# Bāla Kāṇḍa 59 — Story of Viśvāmitra: Triśaṅku’s ascent and suspended heaven *Indra rejects the ascending Triśaṅku, Viśvāmitra halts his fall and creates southern stars, the Devas agree to let him remain suspended among them* Portion: Story of Viśvāmitra · Verses: 33 · Ref format: 1.59. ## Sequence - Viśvāmitra asks the assembled ṛṣis to help send Triśaṅku bodily to heaven (59.1–3) - fearing his anger and curses, they agree → the priests take their places and conduct the sacrifice with Viśvāmitra presiding (59.4–9) - when he summons the devatās for their shares, none comes (59.10–11) - angrily raising the ladle, he invokes his own accumulated austerity and commands Triśaṅku to ascend → before the munis' eyes, the King rises in his physical body (59.12–15) - Indra rejects him as one afflicted by his teacher's curse and orders him to fall headfirst → falling, Triśaṅku cries to Viśvāmitra for help (59.16–18). Viśvāmitra commands him to stop (59.19) - standing among the ṛṣis like a second creator, he makes another Saptarṣis and new constellations in the southern sky → he threatens to create another Indra or a world without Indra and begins forming new devatās (59.20–22) - alarmed, the Suras try to reconcile him, repeating that Triśaṅku cannot enter their heaven bodily (59.23–24) - Viśvāmitra insists that his promise must stand and asks for a permanent place for the King and his new stars (59.25–28) - the Suras agree that the constellations may remain outside the sun's course and that Triśaṅku may shine among them, head downward, like an immortal (59.29–31) - Viśvāmitra accepts → the sacrifice ends and the assembly disperses (59.32–33). ?? ## Verses **1.59.1** tapobalahatān kṛtvā vāsiṣṭhān samahodayān ṛṣimadhye mahātejā viśvāmitro 'bhyabhāṣata Having by the power of his austerity struck down the sons of Vasiṣṭha together with Mahodaya, Viśvāmitra of great splendour spoke in the midst of the seers: **1.59.2** ayam ikṣvākudāyādas triśaṅkur iti viśrutaḥ dharmiṣṭhaś ca vadānyaś ca māṃ caiva śaraṇaṃ gataḥ svenānena śarīreṇa devalokajigīṣayā 'This heir of Ikṣvāku, renowned as Triśaṅku, most righteous and liberal, has come to me for refuge—in this his own body, out of a desire to win the world of the gods.' **1.59.3** yathāyaṃ svaśarīreṇa devalokaṃ gamiṣyati tathā pravartyatāṃ yajño bhavadbhiś ca mayā saha 'Let the sacrifice be set in motion by you together with me in such a way that he may go to the world of the gods in his own body.' **1.59.4** viśvāmitravacaḥ śrutvā sarva eva maharṣayaḥ ūcuḥ sametya sahitā dharmajñā dharmasaṃhitam Having heard Viśvāmitra's words, all the great seers, knowers of dharma, having come together in a body, spoke (a word) in accord with dharma: **1.59.5** ayaṃ kuśikadāyādo muniḥ paramakopanaḥ yad āha vacanaṃ samyag etat kāryaṃ na saṃśayaḥ 'This sage, heir of Kuśika, is exceedingly prone to anger; whatever word he has spoken is right—it must be done, no doubt.' **1.59.6** agnikalpo hi bhagavāñ śāpaṃ dāsyati roṣitaḥ tasmāt pravartyatāṃ yajñaḥ saśarīro yathā divam gacched ikṣvākudāyādo viśvāmitrasya tejasā 'For the venerable one, being like fire, if angered will pronounce a curse; therefore let the sacrifice be set in motion, so that the heir of Ikṣvāku may go to heaven in his own body by the power of Viśvāmitra.' **1.59.7** tataḥ pravartyatāṃ yajñaḥ sarve samadhitiṣṭhate 'Then let the sacrifice be set in motion.' All (the priests) took up their stations. **1.59.8** evam uktvā maharṣayaḥ saṃjahrus tāḥ kriyās tadā yājakāś ca mahātejā viśvāmitro 'bhavat kratau Having spoken thus, the great seers then carried out those rites and served as officiants; and Viśvāmitra of great splendour became (chief priest) at the sacrifice. **1.59.9** ṛtvijaś cānupūrvyeṇa mantravan mantrakovidāḥ cakruḥ sarvāṇi karmāṇi yathākalpaṃ yathāvidhi And the officiating priests, skilled in the mantras, performed all the rites in due order, with the mantras, according to the ritual manual and the prescribed rule. **1.59.10** tataḥ kālena mahatā viśvāmitro mahātapāḥ cakārāvāhanaṃ tatra bhāgārthaṃ sarvadevatāḥ Then, after a long time, Viśvāmitra the great ascetic there made the invocation of all the deities to receive their share. **1.59.11** nāhyāgamaṃs tadāhūtā bhāgārthaṃ sarvadevatāḥ tataḥ krodhasamāviṣṭo viśvamitro mahāmuniḥ But all the deities, though thus invited to receive their share, did not come; then Viśvāmitra, the great sage, filled with anger, **1.59.12** sruvam udyamya sakrodhas triśaṅkum idam abravīt paśya me tapaso vīryaṃ svārjitasya nareśvara raising the sacrificial ladle, in anger said this to Triśaṅku: 'Behold the potency of my self-earned austerity, O lord of men.' **1.59.13** eṣa tvāṃ svaśarīreṇa nayāmi svargam ojasā duṣprāpaṃ svaśarīreṇa divaṃ gaccha narādhipa 'Here I lead you, in your own body, to heaven by my might; go, O ruler of men, to that heaven so hard to reach in one's own body.' **1.59.14** svārjitaṃ kiṃ cid apy asti mayā hi tapasaḥ phalam rājaṃs tvaṃ tejasā tasya saśarīro divaṃ vraja 'If there is any fruit at all of austerity self-earned by me, then by the power of that, O king, go to heaven in your own body.' **1.59.15** uktavākye munau tasmin saśarīro nareśvaraḥ divaṃ jagāma kākutstha munīnāṃ paśyatāṃ tadā When that sage had spoken, the lord of men, in his own body, went to heaven, O Kākutstha, as the sages looked on. **1.59.16** devalokagataṃ dṛṣṭvā triśaṅkuṃ pākaśāsanaḥ saha sarvaiḥ suragaṇair idaṃ vacanam abravīt Seeing Triśaṅku arrived in the world of the gods, the Chastiser of Pāka (Indra), together with all the hosts of gods, spoke these words: **1.59.17** triśaṅko gaccha bhūyas tvaṃ nāsi svargakṛtālayaḥ guruśāpahato mūḍha pata bhūmim avākśirāḥ 'Triśaṅku, go back! You are not one who has made a home in heaven; struck down by the teacher's curse, O fool, fall to the earth head downward!' **1.59.18** evam ukto mahendreṇa triśaṅkur apatat punaḥ vikrośamānas trāhīti viśvāmitraṃ tapodhanam Thus addressed by great Indra, Triśaṅku fell again, crying out 'Save me!' to Viśvāmitra, whose wealth was austerity. **1.59.19** tac chrutvā vacanaṃ tasya krośamānasya kauśikaḥ roṣam āhārayat tīvraṃ tiṣṭha tiṣṭheti cābravīt Hearing that cry of his as he wailed, Kauśika conceived fierce anger and said, 'Stay! Stay!' **1.59.20** ṛṣimadhye sa tejasvī prajāpatir ivāparaḥ sṛjan dakṣiṇamārgasthān saptarṣīn aparān punaḥ In the midst of the seers, that resplendent one, like a second Prajāpati, creating anew a set of Seven Seers stationed on the southern path, **1.59.21** nakṣatramālām aparām asṛjat krodhamūrchitaḥ dakṣiṇāṃ diśam āsthāya munimadhye mahāyaśāḥ and, insensate with anger, created a new garland of constellations, taking his stand in the southern quarter, in the midst of the sages, that one of great fame. **1.59.22** sṛṣṭvā nakṣatravaṃśaṃ ca krodhena kaluṣīkṛtaḥ anyam indraṃ kariṣyāmi loko vā syād anindrakaḥ daivatāny api sa krodhāt sraṣṭuṃ samupacakrame Having created a lineage of constellations, and darkened by anger, (crying) 'I will make another Indra, or let the world be without an Indra!'—out of anger he set about creating even new deities. **1.59.23** tataḥ paramasaṃbhrāntāḥ sarṣisaṃghāḥ surarṣabhāḥ viśvāmitraṃ mahātmānam ūcuḥ sānunayaṃ vacaḥ Then, greatly alarmed, the bulls among gods, together with the hosts of seers, spoke conciliatory words to the great-souled Viśvāmitra: **1.59.24** ayaṃ rājā mahābhāga guruśāpaparikṣataḥ saśarīro divaṃ yātuṃ nārhaty eva tapodhana 'This king, O illustrious one, wounded by the teacher's curse, is not fit to go to heaven in his own body, O you whose wealth is austerity.' **1.59.25** teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrutvā devānāṃ munipuṃgavaḥ abravīt sumahad vākyaṃ kauśikaḥ sarvadevatāḥ Hearing that word of the gods, the bull among sages, Kauśika, spoke a very weighty word to all the deities: **1.59.26** saśarīrasya bhadraṃ vas triśaṅkor asya bhūpateḥ ārohaṇaṃ pratijñāya nānṛtaṃ kartum utsahe 'Having promised the ascent of this King Triśaṅku in his own body—blessings on you—I cannot make my word untrue.' **1.59.27** sargo 'stu saśarīrasya triśaṅkor asya śāśvataḥ nakṣatrāṇi ca sarvāṇi māmakāni dhruvāṇy atha 'Let there be for this Triśaṅku, in his own body, an everlasting station; and let all these constellations of mine be fixed and abiding.' **1.59.28** yāval lokā dhariṣyanti tiṣṭhantv etāni sarvaśaḥ matkṛtāni surāḥ sarve tad anujñātum arhatha 'As long as the worlds shall endure, let all these, made by me, remain in every way; O gods, you all ought to consent to this.' **1.59.29** evam uktāḥ surāḥ sarve pratyūcur munipuṃgavam Thus addressed, all the gods replied to the bull among sages: **1.59.30** evaṃ bhavatu bhadraṃ te tiṣṭhantv etāni sarvaśaḥ gagane tāny anekāni vaiśvānarapathād bahiḥ 'So be it, blessings on you; let all these remain—those many (constellations) in the sky, outside the path of Vaiśvānara (the sun's course):' **1.59.31** nakṣatrāṇi muniśreṣṭha teṣu jyotiḥṣu jājvalan avākśirās triśaṅkuś ca tiṣṭhatv amarasaṃnibhaḥ 'the constellations, O best of sages; and among those luminaries, blazing, head downward, let Triśaṅku too remain, like an immortal.' **1.59.32** viśvāmitras tu dharmātmā sarvadevair abhiṣṭutaḥ ṛṣibhiś ca mahātejā bāḍham ity āha devatāḥ But the righteous Viśvāmitra of great splendour, honoured by all the gods and the seers, said to the deities, 'So be it.' **1.59.33** tato devā mahātmāno munayaś ca tapodhanāḥ jagmur yathāgataṃ sarve yajñasyānte narottama Then the great-souled gods and the sages, whose wealth was austerity, all went as they had come, at the end of the sacrifice, O best of men.