Sri Rama hearing about the lineage of sage Vishwamitra at Girivraja

Girivraja: Sri Rama hearing about the lineage of Vishwamitra:

(Valmiki Ramayana - Bala Kanda - 31 to 34)

Sri Rama with Vishwamitra

• Meditation: I meditate on Sri Rama camping on the bank of river Shona at Girivraja and hearing about the lineage of sage Vishwamitra.

• Sage Vishwamitra leaving Siddhashrama: After the yagna of sage Vishwamitra was accomplished, he decided to leave Siddhashrama forever and go to the Himalayas on the northern bank of river Ganga (where his main hermitage was there).

• Sri Rama starting for Mithila: The sages told Sri Rama to join them in their journey to Mithila to see a mighty bow of king Janaka. The sages said that king Janaka obtained that bow from his forefathers, who in turn got it through the performance of a Vedic ritual. The bow is so powerful that it cannot be lifted by anyone - devas, gandharvas, asuras or human beings. King Janaka is performing a Vedic ritual and the bow is being worshipped there. Sage Vishwamitra bade farewell to the forest deities and the animals and birds who followed them. The sages started their journey with hundred carts.

• Sri Rama camping on the bank of river Shona: When the sun was setting in the west, they came to the bank of River Shona and camped there. The sages took bath and kindled the oblation fire. Then Sri Rama and others sat around sage Vishwamitra. Sri Rama enquired about that place which had such charming woodlands.

• Sage Vishwamitra telling about Girivraja: Sage Vishwamitra then narrated the story of Kusha which is related to the history of that place. Kusha was a sage-like person possessing ascesis of high order. He had four sons named Kushambha, Kushanabha, Asurtarajasa and Vasu. Kusha instructed his sons to uphold the dharma of the kshatriyas and establish their rulership. The four sons built four cities. Kushambha built the city called Mahodaya, Asurtarajasa built the city called Dharmaranya and Vasu built the city called Girivraja. The place where they are camping is the land of king Vasu which is surrounded by five mountains. River Magadhi flows through that place and makes it rich in farmlands.

• Sage Vishwamitra telling about daughters of Kushanabha: King Kushanabha had a hundred daughters through a celestial named Ghritachi. They were very beautiful. One day when they were singing, dancing and playing musical instruments in the garden, the Wind god was attracted towards them. He proposed them to become his wife. When the girls refused saying that they cannot do anything without the consent of their father, the Wind god became angry, entered their limbs and disfigured them. The girls repeated this to their father. The king became sad but praised the daughters for the quality of forgiveness.

• Sage Vishwamitra telling about Brahmadatta: Sage Vishwamitra then narrated the story of Brahmadatta who restored the beauty of the girls. A great sage named Chuli was performing asceticism. He was served by a gandharva female named Somada who was the daughter of Urmila. Chuli became pleased with her service and wanted to fulfil any wish she had. Somada asked for a son of great asceticism. However since she was not married, she requested Chuli to bestow a son through his ascetic power. Sage Chuli bestowed her with a great son who became renowned as Brahmadatta. King Brahmadatta ruled the city named Kampilya. King Kushanabha married her hundred daughters to Brahmadatta. During marriage, as king Brahmadatta took the palm of each daughter, they were healed of their disfigurement and attained their former beauty.

• Sage Vishwamitra telling about Gadhi and himself: When king Brahmadatta left after marriage, king Kushanabha performed a Vedic ritual to beget a son named Gadhi who will achieve great renown. Sage Vishwamitra said that he is the son of Gadhi. Also, since he is born in the dynasty of Kusha, he is known as Kaushiki. Sage Vishwamitra then told about his elder sister named Satyavati who undertook great vows. Satyavati was married to sage Ruchika. After her husband departed, she went to heaven with her body. Then, for the welfare of human beings she flowed down as river Kaushiki in the Himalayan region. Sage Vishwamitra told that he was residing in the Himalayas on the bank of river Kaushiki (his sister). Only for a short period he stayed at Siddhashrama to undertake a yagna. Now that his yagna is accomplished he is returning to his hermitage in the Himalayas.
(Kusha → Kushanabha → Gadhi → Vishwamitra)

Rajgir, Nalanda district, Bihar

- Rajgir (Girivraja) (Nalanda district, Bihar)

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