32 Facts About Vishvamitra

Vishvamitra is one of the most venerated rishis or sages of ancient India.

Vishvamitra is supposed to have been the first, and Yajnavalkya the last.

Vishvamitra was the purohita of the Bharata tribal king Sudas, until he was replaced by Vasistha.

Vishvamitra aided the Bharatas in crossing the Vipasa and Sutudri rivers.

Vishvamitra was a king in ancient India, called Kaushika and belonged to Amavasu Dynasty.

Vishvamitra was originally the King of Kanyakubja.

Vishvamitra was a valiant warrior and the great-grandson of a great king named Kusha.

Vishvamitra ruled the earth and this great-resplendent king ruled the kingdom for many thousands of years.

Vishvamitra gave Satyavati's mother another charu to make her conceive a son with the character of a Kshatriya at her request.

Vishvamitra asked Vasistha to hand her over but Vasistha refused to do so saying she actually belongs to Devas and not him.

Vishvamitra asked Vamdeva how Vasistha could defeat him all alone.

In one encounter, Vishvamitra cursed the king Harishchandra to become a pauper.

Vishvamitra then undertakes a tapasya for several years to please Shiva, who bestows upon him the knowledge of celestial weaponry.

Vishvamitra proudly goes to Vasistha's ashram again and uses all kinds of powerful weapons to destroy Vashista and his hermitage.

Vishvamitra succeeded in the killings of Vashista's thousand sons but not Vashista himself.

Indra, frightened by Vishvamitra's powers, sent Menaka from heaven to earth to lure him and break his meditation.

However, later, Vishvamitra merely cursed Menaka to be separated from him forever, for he loved her as well and knew that she had lost all devious intentions towards him long ago.

Vishvamitra ceases to eat and reduces his breathing to a bare minimum.

Vishvamitra is tested again by Indra, who comes as a poor Brahmin begging for food just as Kaushika is ready to break a fast of many years by eating some rice.

When Vishvamitra turned back to leave, Vashishta realised a change of heart and proceeded to greet Vishvamitra.

Vishvamitra is embraced by Vashista and their enmity is instantly ended.

Vishvamitra organized a great sacrifice and ritual propitiating the Devas, pleading that they accept Trisanku into heaven.

Angered, Vishvamitra used his yogic powers and ordered Trisanku to rise to heaven.

Vishvamitra had only completed the Universe when Brihaspati ordered him to stop.

Vishvamitra remained fixed and upside-down in the sky and was transformed into a constellation, which is known as Crux.

Therefore, after the Trisanku episode, Vishvamitra had to start his prayers again to attain the status of a Brahmarshi and become an equal of Vashista.

When Vishvamitra was Prince of Bharats - and his name was Vishwarath then, he was abducted by the enemy king Shambar.

Vishvamitra gives them the knowledge of the Devastras or celestial weaponry [bala and ati bala], trains them in advanced religion and guides them to kill powerful demons like Tadaka, Maricha and Subahu.

Vishvamitra leads them to the Swayamvara ceremony for princess Sita, who becomes wife of Rama.

Vishvamitra was the mother of Bharata, who became a powerful emperor as well as an ancestor of Kuru kings.

Vishvamitra is one of the eight main gotras of Brahmins.

All Brahmins belonging to Kaushika or Vishvamitra gotra are believed to have descended from Sage Vishvamitra.