| Sages,Rushis & Saints |
 |
| Biographies of Great Indians & Hindus |
VISHWAMITRA |
|
| Defeated
Again Now Vishwamitra was highly pleased with his own power. "Vashishta destroyed my army and my sons. Now I will go to him and teach him a good lesson," he thought. He rushed upon the hermitage of Vashishta like a tempest. At that moment Vashishta was immersed in prayer. Other sages were sitting around him performing rites and chanting mantras. Enraged beyond limits, Vishwamitra rushed against Vashishta with the utmost confidence in his own victory. He launched many arrows from his bow. Other sages saw this sudden danger and ran away halter-shelter shrieking loudly. By this noise Vashishta was disturbed out of his prayer. He opened his eyes. Before him stood king Vishwamitra with a deadly weapon ready to strike. Other sages and young disciples were running about in great excitement and fear. Some had been injured and blood was gushing out of the wounds. Vashishta called at once to all of them to cast away their fear. He took out the Yoga-danda on which he had been resting his arm and planted it in front. Vishwamitra went on shooting arrows and throwing weapons. But to his utter despair, every arrow and each weapon would come up to the Yoga-danda and would be swallowed by it. He did not know what to do. All the magical arrows and weapons he had obtained as a result of his penance for years had become useless before the power of this sage! He sat there with his head hung in great shame. In the meanwhile all the inmates of the hermitage returned and praised Vashishta for his prowess. In his utter desperation Vishwamitra sighed and said, "Dhig--balam Kshatriya-balam, Bramha-tejo-balam balam." It means, "Power of arms is worse than useless, before the power of Brahmatejas (divine power bestowed by Brahma on those performing intense penance) which is the only power worth possessing," |
|
