SAGE VISHWAMITRA

Sage Vishwamitra was not a sage from always. He was a valiant king. Once he paid a visit to Sage Vashishtha’s hermitage. Sage Vashishtha welcomed the king with a grand lunch and great decorum. King Vishwamitra wondered how a sage had so much wealth. When he learnt that a divine cow named Kamadhenu was the source of wealth, he asked the sage to sell him the cow. The sage refused to give him the cow. This ensued a fierce battle between the two. All of king Vishwamitra’s attacks were foiled by the spiritual powers and divine grace up his kingdom and handed it over to his son. Then he went to meditate in the jungle to attain spiritual powers. 

After many years of meditation, he was blessed with great spiritual powers by the Gods. However, it was Sage Vashishtha who first declared him as a Brahmarishi. Since then, Sage Vashishtha and Sage Vishwamitra respected each other’s learning and powers.