Doha 229

“King Sahasrabāhu, Indra (the lord of celestials) and King Triśaṅku* (father of Hariścandra)–which of these was not brought into disrepute by the intoxication of kingly power? Bharata has resorted to a ‘right’ expedient; for one should leave no trace of one’s enemy or debt in any case. (1) * Triśaṅku, son of Trayyaruni, was a king of Ayodhyā. He wanted to perform a sacrifice whereby he could bodily ascend to heaven. His priest Vasiṣṭha, however, refused to conduct such a sacrifice, which he said was unauthorized and futile. Vasiṣṭha’s sons too declined on the same grounds. But Triśaṅku turned a deaf ear to their remonstrances. This enraged Vasiṣṭha’s sons, who cursed him that he should fall in the social scale and be accounted a pariah. The king was thus converted into a Cāṇḍāla and was accordingly forsaken by his kinsmen, ministers and subjects too. Much agitated at heart over this, the ex-king now approached sage Viśvāmitra, who comforted him; and asking his sons to invite other sages he conducted the sacrifice. Vasiṣṭha’s sons, however, ruled that at a sacrifice commenced by a pariah and conducted by a non-Brāhmaṇa priest (for such was Viśvāmitra till then) no gods would appear. The gods respected this ruling and accordingly no god appeared to accept the offerings. By dint of his own penance Viśvāmitra sent Triśaṅku to heaven; but the gods hurled him down. Exasperated at this Viśvāmitra proceeded to create another heaven and began to shape new heavenly bodies. The gods were dismayed at this and sought a conference with Viśvāmitra. It was ultimately decided by mutual agreement that Viśvāmitra should abandon his plan to create a new heaven and Triśaṅku should remain hanging in the air. He is still seen in the form of a triple luminary in the heavens. The saliva that dropped from his mouth forms the river Karmanāsā, which flows between Vārāṇasī and Bihar and the water of which is considered as ever polluted. “But he has made one mistake in that he has despised Śrī Rāma (yourself) as forlorn. And he will (bitterly) realize his grievous mistake today when he beholds Śrī Rāma’s (your) indignant face on the battle-field.” (2) Even as he said so, he forgot his love of propriety and the tree of his bellicose spirit burst into flowers in the shape of horripilation. Adoring the Lord’s feet and placing their dust on his head he spoke, revealing his own real and natural might. (3) “Pray, do not take offence, my lord, if I tell you that Bharata has provoked me not a little. After all how long shall I endure this and restrain my passion when my lord (yourself) is with me and the bow is in my hand? (4)

“A Kṣatriya (warrior) by caste and born in the race of Raghus, I am known throughout the world as a follower (servant) of Śrī Rāma (yourself). (How, then, can I put up with such ignominy?) What is so low as the dust on a road? But if you were to kick it up, it would rise to your head.” (229)