Starting for Mithila - Chapter 17

The next morning after the prayers the rishis told Rama that they were proceeding to Mithila city where a very big Yaga was being performed by the king. They invited Rama and Lakshmana to go with them. They further said that there was a very famous bow, which could not even be lifted not to mention stringing it so far by anybody, so far. This bow was obtained by the king from the Devas as a boon to him. Then they all left Siddhashrama and proceeded north along the Ganges. Valmiki says that at that time all the animals and birds felt sad and also wanted to leave with them but Vishwamitra asked them to stay back! This shows how the animals were loved and treated!

After going a long way they stopped in the evening at a place on the bank of the river called Sonna (here nn is pronounced as Panam in Tamil). Rama then requested Vishwamitra to tell them the history of that beautiful place. Such digressions are interesting because they let us learn about the past and the culture that prevailed in them.

Vishwamitra was pleased to tell the following. Once upon a time, a sage called Kusha who was the son of Brahma lived there with his wife Vaidehi (note this name also denotes Sita). Kushamba and Kushanabha, Adhoortarajas, and Vasu were their sons who were well instructed by their father and according to his wish built four cities, Kausambi, Mahodaya, Dharmaranya, and Girivraja respectively. Vishwamitra said that the place where they had reached was Girivraja built by Vasu and which was in Vasumati country. The river originating in Magadha country was flowing through that place. As for Kushanabha he married Kritasi and begot hundred beautiful daughters. The God Vayu fell in love with them and asked them to marry him. But these girls rejected him. Angered Vayu cursed them to become invalids. Kushanabha was sad to hear from them what had happened but he praised his daughters for their good conduct. 

Finally, they were all married to a great king called Brahmadatta son of a Gandharva woman called Somada who was serving a great sage named Shooli. When Brahmadatta held the hands of these hundred girls they all got rid of their invalidity incurred by the curse. Then Kushanabha performed a great Yaga in order to get a son (Putrakameshthi) and was blessed with a son called Gaadi who was a very righteous and a very learned person. Vishwamitra said that he was born to Gaadi. Since he was born in the Kusha lineage (Vamsa) he was known also as Kaushika. Then Vishwamitra said that he had a sister called Satyavati who had married a great rishi called Rechaka. When she attained Moksha she became the river Kaushiki which flowed into the Himalayas. This was one reason why Vishwamitra lived happily in the Himalayas. Vishwamitra thus concluded the history connected with that region. All the rishis there praised Vishwamitra and his lineage and it was already midnight.

A lady turning into a river is something not clear but this repeats itself in The Ramayana. Would this mean that a river was given the name of that person to perpetuate her memory? We have many such examples. For instance, the Himalayas Mountains are personified by Himavan. Also in South India, the Tiruvannamalai Mountain is considered to be Lord Arunachala or the fire form of Lord Shiva. It is also said that the great sage Agastya subdued the Vindhya Mountains by asking it to remain so when it bowed to him.

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