahātmanā Then, his heart tormented, remembering his own defeat, sighing again and again, having conceived enmity with the great-souled one— **1.56.2** sa dakṣiṇāṃ diśaṃ gatvā mahiṣyā saha rāghava tatāpa paramaṃ ghoraṃ viśvāmitro mahātapāḥ phalamūlāśano dāntaś cacāra paramaṃ tapaḥ he went to the southern quarter with his queen, O Rāghava; Viśvāmitra, the great ascetic, performed a most terrible austerity—eating only fruit and roots, self-controlled, he practised the highest penance. **1.56.3** athāsya jajñire putrāḥ satyadharmaparāyaṇāḥ haviṣpando madhuṣpando dṛḍhanetro mahārathaḥ Then to him were born sons devoted to truth and dharma: Haviṣpanda, Madhuṣpanda, Dṛḍhanetra, and Mahāratha. **1.56.4** pūrṇe varṣasahasre tu brahmā lokapitāmahaḥ abravīn madhuraṃ vākyaṃ viśvāmitraṃ tapodhanam When a full thousand years had passed, Brahmā, the Grandsire of the worlds, spoke sweet words to Viśvāmitra, whose wealth was austerity: **1.56.5** jitā rājarṣilokās te tapasā kuśikātmaja anena tapasā tvāṃ hi rājarṣir iti vidmahe 'The worlds of the royal seers have been won by you through austerity, O son of Kuśika; by this austerity we do indeed know you as a royal seer.' **1.56.6** evam uktvā mahātejā jagāma saha daivataiḥ triviṣṭapaṃ brahmalokaṃ lokānāṃ parameśvaraḥ Having spoken thus, the one of great splendour, the supreme lord of the worlds, went with the gods to Triviṣṭapa, the world of Brahmā. **1.56.7** viśvāmitro 'pi tac chrutvā hriyā kiṃ cid avāṅmukhaḥ duḥkhena mahatāviṣṭaḥ samanyur idam abravīt Viśvāmitra too, hearing that, his face somewhat downcast with shame, filled with great sorrow, and full of resentment, said this: **1.56.8** tapaś ca sumahat taptaṃ rājarṣir iti māṃ viduḥ devāḥ sarṣigaṇāḥ sarve nāsti manye tapaḥphalam 'A very great austerity has been performed, (yet) all the gods, with the hosts of seers, know me (only) as a royal seer; I think there is no fruit of my austerity.' **1.56.9** evaṃ niścitya manasā bhūya eva mahātapāḥ tapaś cacāra kākutstha paramaṃ paramātmavān Having thus resolved in his mind, the great ascetic, supremely self-controlled, again practised the highest austerity, O Kākutstha. **1.56.10** etasminn eva kāle tu satyavādī jitendriyaḥ triśaṅkur iti vikhyāta ikṣvāku kulanandanaḥ At this very time, one truthful of speech, master of his senses, renowned as Triśaṅku, a delight of the Ikṣvāku line, **1.56.11** tasya buddhiḥ samutpannā yajeyam iti rāghava gaccheyaṃ svaśarīreṇa devānāṃ paramāṃ gatim to him arose the thought, O Rāghava: 'Let me perform a sacrifice, that I might go in my own body to the supreme abode of the gods.' **1.56.12** sa vasiṣṭhaṃ samāhūya kathayām āsa cintitam aśakyam iti cāpy ukto vasiṣṭhena mahātmanā He, summoning Vasiṣṭha, told him what he had in mind; but he was told by the great-souled Vasiṣṭha, 'It is impossible.' **1.56.13** pratyākhyāto vasiṣṭhena sa yayau dakṣiṇāṃ diśam vasiṣṭhā dīrgha tapasas tapo yatra hi tepire Rejected by Vasiṣṭha, he went to the southern quarter, where the sons of Vasiṣṭha, of long-continued austerity, were performing penance. **1.56.14** triśaṅkuḥ sumahātejāḥ śataṃ paramabhāsvaram vasiṣṭhaputrān dadṛśe tapyamānān yaśasvinaḥ Triśaṅku of great splendour beheld the hundred illustrious sons of Vasiṣṭha, exceedingly radiant, practising austerity. **1.56.15** so 'bhigamya mahātmānaḥ sarvān eva guroḥ sutān abhivādyānupūrvyeṇa hriyā kiṃ cid avāṅmukhaḥ abravīt sumahātejāḥ sarvān eva kṛtāñjaliḥ Approaching all those great-souled sons of his teacher and saluting them in due order, his face somewhat downcast with shame, the one of great splendour, with palms joined, spoke to them all: **1.56.16** śaraṇaṃ vaḥ prapadye 'haṃ śaraṇyāñ śaraṇāgataḥ pratyākhyāto 'smi bhadraṃ vo vasiṣṭhena mahātmanā 'I take refuge in you, who are worthy of giving refuge, as one come for shelter; I have been rejected by the great-souled Vasiṣṭha—blessings upon you!' **1.56.17** yaṣṭukāmo mahāyajñaṃ tad anujñātum arthatha guruputrān ahaṃ sarvān namaskṛtya prasādaye 'Desirous of performing a great sacrifice, you ought to sanction it; saluting all the teacher's sons, I seek your favour.' **1.56.18** śirasā praṇato yāce brāhmaṇāṃs tapasi sthitān te māṃ bhavantaḥ siddhyarthaṃ yājayantu samāhitāḥ saśarīro yathāhaṃ hi devalokam avāpnuyām 'Bowing with my head, I entreat you, brahmins established in austerity: may you, attentive, officiate at my sacrifice for the sake of success, so that I may reach the world of the gods in my own body.' **1.56.19** pratyākhyāto vasiṣṭhena gatim anyāṃ tapodhanāḥ guruputrān ṛte sarvān nāhaṃ paśyāmi kāṃ cana 'Rejected by Vasiṣṭha, O you whose wealth is austerity, I see no other recourse whatever apart from all of you, the sons of my teacher.' **1.56.20** ikṣvākūṇāṃ hi sarveṣāṃ purodhāḥ paramā gatiḥ tasmād anantaraṃ sarve bhavanto daivataṃ mama 'For to all the Ikṣvākus the house-priest is the highest recourse; therefore, next after him, all of you are my deity.'