Vishwamitra: The King and the Ascetic
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| Vishwamitra and young Rama (Gemini AI) |
“O Rama, I shall teach you Bala and Atibala,
the two secret mantras, which are the mother of all knowledge. By chanting
them, you will never suffer from fatigue, hunger, thirst, or disease. You will
shine among all beings, your intellect will be unmatched, and your strength
will be extraordinary.”
Rama was barely an adolescent when
Sage Vishwamitra took him away from the comforts of the palace to the hardships
of the forest. Dasharatha wasn’t quite happy to send his young son with the
sage. How can a tender boy protect a mighty sage from rakshasas as powerful as
Tataka and Subahu? Dasharatha is ready to send his entire army instead. He
offers himself then.
Vishwamitra reminds Dasharatha of his
raja-dharma of upholding righteousness, even above personal emotions. If a sage
asks for help, the king must honour the request. “Rama is no ordinary human
child,” Vishwamitra tells Dasharatha. “He is born for a higher purpose.” When
Vasistha, the royal priest and spiritual advisor, intervenes in support of
Vishwamitra, Dasharatha is helpless. Rama is taken away.
Spiritual control must regulate
physical force or any other power. That is one of the first lessons that
Vishwamitra imparts to young Rama. The mantras of Bala and Atibala are about
resilience on the face of fatigue, hunger, thirst, and illness. These mantras
symbolise the mastery over body and mind, which is necessary before handling
power responsibly. Rama was made a yogi, in short, before being elevated as a
warrior. A warrior without discipline may be a mere killer.
Dharma is contextual, not a rigid
code. Vishwamitra teaches this to Rama when he hesitates to kill Tataka, the
terrorising demoness, because she is a woman. Protection of the kingdom and the
righteous is more dharmic than not killing a terrorist who happens to be a
woman. The true warrior must know why he is fighting, not just how
to fight. Anyone with the required knowledge and skill can use a weapon, but
knowing why he is using it is more important.
Vishwamitra teaches Rama that
renunciation and action can coexist. After all, Vishwamitra was a king before
he became a sage. He learnt it the hard way that spiritual power surpasses
royal might. He is a sage who is also engaged with the world. Unlike most other
sages, Vishwamitra refuses to renounce the world and action. A king can be
spiritual, in his vision. A sage can be a warrior. Vishwamitra is an ideal
synthesis of the king and the ascetic.
Renunciation is an internal virtue.
You may leave the palace and live in a forest, but if your heart is attached to
royal delights then you are no ascetic. On the other hand, you may live in the
luxury of the palace, but you can be an ascetic if your heart lies in the
heavenly realms of divine virtues.
Tomorrow: War: the end
of human imagination
Previous Posts in this series:
Your topic is retelling of the Ramayana but your posts are certainly food for thought for us in this yug and generation. Always look forward to your next post. Mayuri
ReplyDeleteGlad you keep coming back, Mayuri. I'm a learner of the epic.
DeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteA worthy encapsultion of the concept. We are all spiritual beings (regardless our beliefs) and finding the balance between action and our innate essence is a crucial part of being human. YAM xx
Perhaps the problem with our world is that spirituality is understood as mere rituals or even power politics. The innate essence is no one's concern, apparently.
Delete"The true warrior must know why he is fighting, not just how to fight. Anyone with the required knowledge and skill can use a weapon, but knowing why he is using it is more important." This is so important in today's day and age when the people are trigger happy and baying for blood.
ReplyDeletePrecisely. There's so much hatred today all around. That too in the name of gods! If only these devotees understood the basic meaning of religion.
DeleteThat's nice brief about Vishwamitra. I agree that being warrior also means doing his duties responsibly.
ReplyDeleteTo be Responsible is a rare gift.
DeleteAh, an important lesson. Spirit of the law is more important than then letter of the law sometimes. What was meant rather than adhering to what was specifically said.
ReplyDeleteWhat was meant rather than what was said... You put it elegantly.
DeleteYour Post on Renunciation and Action resonates with the Life and Ideals of Pope Francis, the Francis Impact, which will cause ripples around, even after he is buried today. Gandhi became a Vishwa Guru, by shedding his Extra load of suit and boot and shared his upper cloth with the woman, struggling to cover her nakedness. Others, with pretensions to being Vishwaguru, in their suit and boot, costing a crore, does not impact.. No Ripples. Studying for Exam in Principles of Taxation. Still took time...
ReplyDeleteI do hope that this series of mine makes some of our own Viswaguru's chelas open their eyes. I purposely avoided direct references to contemporary politics.
DeleteAll the best for your exams. Thanks for giving me time in between.
Francis left behind just S100, though he was earning per se in lakhs.. It went to the poor.. True to his taken on name, Francis", the Poverello of Assisi.
ReplyDeleteLet's hope at least some world leaders may be inspired by the Pope's example.
DeleteI’ve always admired Vishwamitra as a sage, but I never realized he was once a king who gave it all up for spiritual growth. The way he transformed from a ruler to a revered ascetic shows that true power comes from within, not from titles or thrones. His teachings to young Rama about resilience and discipline are so relevant today. The idea that renunciation is more about inner detachment than physical withdrawal is something I need to reflect on more. It challenges the conventional notion that spirituality requires us to retreat from the world. Vishwamitra's life reminds me that we can be both engaged in the world and spiritually grounded. This post has inspired me to find that balance in my own life. Thank you for sharing such a profound perspective.
ReplyDeleteVishwamitra could be Plato's ideal Philosopher-King.
DeleteRishi Vishwamitra has been a mentor and guide in the epic, and I liked the way you have incorporated his character in your retelling. “Rama is no ordinary human child,” Vishwamitra tells Dasharatha. “He is born for a higher purpose.” This was something poignant to read. - Swarnali Nath
ReplyDeleteOne of the noblest figures in the epic.
DeleteAbsolutely, the whys have to be clear for all of us. Your posts make us pause & ponder about many crucial aspects. Loving this Ramayana Series.
ReplyDeleteGlad you spent much time with me today reading quite a lot of my writing in this series.
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