Chitraratha spoke of the hidden thread that bound Tapati to the noble house of Bharata. Tapati, radiant daughter of the Sun and sister of the chaste Savitri, shone with beauty, youth, and eyes like smoldering flame. Surya, beholding her virtues and grace, resolved to give this jewel of his heart to a worthy soul—a king of spotless conduct, a scion of the Bharata race, the son of Ajameela.
One day, Prince Samvarana, while hunting in the depths of the forest, lost his steed and, wearied by hunger and thirst, climbed a rugged hill. Amid the hush of trees and the fragrance of flowering creepers he beheld a maiden of surpassing loveliness. Her face glowed with the soft brilliance of dawn; her hair streamed like drifting clouds; her lotus-like eyes played with a secret light; her form, delicate as a creeper in bloom, seemed wrought by Brahma’s own hand. Samvarana’s heart trembled—surely the Goddess of Wealth had descended upon the mountains; surely a tender ray of the Sun had taken human form. Entranced, he cried, “O maiden, who art thou, that movest alone among beasts and fierce birds in these perilous wilds?” But before his words could find their echo, she vanished like a dream, leaving the prince bereft, as though some priceless treasure had slipped from his grasp.
Yet Tapati too had felt the silent power of his presence. Soon she appeared once more and said, “O prince, though fearless among men, thou hast tasted the only fear worth knowing—the fear of losing love. I am the sister of Savitri, the daughter of the Sun, and I cannot wed without my father’s blessing. If thou desirest me as thy life’s companion, win his grace with prayer and austerity.” Having spoken, she returned to her celestial abode.
Samvarana entered deep meditation, seeking the favour of the Sun. On the twelfth day, the sage Vasiṣṭha, peerless in wisdom and lustre, beheld by divine sight the prince’s heart locked in love. Moved by the purity of his yearning, the sage approached Surya, hymning him with Vedic praise. The Sun, honoured as a guest, asked his purpose. Vasiṣṭha answered, “Great lord, a prince of the Puru line, famed for virtue and steadfast in dharma, seeks the hand of thy daughter Tapati. It is the sacred duty of a father to bestow his child upon one so worthy.”
Surya, pleased, consented. Tapati was given in marriage, escorted by a company of holy seers, and Vasiṣṭha, swifter than the Sun’s own rays, brought her to Samvarana. The prince and his radiant bride dwelt for a time in the forest’s pure embrace, lost in each other, until the earth herself grew parched. Vasiṣṭha performed the rites of peace and fertility, recalled the king to his royal seat at Hastinapura, and the rains returned with abundance. From their union was born Puru, from whom the noble line of the Bharatas takes its name.
Then Arjuna said to Chitraratha, “Tell us more of the greatness of Vasiṣṭha, first and foremost among the ancient preceptors, under whose holy feet desire and wrath are subdued.” The celestial musician smiled and spoke of the sage whose patience outshone the brilliance of Brahma. Though Vishvamitra once slew his hundred sons, Vasiṣṭha bowed to the law of Yama and bore his grief without bitterness. Such greatness, he said, not even thousand-headed Ananta could adequately praise.
He told how, in ages past, King Vishvamitra of Kanyakubja, while hunting with a vast retinue, came wearied to Vasiṣṭha’s hermitage. The sage welcomed him and, by command to his divine cow Nandini, furnished a feast fit for kings. Vishvamitra marvelled and offered a hundred thousand cows and broad lands in exchange. But Vasiṣṭha replied, “O king, this cow is no wealth to barter. By her grace, I honour my ancestors and feed all who come. Why should sages crave possessions?”
Vishvamitra, scorning refusal, sought to seize Nandini by force. His soldiers tormented the sacred cow, who turned to her master in anguish. Vasiṣṭha, silent, allowed her to act. Invoking her hidden power, Nandini poured forth hosts of celestial warriors—Sabara’s and Yavanas, Sakas and Pundras, Pulindas, Dravidas, Sinhalas, Daradas, Barbaras—who routed the king’s army.
Humbled, Vishvamitra saw the might of penance exceed the might of kings. He renounced his throne and sought the path of austerity. Through long discipline, he rose to the rank of Brahmarshi, his glory beyond compare. Thus, Chitraratha revealed the lineage of wisdom and the triumph of spiritual power over the pride of earthly rule.
