Stories From The Bhagawatham - The Quest To Become A Brahmarishi - Part 2

 

In the solar dynasty was born a king named Trishanku.

He was taken over by a bizarre desire – to reach the heavens alive. This desire made him lose his peace of mind, forcing him to seek its fulfilment.

He approached Rishi Vashishta and informed him of his desire. The sage was aghast.

“This is something that has never happened in the history of mortals.” The sage said firmly. “I cannot help you in this. For your own good, I forbid you to pursue this madness of yours.”

The disappointed king left his kingdom in search of someone who could help him reach the heavens. He came across the sons of Rishi Vashishta and requested them for their assistance.

The sons of the sage were highly acclaimed sages themselves. They were angered by the king’s request. “Our father, who is your kula-guru, has himself refused to grant this favor and yet you had the courage to go behind his back and seek us to do something that our father is against! You are a Guru-drohi. We won’t help you.”

King Trishanku was beside grief now. in a pathetic state, he wondered here and there until he saw Rajarshi Kaushika meditating in a forest. He decided to try his luck with this highly-feared sage and waited patiently for the sage’s meditation to end.

Rajarshi Kaushika felt someone’s presence before him and he opened his eyes. Trishanku stood before him, looking very tired and defeated.

Kaushika received the king warmly and asked him what was troubling him. The king laid out his desire before the sage who listened to him patiently.

“If Vashishta himself has declined this, then I will attempt this feat.” Kaushika thought and assured the king that he would help him achieve his desire.

Kaushika sent out his students to invite all sages for performing a grand yajna through which he would be invoking the Devas and ask them to help Trishanku reach heaven in his mortal state. Although what the sage had proposed was hither-to unthinkable and an impossible feat, the other sages were well-aware of Kaushika’s yogic prowess and feared to refuse him. All the sages agreed except for Rishi Vashishta.

On the day of the yajna, Kaushika chanted mantras with an unparalleled intensity to invoke the Devas. To his disappointment, none of the Devas came to help him. The ever-present anger rose within the sage’s chest but this time he fueled his anger to suit his purpose.

“Very well, the Devas aren’t coming to help. I will now attempt to send Trishanku to heaven all by myself. If I have gained even a slight amount of powers through my Tapas, may they help me here. Arise Trishanku!” Rajarshi Kaushika shouted, investing all of his powers in the command.

To the disbelief and amazement of all who had assembled there, King Trishanku bodily rose in the air. With folded hands and in ecstasy, he began his journey upwards in the sky and very soon he was lost among the clouds.

Indra who was watching this was disturbed to see a mortal gaining access to his kingdom. He pushed Trishanku back to the earth.

Kaushika heard Trishanku cry out in fear, “Help, Rajarshi! I have been thrown down!”

“Trishanku, stay where you are!” Kaushika commanded, and there was so much power in that command that Trishanku lay suspended in the air between the earth and Indra’s heaven.

Rajarshi Kaushik proclaimed, “Listen Devas, since you didn’t help the king to reach heaven and you thwarted my attempt to send him there, I will now create a heaven where Trishanku will be Indra.” True to his word, the Rajarshi created another world between the earth and Swargalok, complete with stars, solar systems and heavenly mansions equaling that of Indra’s.

The heavens trembled and there was absolute chaos and pandemonium in the universe. The Devas hurriedly appeared before Kaushika.

“Oh Rajarshi, we cannot allow any mortal to reach the heavens alive. This wasn’t done with the intention of going against you.” They pleaded to the sage.

Kaushika said, “I cannot step back from the promise I made to Trishanku. All I can say is, let him stay in the heaven I created for him. This way, you Devas will enjoy your heaven and the poor king will enjoy his own.”

The relieved Devas agreed and took leave of the Rajarshi peacefully.

Trishanku was overjoyed to get his own heaven where he was Indra.

All was well, except that, Rajarshi Kaushika had used all the merits he had gained through his tapas in this feat, and there came another setback in his journey to becoming a Brahmarishi.

In the next and concluding part, we will read about celestial Apsaras disrupting the Rajarshi’s Tapas and whether, in the end, he managed to achieve what he had aspired for, or not.

Click Here To Read Part 3