Rishyashringa Rishi

Sage Rishyashringa is described in the Puranas and the Ramayana. Maharishi Kashyap, the grandson of the Supreme Being Brahma, had a son named Vibhandaka. He was a fierce and ascetic by nature. Once, he felt the urge to perform austerities unparalleled by anyone before him. Consequently, he engaged in intense meditation. His austerities were so intense that even heaven became heated.

When Indra, the king of the gods, saw that Sage Vibhandaka was engaged in severe penance, he sent several nymphs to break his penance, but they failed. Indra then sent Urvashi to Vibhandaka. When Sage Vibhandaka saw Urvashi, he was captivated by her beauty and had intercourse with her, thus breaking his penance.

Their union resulted in the birth of a son with a deer-like horn. He was named “Rishyashringa” for this reason. He is also known as “Shrungi” and “Ekasringa.” The son of Sage Shamika, who cursed Parikshit, was also named Shrungi, but they were different.

With the birth of their son, Urvashi’s mission on earth was complete, and she returned to heaven. Vibhandaka deeply loved Urvashi, and this deception caused him unbearable pain, and he lost faith in the female gender. He was so shocked by Urvashi’s deception that he despised the very name of woman and resolved not to allow even a woman’s shadow to fall on his son.

He moved with Rishyashringa to a dense forest and raised their son there. Years passed, and Rishyashringa grew into a young man, but he had never seen a woman, so he was unaware of gender differences. When his son grew up, Vibhandaka instructed him to remain in the ashram and returned to his penance. The forest they were in was located within the borders of Angadesh. Vibhandaka’s severe penance caused a famine in Angadesh. King Romapada, also known as Chitraratha, was distraught by this calamity. He summoned scholars from across the country and asked them what was causing this untimely famine.

They then explained that the sage Vibhandaka was performing severe penance within the Anga region, causing a famine in the region. However, his penance could not be interrupted, or else he would become enraged and destroy the entire country. Romapada then asked what was the solution to end this famine. The scholars explained that if they were able to summon Vibhandaka’s son, Rishyasringa, to Anga, his father’s penance would be broken and the famine would end.

Then Romapada sent some extremely beautiful devadasis to summon Rishyashringa. When Rishyashringa saw these beautiful women, the Acharya was astonished. He had never seen such beauty and supple bodies. The devadasis began to woo Rishyashringa in various ways. Touching them brought immense joy to Rishyashringa. Then, all the women went to an ashram near the city, some distance from the forest. Having now had the company of a woman, Rishyashringa was no longer able to bear anything without her, so he went in search of her and reached her ashram. There, all the women served him well and somehow coaxed him into the city. As soon as Rishyashringa reached the city, it began to rain, and the famine ended.

This broke the sage Vibhandak’s penance, and not finding his son in his ashram, he, filled with anger, headed for Angadesh. Meanwhile, when Romapada learned that Vibhandak was coming to his city in anger, he preemptively arranged the marriage of his adopted daughter, Shanta, who was actually the daughter of King Dasharatha and Queen Kaushalya, to Rishyasringa. When Vibhandaka Rishi arrived, Shanta welcomed him and told him that she was his daughter-in-law. Seeing Shanta and Rishyasringa before him, Vibhandaka’s anger subsided, and he returned to his ashram with his son and daughter-in-law.

When Dasharatha learned that his daughter had married, he was overjoyed. However, he was also deeply saddened by the lack of a son. When he shared his plight with Chitrarath, he told him that his son-in-law, Rishyashringa, was a great ascetic and could help him have a son if he wished. Following his advice, Dasharatha went to Rishyashringa and shared his plight with him. Rishyashringa then came to Ayodhya and performed the “Putreshti Yagna,” which resulted in the birth of Shanta’s younger brothers—Shri Ram, Bharata, Lakshmana, and Shatrughna. The site of the yagna is about 38 kilometers from Ayodhya, where a temple dedicated to him and Shanta also stands.