The powerful warrior tribes of the Paplavas, Sakas, and Yavanas—created by the divine cow, Sabala—were struck down by the formidable might of King Visvamitra. With unparalleled strength, he overcame these celestial warriors. But, not yet sated, he gave leave to Sabala to create new forces of even greater prowess.
Sabala then let out a thunderous bellow, summoning a host of warriors with extraordinary strength and skill: the Paplavas, Sakas, Yavanas, Mlechas, Hareethas, and Kirathas. Armed and fierce, they charged towards King Visvamitra and his soldiers. In support of this army, Sabala called forth the mighty Kambojas, archers whose arrows would never miss their mark. These newly summoned forces surged, wrecking chariots, felling horses and elephants, and striking down a great number of the king’s men. In retaliation, the king’s hundred sons, armed to the hilt, leapt forward, intent on seizing Sage Vasista. But the sage, enraged by their audacity, reduced them to ashes with a single curse. Only one son survived, and with nearly his entire army vanquished, the king was plunged into despair, his spirit like that of a serpent deprived of its fangs, or an eclipsed sun, or a bird bereft of wings. His courage sapped, he called upon his remaining son and urged him to rule the kingdom with virtue and compassion, to honour the path of his ancestors. With a heavy heart and a mind weighed down by sorrow, the king departed for the Himalayas to undertake a profound penance.
In the sacred heart of the mountains, he was aided by celestial beings drawn to the purity of the place. His intense meditation won the favour of Lord Shiva, who appeared before him and, recognizing his dedication, offered him a boon. The king, filled with reverence, praised Shiva’s divine power, imploring for the knowledge of Dhanurveda, the ancient science of weaponry and warfare, with all its hidden arts. Lord Shiva granted his wish, bestowing upon him mastery over all weapons, making him invincible. With this divine empowerment, the king returned, fully armed, to confront Vasista. In a fit of fury, he destroyed the sage’s hermitage, ravaged the sacred forest, and desecrated the yajna Vedika, terrifying the sages and inhabitants.
Vasista, deeply hurt by this desecration, unleashed his wrath upon Visvamitra. He raised his powerful Brahma Danda, a divine staff blazing like fire, casting fear into all who beheld it. Thus, a tremendous battle erupted between the two, shaking the realms with its fury. To counter Vasista, Visvamitra employed the Agneyastra, but it was absorbed by the Brahma Danda. Spurred on by his desire to prevail, Visvamitra then unleashed an arsenal of powerful weapons—Manava, Mohana, Gandharva, Swapana, Jrumbhana, and many more, each of terrifying and unparalleled potency. Yet every weapon was consumed by the relentless power of the Brahma Danda.
Seeing the destruction spread across the cosmos, the gods, sages, and even Indra descended, pleading with Vasista to restrain his wrath for the sake of creation. At their request, Vasista calmed himself. Observing the immense growth in Visvamitra’s powers, the sages acknowledged that he was worthy of the title Rajarshi, though still beneath that of a Brahmarshi. Driven by his ambition, Visvamitra resolved to achieve the status of Brahmarshi, setting out once more to the Himalayas, accompanied by his first wife. There, through self-restraint and fervent dedication, he fathered four noble sons—Havishyanth, Madhunyanda, Drudha Nethra, and Maharadha—and undertook a greater penance in pursuit of the exalted Brahmarshi status.
During this time, an illustrious Ikshvaku king, renowned for his compassion and many yajnas, sought to ascend to heaven in his mortal form. Placing his hopes in Sage Vasista, the family’s chief priest, the king appealed for guidance, but Vasista advised him against such an unnatural pursuit. Undeterred, the king turned to Vasista’s hundred sons, who were accomplished sages themselves, with seven among them having achieved the rank of Brahmarshi—Chitraketu, Purosi, Viraka, Mithra, Ulbana, Vasubhadhra, and Dhumatha. He implored them, saying, “Your father, Sage Vasista, refused me. Yet your family, being our purohits, holds the divine power to fulfill my ambition. With such unparalleled knowledge, why must I seek another to achieve my purpose?”
“O Rama,” said Sage Satananda, “this singular ambition of the king would set a new chapter in the ancient lore, in the legends of our revered sages.” And with this, he returned to the sanctity of his rituals, pondering the tides of destiny that this ambition would unfurl.