Indian culture and philosophy have gained respect and their own special status in the world due to the universal truths and practices explained in them. The Rishis who lived in their secluded ashrams and in the forests were spiritual scientists. Through extensive meditation – tapas, they were able to seek out scientific truths within themselves. Truths about life, relationships, physical body, medicine, mathematics, various types of sciences, astrology, astronomy, surgery, plant and animal life, music, dance and drama, sex life, politics, Divinity and Light were discovered by them when they sat in tapas. Though they lived as ascetics and were detached from society, they were able to understand the lives of normal people, their social situations, the problems of day to day life and were able to give them excellent solutions. Truths of life, dharma or righteousness were revealed to them in meditation and from these they framed the Vedas – the sacred texts of wisdom. Emperors and Kings used to consult them for problems of state, warfare, welfare of subjects and personal problems.
Vishwamitra is one of the great tapasvis (the ones who do tapas) of India. He was an excellent king, scholar and religious. He was also excellent in warfare. He has mastery over mantra – spells- which made his weapons invincible. Such weapons were called astras. Once, he undertook a very successful military campaign whereby he expanded his kingdom enormously. On his way back, he stopped at the ashram of Sage Vashista. The Sage glowed with the power of tapas and his ashram was peaceful. The Sage offered the King unmatched hospitality which was possible due to the powers of the divine cow Nandini. Vishwamitra wanted the cow and tried to take her by force. Nandini produced a great army from her body and destroyed the great armies of Vishwamitra. Vishwamitra did intense tapas and pleased Lord Shiva and received a large number of astras for fighting. But he had not overcome his ego and pride and hence he misused the divine blessings. He went straight to the ashram of Sage Vashista and attacked him with a powerful astra. Astras have divine intelligence and the astra went around Sage Vashista in reverence and fell down useless. Sage Vashista made a prayer for protection and planted his staff or danda in front of him. This danda absorbed the power of all astras aimed at the ashram and Sage Vashista. Vishwamitra was defeated and put to great shame. He was convinced of the power of tapas and was determined to do sufficient tapas and be equal to Vasishta.
The tapas performed by Vishwamitra was very long and difficult. Lord Brahma was pleased with him and give him the title of Rajarishi. But Vishwamitra wanted to be Brahmarishi like Vashista. So he continued his tapas again for many more thousands of years. In the meantime, a King named Trishanku went to Sage Vashista and asked for help to go heaven with his physical body. He refused to help the King. So the King went to Vishwamitra. The ego, pride and need for vengeance rose sharply in Vishwamitra and he gave his word to help the King. When the Gods would not permit Trishanku to enter heaven with his body and pushed him out, he stopped Trishanku in the space and held him suspended with his power of tapas. He then began creating a new galaxy in order to fulfil his word to Trishanku. Vishwamitra’s power of tapas was indeed powerful.
The Guru of Gods – Brishaspati requested Vishmamitra to stop the work of creating a new universe. As Vishwamitra obeyed him at once, the Guru named him Vishwamitra. Vishwamitra means ‘ friend to the world’. There was a transformation in Vishwamitra and he really became a friend to mankind and all living beings. But he had not mastered the vices of ego, lust, pride and need for vengeance. So he performed many acts by which he lost a great deal of his tapas powers. He finally reached the stage where he let go his ego and was wholly enlightened and Sage Vashista himself gave him the title of Brahmarishi. After that, every breath of his body was dedicated to welfare of universe. He gave the world the gift of the great Gayatri mantra. He offered divine astras to Sri Rama and Laxman and took Sri Rama to Mithila where he married Sita Devi. He truly became a friend to the Universe – Vishwamitra and that was possible only though his tapas! The Guru teaches us tapas through the SitaRam Mantra and Meditation. Let us do intense tapas and through the SitaRam Naam achieve grace and light of God.
