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Vasishtha, in Hindu mythology was chief of the seven venerated sages (or Saptarishi) and the Rajaguru of the Suryavamsha or Solar Dynasty. He was the manasaputra of Brahma. He had in his possession the divine cow Kamadhenu, and Nandini her child, who could grant anything to their owners.
Arundhati is the name of the wife of Vasishta. The star Mizar of the stellar constellation Ursa Major is thought of as Vasishta and the small one beside it, Alcor, as Arundhati.
Vasishtha is credited as the chief author of Mandala 7 of the Rigveda. Vasishtha and his family are glorified in RV 7.33, extolling their role in the Battle of the Ten Kings, making him the only mortal besides Bhavayavya to have a Rigvedic hymn dedicated to him. Another immortal treatise dedicated by him to the humanity is "Vasishtha Samhitha" - a book on Vedic system of electional astrology (Muhurtha/ Muhurt)- based on which theory & principles of electional astrology have emanated & followed through millenniums & which have withstood test of the time.
Tales featuring Vashishta
Vashishta is featured in many tales and folklore, a few of which are briefly described below.
The tale of Vishwamitra
This tale tells of how Vashishta possessed a cow named Kamadhenu who could produce enough food for a whole army of troops instantly. The king Vishwamitra, who visited Vashishta's hermitage, was very impressed with the cow and tried to take it away from Vashishta by force, but Vashishta's spiritual power acquired through penance was too great for him. After being unable to conquer Vashishta, Vishwamitra decided to acquire power himself through penance. He gained much power and many divine weapons from Lord Shiva. And once again he attempted to conquer Vashishta. But even the divine weapons he acquired could not defeat the power of Vashishta's Brahmadanda (punishment). Vishwamitra finally decided to become a Brahmarishi himself, and he renounced all his possessions and luxury and led the life of a simple forest ascetic.The tale of King Dileepa
King Dileepa was a king of the Raghuvamsha dynasty. He had a wife named Sudakshina, but they had no children. For this reason, Dileepa visited the sage Vashishta in his ashram, and asked him for his advice. Vashishta replied that they should serve the cow Nandini, child of Kamadhenu, and perhaps if Nandini was happy with their service, she would grant them with a child. So, according to Vashishta, Dileepa served Nandini every day, and attended to her every need for twenty-one days. On the twenty-first day, a lion attacks Nandini. Dileepa immediately draws his bow and tries to shoot the lion. But he finds that his arm is paralysed and cannot move. He reasons that the lion must have some sort of divine power. As if to confirm this, the lion started to speak to him. It said that Dileepa had no chance of saving the cow because the cow was the lion's chosen meal. The lion tells Dileepa to return to Vashishta's ashram. Dileepa replies by asking if the lion would let Nandini go if he offered himself in Nandini's place. The lion agreed and Dileepa sacrificed his life for the cow. But then the lion mysteriously disappeared. Nandini explained that the lion was just an illusion to test Dileepa. Because Dileepa was truly selfless, Nandini granted him with a son.Yoga Vasistha
Yoga Vasistha is an ancient scripture narrated by sage Vasistha to Rama. A unique and an extremely profound discourse, that provides innumerable insights and secrets to the inner world of consciousness. This extremely huge scripture covers all the topics that relate to the spiritual study of a seeker.
This scripture is a must read for anyone trying to understand the concepts of consciousness, creation of the world, the multiple universes in this world, our perception of world, dissolution of the world and the liberation of this soul.
Yoga Vasistha propounds that everything from the blade of grass to the universes is all but consciousness alone. There is naught else but consciousness. It expounds the non-dual approach to this creation.
Just as the blue sky is an optical illusion this entire world and the creation is but such an optical illusion. When the illusion ends in the mind, the world and its miseries too end. The self is the seer of all, the self is the perceiver of all and the self is the experiencer of all. And that self is only one. There is no two, there is no subject, seer and the object. It is all one.
Another oft repeated verse in the text is that of Kakathaliya (co-incidence). The story of how a crow alights on a coconut tree and that very moment the ripe coconut falls on the ground. The two events are apparently related, yet the crow never intended the coconut to fall nor the coconut only fell because the crow sat on the tree. Yet, one event led to the other in a subtle way.
This entire creation is such a co-incidence and yet there is absolutely no co-incidence in this creation. Everything is connected, meaning no co-incidence.
Yoga Vasistha talks about the creation and dissolution of world in such detail that upon first reading this scripture can baffle and raffle the reader. This is a very very profound scripture which cannot be understood and comprehended in the first or second reading. This is a book that should be read again and again and again to uncover the millions and millions of secrets hidden in it.
Story of Yoga Vasistha
Rama, the eldest son of Dasaratha, after completing a piligrimage of holy places returns to the palace. He is constantly found wandering in thoughts and completely disenchanted with the worldly life and the pleasures of the kingdom. This surprises and concerns the father king dasaratha.
One day, in his court arrives the great sage Visvamitra. Visvamitra requests Dasaratha to send Rama with him while he conducts his yagna. He wants Rama to fight the demons who would disrupt the yagna.
Dasaratha refuses to send Rama on the context that Rama is still a kid who doesnt know the battle ways. At this stage, before Visvamitra could get angry, Sage Vasistha interferes and pleads with Dasaratha to not refuse the request of Visvamitra and invite curses on himself.
When Dasaratha expresses his other concern about Rama's sudden change in behaviour. Vasistha then asks for Rama to be brought before him.
Rama is then brought to the palace and king Dasaratha asks Rama, as to what is bothering him? Rama then explains his disenchantment with the worldly things and expresses sadness at the miserable life as a wordly man.
The ensuing answer to Rama's questions forms the entire scripture that is Yoga Vasistha.
Vasishta head
A copper item representing a human head styled in the manner described for the Rigvedic Vasishtas has been dated to around 3700 B.C. in three western universities using among other tests carbon 14 tests, spectographic analysis, X-ray dispersal analysis and metallography (Hicks and Anderson. Analysis of an Indo-European Vedic Aryan Head - 4500-2500 B.C., in Journal of IE studies 18:425-446. Fall 1990.). This could suggest that some Rigvedic customs were already known at a very early time, though the possibility remains that the bronze head could have been recast from an earlier item. Unfortunately the head was not found in an archaeological context. (It was rescued from being melted down in Delhi.)
See also
Sources
Hindu sages | Characters in Ramayana
Commentaries on Yoga Vasistha
Commentary by Swami Venkatesananda - Vasistha's Yoga published by the State University of New York (SUNY)
"Vasishtha"