1 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:12,240 Stories from Upanishads and Purans retold by Urghiya 2 00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:27,400 Goswami. My dear friends and listeners, 3 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,800 in today's episode I'll narrate Part 1 of the story of enmity 4 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:36,760 and battle between two birds, a sea or bank, MENA and Bakka or 5 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,800 Indian crane from Markande Puran which led to almost destruction 6 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:44,280 of the world. Please note that today's episode 7 00:00:44,360 --> 00:00:48,440 concentrates only on the prelude part of the story and the real 8 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,320 interconnected web of reasons which led to this battle. 9 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:55,880 Therefore, I will narrate accounts from our other 10 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,080 scriptures such as Rigved, Ramayan and Mahabharata to 11 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:02,320 establish the facts as described in those scriptures. 12 00:01:02,960 --> 00:01:06,800 The birds of wisdom asked Rishi Jaimini if he was eager to hear 13 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:10,040 the account of a great battle between two birds and how it 14 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:13,640 became the cause for destruction during Sage Vishwamitra's 15 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,960 Rajaswa Yogya. Rishi nodded in agreement, and 16 00:01:16,960 --> 00:01:18,920 the birds continued their narration. 17 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:24,280 After Raja Harishchandra went to heaven, Suryavanshi Guru, the 18 00:01:24,280 --> 00:01:29,560 great sage Vashishta arose from inside the river Ganga after 12 19 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:32,160 years. As soon as he emerged from the 20 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:35,080 river, he came to know everything about Raja 21 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:39,040 Harishchandra. He came to know about how Sage 22 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:43,360 Vishwamitra tricked and tested the king in the name of Dharma, 23 00:01:43,840 --> 00:01:47,760 truth and promise and made him suffer like no one else. 24 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:52,320 He came to know how the most righteous king was put into a 25 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:56,640 terrible test, making him lose everything, even himself. 26 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,200 As he learned more and more about Sage Vishwamitra's 27 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,960 involvement in the atrocious fate of Raja Harishchandra, he 28 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,840 grew angrier and angrier at his counterpart. 29 00:02:07,560 --> 00:02:11,200 He couldn't bear the event when Harishchandra was forced to sell 30 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:15,440 off his wife, son and himself and lead a life of a Chandal 31 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:19,720 just to pay off his debt and keep his promise. 32 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,760 Friends, the beauty of our scriptures in Sonathan is that 33 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:27,080 these stories are layered and continuously evolved through 34 00:02:27,080 --> 00:02:30,720 time and age as these can be referenced through multiple 35 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:34,320 scriptures and documents. All these stories and accounts 36 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:38,320 are linked up with each other thus presenting a huge bouquet 37 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:42,160 of scriptures which must be read thoroughly to understand the end 38 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:45,120 to end account. Reason behind this is the 39 00:02:45,120 --> 00:02:48,040 concept of the Shrutis and the Smritis. 40 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:52,680 The thinkers, sages and writers of these great scriptures and 41 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:56,440 texts had added in their thoughts and writings through 42 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:01,280 various ages and errors, adding on their bit to make it more and 43 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:06,040 more relevant to that period. Let me try to explain why Sage 44 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:10,960 Vashishta went underwater into a deep meditation for 12 years. 45 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:15,720 As told earlier in my episode on Raja Harishchandra, the test on 46 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,360 the king was a divine plan by the gods. 47 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:22,240 Sage Vishwamitra was selected to carry out that test. 48 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:26,720 Understanding the divine plan, Sage Vashishta chose to remain 49 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,240 underwater for 12 years. During that period, he wanted to 50 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:33,880 respect the divine strategy and wanted to avoid direct 51 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:37,760 confrontation and interference in Sage Vishwamitra's intense 52 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,320 spiritual challenge. It was a gesture of respect for 53 00:03:41,320 --> 00:03:45,280 the Divine plan and the way to maintain the cosmic balance. 54 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,600 Sage Vasishta, being deeply wise and spiritually advanced, 55 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:52,880 understood that his presence might disrupt the karmic 56 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,600 unfolding of Harishchandra's trials and Vishwamitra's 57 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,880 spiritual journey. This episode highlights the 58 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:03,880 depths of spiritual discipline and mutual respect amongst Sage 59 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:08,520 even admits rivalry. It also underscores the 60 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:13,080 importance of allowing Dharma to unfold without obstruction. 61 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:18,160 However, Sage Vishwamitra and Sage Vashista were two most 62 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:21,000 powerful sages in Hindu mythology. 63 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:25,520 Known for their long standing rivalry, Sage Vashista couldn't 64 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:30,040 see Sage Vishwamitra eye to eye, although both being Brahma 65 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:32,680 Rishis. Another point to be clarified 66 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,320 here. When I take the name Vashta or 67 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:39,600 Vishwa Mitra, it may not mean the same individual sage. 68 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:43,720 What it means is that an individual or a sage carrying 69 00:04:43,720 --> 00:04:48,280 the same Gotra of Vashta or Vishwa Mitra or they may be 70 00:04:48,280 --> 00:04:50,320 direct descendants of these sages. 71 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:55,040 In this way, Vasishta or Vishwamitra became not just a 72 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:59,520 person but a post and there were many famous lineages of 73 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:03,800 Vasishtas and Vishwamitras who used to exist in different eras. 74 00:05:04,280 --> 00:05:08,120 I'll create a separate content on this topic as I believe this 75 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:10,960 topic will deviate me from the current story. 76 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:15,200 On researching further on the topic of rivalry between these 77 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:18,760 two sedges, I could find 3 distinctive accounts from 78 00:05:18,760 --> 00:05:23,760 Ramayan, Mahabharat and Rigved which throws in some light on 79 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:27,240 this subject. The first, king Kaushika Gadhi's 80 00:05:27,360 --> 00:05:30,840 attempt to abduct Kaam Dhinu or Nandini from sage Vasishta. 81 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:33,680 Second, the curse of king Kamalashpada. 82 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:38,240 Third association of King Sudas with Sage Vasishta instead of 83 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:41,880 Sage Vishwamitra. Let's understand each of this 84 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:47,440 account in detail. The count of King Kaushika 85 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:51,520 Gadhi's attempt to steal Nandini or Kamdhenu from the ashram of 86 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:56,560 Sage Vashista is mentioned in Bal Thunder chapters 51 to 56 of 87 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:00,080 Valmiki Ramayan. The account says like this, one 88 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:04,240 day King Kaushika Gadhi of Gadhipura or Kanyakuja belonging 89 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:08,760 to Kushika dynasty went hunting in the forest near Mount Meru. 90 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:13,640 After a long hunting exercise, he was exhausted and tired. 91 00:06:13,960 --> 00:06:18,280 At that time he happened to reach the divine ashram of Sage 92 00:06:18,280 --> 00:06:21,040 Vashishta the second or Devraj Vashishta. 93 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:24,600 Friends, remember I set a contest earlier about the 94 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:28,200 lineages of these great sages. I have tried to align the time 95 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:32,960 period of these sages to come to a competitive timeline of when 96 00:06:32,960 --> 00:06:35,160 they existed on the face of this earth. 97 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:40,280 Continuing with the account, Sage Vashta was well known for 98 00:06:40,280 --> 00:06:44,760 his powers and spiritual wisdom. Seeing the exhausted king and 99 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:48,920 his large army, the sage welcomed them into his ashram 100 00:06:49,160 --> 00:06:53,200 and after a bit of resting, the sage offered the king and his 101 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:57,680 army to have some food. When the king agreed, the sage 102 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:02,600 arranged A lavish feast allowing each member and soldier to eat 103 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,760 to their hearts content. While eating such magnanimous 104 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:11,000 and well spread feast, the king thought, how did the sage 105 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:16,080 managed to arrange such huge amount of delicious food for the 106 00:07:16,080 --> 00:07:19,440 entire army? Unable to control his curious 107 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:22,720 mind, the king with folded hands asked the sage. 108 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:27,360 Oh great sage, how have you managed to conjure such lavish, 109 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:30,320 well spread feast in such a secluded forest? 110 00:07:30,480 --> 00:07:34,120 Is there some divine or solutional power bestowed upon 111 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,320 you? Said smiled and calmly replied, 112 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:42,320 O King Kaushik, let me tell you there isn't any divine or 113 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:44,760 celestial power bestowed upon me. 114 00:07:45,080 --> 00:07:50,560 All this magnificent food spread is arranged by Nandini, my calm 115 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:56,560 Dhenu cow which was gifted to my ancestor by gods during Samudra 116 00:07:56,560 --> 00:08:00,960 Manthan. Nandini can produce all kinds of 117 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:04,400 riches and sustains at my command. 118 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:08,840 Hearing this, the king thought if this cow can feed an entire 119 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:13,240 army, then it would be really helpful if this cow is kept with 120 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:16,680 me. Then with folded hands conveyed 121 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,960 the idea to the sage. He said, Oh great sage, I would 122 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:23,160 be grateful if you give me this cow. 123 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:28,240 In exchange, I will give you 10,000 herds of cattle or even 124 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:32,080 my entire Kingdom. I'll use it to feed my soldiers 125 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,320 and citizens. The sage calmly denied. 126 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:39,320 Then again the king demanded this cow from the sage. 127 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:44,120 The sage refused and said, This sacred cow is essential for my 128 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:48,240 sacrifices and for sustenance of my Hermitage. 129 00:08:48,600 --> 00:08:53,000 She is not for sale even for all the wealth in the world. 130 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:56,520 The king was unhappy with Sages answer. 131 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:01,400 Suddenly he got up and ordered a few of his men to drag Nandini 132 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:04,560 with them. The men tied a rope around the 133 00:09:04,560 --> 00:09:08,400 neck of the cow and started to drag her out of the ashram. 134 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:13,240 During his struggle, Nandini spoke out to the sage or 135 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,000 everyone. Why do you allow me to be taken 136 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:18,480 away? Have I failed to serve you? 137 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:24,640 The sage replied to the cow. Oh pious one, if you do not wish 138 00:09:24,640 --> 00:09:30,000 to be taken away from me, use your divine powers to stop the 139 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:34,240 men from taking you away. With Pashtas permission, 140 00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:39,240 Kamdhenu created a huge army of celestial warriors. 141 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:43,800 Her tail produced the Pallavas, her pudders, the draviders and 142 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:49,280 Shakas, her womb the Yavanas, her froth and dung brought forth 143 00:09:49,440 --> 00:09:55,240 ponders, Kiratas and countries. On witnessing the unexpected 144 00:09:55,240 --> 00:09:59,320 advance of a formidable celestial army, King Kaushika 145 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:03,520 Gadhi commanded his own forces to engage in a battle. 146 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:07,720 The ensuing conflict was intense and ultimately resulted in 147 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:11,440 defeat of Kings Troop. Confronted with laws and 148 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:16,360 humiliation, King Kaushik Gadhi recognized the predominance of 149 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:19,320 spiritual strength over the royal might. 150 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:24,720 The ascendancy of Brahma Tejas Returning to his Kingdom, the 151 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:28,600 king resolved to pursue the path of a Rishi in search of 152 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,800 spiritual power. His determination to attain 153 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:36,840 aesthetic wisdom signified the transformation from a monarch to 154 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:41,560 a Rishi or a sage king. Kaushik Gari became sage vishwa 155 00:10:41,560 --> 00:10:44,000 Mitra. To achieve his goal, he 156 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:48,520 renounced his throne and devoted himself to rigorous penance or 157 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:51,880 tapasya. After years of austerity, he was 158 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:56,320 blessed by Lord Shiva who imparted to him the knowledge of 159 00:10:56,320 --> 00:11:00,120 celestial weaponry. Equipped with new found 160 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:04,280 spiritual prowess and divine armaments, Sage Vishwamitra 161 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:08,480 subsequently confronted Sage Vashista once more in an effort 162 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:12,400 to obtain Nandini. However, Sage Vashista counter 163 00:11:12,400 --> 00:11:17,160 attack using Brahmadunda thereby neutralizing Sage Vishwamitra 164 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:21,280 celestial arsenal. After repeated failed attempts 165 00:11:21,280 --> 00:11:24,960 to defeat Sage Vashta, Vishwamitra recognized that 166 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:30,520 mastering ego, anger and desire was the key to spiritual growth. 167 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:36,160 Intensifying his penance, he progressed from a Rishi to a Raj 168 00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:41,480 Rishi, then to a Maharshi and finally elevated to the position 169 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:45,440 of Brahmarshi. This was the first account where 170 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:50,880 we found how antipathy between the both great sages started. 171 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:55,600 Next clash was documented in Adi Parva and Vana Parva of 172 00:11:55,600 --> 00:12:00,960 Mahabharata, the counties of how King Kamlashpada of Ishqbaku 173 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:06,120 dynasty was cursed by Sage Vashtas eldest son Shakti Vashta 174 00:12:06,120 --> 00:12:10,800 and how cleverly Vishwamitra used that curse to make 175 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:15,680 Kamlashpada his disciple driver. Note that Vishnu Puran, 176 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:20,240 Shivpuran, Bhagwat Puran, Agni Puran, Vayu Puran and Padma 177 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:25,560 Puran all have the same story mentioned, but each with some 178 00:12:25,560 --> 00:12:29,440 differences in details of the curse and its consequences. 179 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:32,400 I'll narrate this account from the Mahabharat. 180 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:37,480 Sage Vishwamitra always wanted to make King Sauda Sir Kamlesh 181 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:41,160 Padar his disciple. However, historically Vasisthas 182 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:44,200 were always gurus of Ishqvaku kings. 183 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:49,000 King Sardar Sakam Rishabhata was a powerful and virtuous king and 184 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:51,520 was known for justice and strength. 185 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:57,320 However, one fateful day, his life was about to take a very 186 00:12:57,320 --> 00:13:00,680 tragic turn. One day, while hunting in a 187 00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:04,360 dense forest, he was walking through a very narrow forest 188 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:07,080 path. As he was in the middle of the 189 00:13:07,080 --> 00:13:11,200 narrow forest path, he saw a young Rishi coming from the 190 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:14,720 opposite direction. The narrow forest path would 191 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:17,360 only allow one of them to pass through. 192 00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:22,200 When King Kamalashpada came face to face with the young Rishi, he 193 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:26,800 came to know that he was Rishi Shakti Vashishtar, the eldest of 194 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:30,120 the hundred sons of Sage Srishta Bhaja Vashishtar. 195 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:34,600 However, blinded by his obsession of royalty and 196 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:38,840 strength, the king demanded that the young Rishi move aside and 197 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:42,960 must make way for him. The king, beholding the young 198 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:45,760 Rishi, shouted, Stand out of our way. 199 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:50,080 The Rishi calmly told the king, This is my practice. 200 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:54,280 It follows the timeless moral principles found in the text on 201 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:58,800 Duty and religion that the king should ever make way from a 202 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:02,320 Brahman. They discussed their mutual 203 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:04,760 rites of passage in a measured manner. 204 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,560 Each requested other to stand aside. 205 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:11,520 The sage, confident in his rightful claim, refused to 206 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:16,240 yield, while the king, motivated by pride and anger, also 207 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:19,920 declined to give the way. This was leading to an 208 00:14:20,040 --> 00:14:24,360 unnecessary altercations and argument between the king and 209 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:27,600 the young Rishi. In the feet of Rage, like a 210 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:30,520 demon, the king hit the young Rishi with a whip. 211 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:35,560 This was the pinnacle of an unnecessary fight as the Rishi 212 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:37,760 in the feet of rage cursed the king. 213 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:42,400 O worst of kings, you have hit an aesthetic like a demon, so 214 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:47,040 from now on you shall become a raxious or cannibalistic demon 215 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,040 who will only survive eating human flesh. 216 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:55,120 At that very moment, Sage Vishwamitra was also passing by 217 00:14:55,120 --> 00:14:58,520 the forest and heard them fighting and arguing for the 218 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:01,800 right of way. He saw an opportunity to make 219 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:05,560 King Kamalashpada his disciple and morally defeat the 220 00:15:05,560 --> 00:15:08,800 Vasisthas. Fearing that this minor 221 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:12,600 difference would get resolved soon, he summoned the fierce 222 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:17,320 demon by the name of Kinkara and commanded him to enter the body 223 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:20,920 of the king in obedience to Shakti curse. 224 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:25,960 Once the demon possessed the kings body, Vishwamitra quickly 225 00:15:25,960 --> 00:15:29,400 left the place leaving Shakti and the possessed king. 226 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:34,720 Shakti who was very hungry asked the king for a food with the 227 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:37,080 meat. The king promised to provide it 228 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:40,880 after returning and told Rishi to wait for a while. 229 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:44,760 Later, remembering his promise at midnight, Kamlesh for the 230 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:49,200 instructed his cook to find the Rishi in the forest and give him 231 00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:53,160 a meal with meat. The cook, unable to find meat, 232 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:57,960 reported to the king whom being possessed by Rakshas, ordered 233 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:01,520 him to serve the Rishi a meal with human flesh. 234 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:06,720 The cook complied, but when Shakti Vasishta sensed that the 235 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:11,640 food was unholy and unworthy of eating, he cursed the king again 236 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:16,040 to crave for human flesh and wander in this earth, troubling 237 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:19,080 others. The repeated curse caused the 238 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:24,840 king to lose his senses under the Rakshas influence, deprived 239 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:28,600 of all his senses by the Raksha within him. 240 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:32,920 The king upon saying Shakti who had cursed him, declared, 241 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:38,360 Because of you have pronounced this remarkable curse on me, I 242 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:42,960 shall commence my life as a cannibal by consuming you first. 243 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:48,360 He then immediately slew Shakti and devoured him much like a 244 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:50,840 tiger praying on his chosen victim. 245 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:57,000 Witnessing Shaktis demise, Vishwamitra persistently incited 246 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:01,760 the Rakshasa, inhibiting the king against the remaining sons 247 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:05,440 of sage Vasishta. Consequently, the Rakshas soon 248 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:08,400 consumed all other sons of Vasishta. 249 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:13,200 Upon learning that all his sons had perished at the instigation 250 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:17,760 of Vishwamitra, Vasishta endured his sorrow with patience. 251 00:17:18,079 --> 00:17:22,839 Akin to a state first mountain bearing the weight of the earth, 252 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:25,760 the. Wise sage, resolute in ending 253 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:30,160 his life rather than harming Rishwamitra, leapt from Mt Meru 254 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:33,280 but survived as if it were cushioned. 255 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:37,680 He tried walking into the blazing fire and drowning in the 256 00:17:37,680 --> 00:17:39,280 deep sea. Yet. 257 00:17:39,360 --> 00:17:42,240 All these attempts failed to end his suffering. 258 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:47,080 Unable to die, he returned trouble to his Hermitage later 259 00:17:47,080 --> 00:17:49,840 on the grief. Stricken Sage Vashishta. 260 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:53,080 Bereft of his children wandered all over. 261 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:57,240 His daughter-in-law Adrishanti, carrying Shakti's child, 262 00:17:57,240 --> 00:18:00,960 followed him near the banks of Bipasha and Satudri. 263 00:18:00,960 --> 00:18:05,680 Rivers, her unborn child. Recited the Vedas which relieved 264 00:18:05,680 --> 00:18:10,040 Vashishta of sorrow and grief. He refrained from self. 265 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:13,320 Destruction and. Returned to his ashram with 266 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:17,560 Adrishanti. There they met the cursed. 267 00:18:17,560 --> 00:18:21,120 King. Kangalashpada, the king was in a 268 00:18:21,120 --> 00:18:25,320 horrible state, grieved, ashamed of his heinous. 269 00:18:25,320 --> 00:18:28,800 Deeds and wanted. To get rid of this Rakshasha 270 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:33,800 within him, the sage sprinkled sanctified water and chanted 271 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:38,240 holy mantras and relieved him from the curse and drove the 272 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:40,560 Rakshasha away from the kings body. 273 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:45,080 Grateful, the king pledged. Never too often, Rishis. 274 00:18:45,080 --> 00:18:48,880 Again and. Requested for a son to continue 275 00:18:49,120 --> 00:18:54,000 Ishq Waku lineage, Vashishta agreed and after returning to 276 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,600 Ayodhya, the Queen Madayanti conceived. 277 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:00,520 Through sages blessings, however. 278 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:05,200 The gestation period was 12. Long years in frustration. 279 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:08,880 The Queen lost. All her patience and cut open 280 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:12,000 her womb. With a stone resulting in the 281 00:19:12,000 --> 00:19:16,560 birth of a smucker, the heir of the Ishwaku dynasty. 282 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:20,800 That was the second account from the Mahabharat when both the 283 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:23,120 sages clashed against each other. 284 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:28,560 The third account is from the old books of Rig Wade and its 285 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:32,480 about the king Sudas of Titsu Bharata clan. 286 00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:38,840 According to Bharat genealogy, King Ajamidas lines split into 287 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:42,720 3. Neela Kanwa and Raksha Neelas 288 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:47,240 descendants settled in North Panchal and were ancestors of 289 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:51,360 King Dhrupad possibly forming Titsu Bharata tribe. 290 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:56,880 Rakshas descendant emperor Kuru established the Kuru Bharatas 4. 291 00:19:56,880 --> 00:19:59,960 Bearers. Of Pandavas and Korovas in the 292 00:19:59,960 --> 00:20:04,520 battle of Mahabharat, King Sudas of trips to Bharatas was a 293 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,480 young, ambitious leader who ruled. 294 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:11,520 Central Sapta Sindhu and Ganga Yamuna Dwab an. 295 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:15,520 Area with thriving cities and diverse population. 296 00:20:15,960 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaking to expand his domain, he aimed to conquer territories 297 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:25,600 beyond the river Parusini, then under Anuz or Anava rule to gain 298 00:20:25,600 --> 00:20:29,000 control over the powerful waters of Sapta. 299 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:34,360 Sindhu Mandala 7th of Rigved composed by Vashishta Maitra 300 00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:39,720 Varuni aided Sudhas in defeating the coalition of over 10 kings 301 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:44,520 during the Battle of 10 Kings. Vishwamitra Gathin, author of 302 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:49,720 Mandala Third of Rigved was also briefly associated with Sudhas 303 00:20:49,720 --> 00:20:52,360 in his campaigns beyond Sindhu river. 304 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:57,160 Both served Sudhas has praised at different times for separate 305 00:20:57,160 --> 00:20:59,760 conquest. An interesting point to note is 306 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:04,080 that famous linguistic historian Mr. Srikanth Talegeri has 307 00:21:04,320 --> 00:21:09,600 pointed out that Mandalas 3rd, 6th and 7th are early family 308 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:13,800 mandalas primarily written in praise of various Bharat rulers 309 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:18,520 such as Divodasa and Sudas. Mandala third was composed by 310 00:21:18,720 --> 00:21:23,360 Vishwa Mitra Gathin and it houses notable hymn such as 311 00:21:23,360 --> 00:21:27,560 Gayatri Mantra. So Sage Vishwa Mitra Gathin is 312 00:21:27,560 --> 00:21:31,160 considered to be the composer of Gayatri Mantra. 313 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:35,640 Mandala 6th is considered to be the oldest Rig Vedic book. 314 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:40,400 This mandala was composed by the family of sage Bharadwaja 315 00:21:40,400 --> 00:21:45,080 Bhaiyaspatiya and predominantly praises King Devodasa. 316 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:49,840 Mandala 7th was composed by Vashishta Maitra Varuni. 317 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:54,000 The point to note that these hymns were composed by different 318 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:57,480 priests at different times, hence we do not know which hymn 319 00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:01,560 predates which. And as to mandalas fall under 320 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:04,480 the oldest of the core books of Rig Veda. 321 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:08,520 Merely going by the Mandala chronology and the hymn numbers, 322 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:13,560 the hymn composed by Vishwamitra Gathin in Mandala third might 323 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:17,840 have been written earlier than the hymns composed by Vashishta 324 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:23,160 Maitravaruni in Mandala 7th. So in that context, King Sudas 325 00:22:23,160 --> 00:22:27,760 might have started his conquest towards the area near the rivers 326 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:32,160 Vipas and Suturi and then he might have ventured into 327 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:37,240 capturing lands beyond Sindhu. After being crowned as a king of 328 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:41,560 Tutsu Bharata lineage, King Sudhas wanted to consolidate his 329 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:45,400 territory which originally started near Saraswati 330 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:50,480 Rishtavati rivers to control the geographical landmasses, rivers, 331 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:55,000 cattle and thriving economy of Sapta, Sindhu and Ganga Yamuna 332 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:58,000 Dwab region. He may have extended his 333 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:03,560 territories towards West near the rivers Ripas and Sutudri and 334 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:08,680 later further to the northwest in and around river Sindhu and 335 00:23:08,680 --> 00:23:12,120 then turned east towards Kikatas or Magadha. 336 00:23:12,360 --> 00:23:16,880 These conquest were achieved under the priesthood of Vishwa 337 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:20,520 Mitra Gathin. Later, when Vasishta 338 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:24,840 Maitravaruni took over the mantle of priesthood, King Sudha 339 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:30,000 started expanding his control first towards the east near the 340 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:35,040 river Yamuna and then towards the West near river Parushani. 341 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:40,320 These expeditions LED into a deadly war called the Saragya 342 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:43,960 Yudh. As mentioned in Rigveda, the 343 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:48,080 Dasaraghya was just not a war or a battle which might have taken 344 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,680 place one fine day. Rather it was built upon a 345 00:23:51,680 --> 00:23:55,520 series of interconnected events that finally led to this war. 346 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:59,640 This change of events took place throughout Sudars reign. 347 00:24:00,360 --> 00:24:03,800 The initial conquest under the priesthood of Vishwa Mitra 348 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:10,160 Gathin may be precursor to main Dasaraghya war later when king 349 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:14,080 fought Dasaraghya youth under the priesthood of Vasishta 350 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:17,600 Mitravaruni. The chain of events tied to each 351 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:21,600 other changed the dynamics of the land and interrelationships 352 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:26,000 between the various clans and tribes which led to this Great 353 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:28,800 War. Perhaps it was the forgotten 354 00:24:28,840 --> 00:24:34,480 epic that was never told and never immortalized as our other 355 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:38,600 popular Itihasas like Ramayan or Mahabharat. 356 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:43,800 Early on his career as a ruler of Tritsubharatha clan, King 357 00:24:43,800 --> 00:24:48,040 Sudhas started his conquest under priesthood of Vishwa Mitra 358 00:24:48,040 --> 00:24:50,920 Gathin. The sage helped him to conquer 359 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:55,520 lands beyond rivers Sutudri and Vipassa and later Sindhu. 360 00:24:55,680 --> 00:24:58,600 Sudhas had also briefed strife with Kakatas. 361 00:24:58,840 --> 00:25:02,640 All these events are recorded in Mandala Third of Rigveda. 362 00:25:03,280 --> 00:25:07,360 The evidential proof of this can be deduced from the fact that 363 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:12,000 Vishwamitra Gathin is credited as the chief composer of Mandala 364 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:16,800 Third Suktas. As per Mandala 3rd Hymn 33 Slok 365 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:21,400 11, sage Vishwamitra Gathin crossed the river Sindhu along 366 00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:26,600 with his clan of Kusikas and compose these hymns in praise of 367 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:31,120 rivers Vipas and Sutodhri to allow passage for his people, 368 00:25:31,120 --> 00:25:36,000 the Bharatas. Later in Mandala 3rd hymn 53 369 00:25:36,120 --> 00:25:41,080 Slok 11 and 12, once again Vishwamitra Gathin becomes the 370 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:44,680 royal priest of Titsubharatta king Sudhas. 371 00:25:44,840 --> 00:25:49,840 He emboldens the king to perform an Ashwameda Yagya and challenge 372 00:25:49,840 --> 00:25:54,040 the kings nearby to accept him as their emperor and pay their 373 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:57,520 homage to him. However, Sudhas ambition 374 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:01,840 heightened and manifold. He wanted to control beyond the 375 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:05,320 river. Sindhu must have ruffled the 376 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:08,280 feathers of the neighboring kingdoms and clans. 377 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:12,280 Sudhas had gained a lot of territories near Vipas and 378 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:15,960 Sutudhri rivers. However, Rigved does not provide 379 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:20,080 much details on these conquests. Although we don't find any 380 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:25,000 reference to Sudhas conquest in Vipas and Sutudhri in Foranikas, 381 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:28,840 we can speculate that while returning from the conquest on 382 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:33,840 the banks of Vipas and Sutudhri, Sudhas and his army have faced 383 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:38,120 Kikatas and their king named Pramagandha in the eastern 384 00:26:38,120 --> 00:26:40,240 theatre. Many scholars think that 385 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:43,760 Pramagandha is the name of the king who was connected to 386 00:26:43,760 --> 00:26:48,280 ancient Bihar which was called Magadha which was also known as 387 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:51,800 Kikatas. As 2 words have been synonyms in 388 00:26:51,800 --> 00:26:54,960 the letter text. The important take away is that 389 00:26:54,960 --> 00:27:00,040 this conflict although not very elaborated in Rig VED but can be 390 00:27:00,040 --> 00:27:04,160 thought as one of the precursors to Dasaragya war under 391 00:27:04,160 --> 00:27:06,960 priesthood of Vishwamitra Gathin. 392 00:27:07,120 --> 00:27:11,640 Sudhas's hunger to conquer lands in all directions might have 393 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:16,600 originated from this conflict. After his conquest with Kikatas, 394 00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:21,480 he might have moved back to his capital Achichatra along with 395 00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:24,880 his army. Perhaps this was the time when 396 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:29,040 he and his army recuperated from the long wars and their 397 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:31,840 travelled through the demanding topographies. 398 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:35,680 After reaching his capital, he might have replenished his 399 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:41,240 weapons, armor and facilities. This school of period might have 400 00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:45,800 lasted for several years. During this period, perhaps 401 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:49,520 Sudhas thought of appointing Vashishta Maitra Varuni as the 402 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:52,680 head priest instead of Vishwamitra Gathin. 403 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:57,800 Rick Bed does not tell us the real reason for his change of 404 00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:00,880 priest. Reasons remain unknown and open 405 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:04,600 to various speculations. Vashishta Maitra Varoni has been 406 00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:08,560 credited with composing hymns in Mandala 7th. 407 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:12,720 These hymns in Mandala 7 beautifully described the 408 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:16,520 Dasaraghya war. Although the sage has praised 409 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:20,320 Indra and thanked him for aiding Sudas in the war, The hymns 410 00:28:20,320 --> 00:28:24,920 described the confederation of more than 10 kings against whom 411 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:28,280 the Tutsu Bharata king Sudas waged the war. 412 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:33,760 As the name states, the Saraghya youth literally means war of 10 413 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:36,520 kings. These hymns can be considered to 414 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:40,080 the level of an epic. Perhaps this was the Great War 415 00:28:40,080 --> 00:28:44,880 sandwiched between 2 greatest etihasas of India, the period of 416 00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:49,160 Ramayan when Ram Chandra Dasharathi battled the great 417 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:54,920 Asura emperor Dasagriva Ravana and the Great War of Mahabharat 418 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:59,320 in which Pandavas for their cousins, Koravas for the throne 419 00:28:59,320 --> 00:29:02,560 of Hastinapur. Perhaps this was an epic in 420 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:07,480 making a story of ambition, grit and determination, a story of 421 00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:12,600 struggle and determined war against a huge army, a story of 422 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:16,640 living one's dream, a story that shaped Bharat Varsha. 423 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:21,760 Perhaps we can tell Dasaragya as the second epic after the great 424 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:25,440 Ramayan. This was Dasaragya Yudh or the 425 00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:30,960 War of 10 Kings for hymns. It seems that king Sudhas fought 426 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:35,240 the the Saragya youth in two different theaters with two 427 00:29:35,240 --> 00:29:38,800 different set of opponents. First war was smaller in 428 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:43,240 magnitude on the banks of river Yamuna and then followed by the 429 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:47,440 main war of the Saragya which was fought on the banks of river 430 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:50,040 Parusuni. Thus, this evidence recorded in 431 00:29:50,040 --> 00:29:54,720 Rig Veda also confirmed that somehow for unknown reasons, the 432 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:59,320 priesthood of Bharatha clan was handed over to Vashta Maitra 433 00:29:59,320 --> 00:30:03,600 Varuni from Vishwamitra Gathin by King Sudas. 434 00:30:04,960 --> 00:30:07,640 That's it. My friends, these three accounts 435 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:12,200 confirmed the long history of antipathy between Vashtas and 436 00:30:12,200 --> 00:30:14,920 Vishwamitras over the ages and errors. 437 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:19,040 In my next episode, I will narrate the story of Asian 438 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:23,760 Bucker which could not be understood without understanding 439 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:27,600 the bases of enmity between these two lineages of sages. 440 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:31,680 Please leave a review, comment, like, share and subscribe to my 441 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:34,880 channel. Also, don't forget to write to 442 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:39,640 me at argirthings@gmail.com and visit my website 443 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:47,960 https://www.storiesfromupanishadsandpurans.com until then. 444 00:31:02,720 --> 00:31:06,000 Stories from Upanishad and Purans are available both as 445 00:31:06,000 --> 00:31:09,520 video and audio podcast formats on various platforms. 446 00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:12,560 The video format is only available on YouTube. 447 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:17,120 In my channel Stories from Upanishad and Purans, you can 448 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:21,840 listen to the audio podcast in almost all popular podcast 449 00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:24,200 platform. I'll put in the links to the 450 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:26,920 various platforms in the show notes below.