viSvAmitraH [ viSvaM mitraM yasya , viSvasya mitraM vA pUrvapadadIrGaH ; P. VI. 3. 130 ] ( pb ) N. of a celebrated sage. [He was originally a Kṣatriya, being the king of Kanyakubja and son of Gādhi. One day while out hunting, he went to the hermitage of the great sage Vasiṣṭha, and seeing there the cow of plenty, offered him untold treasures in exchange for it, but being refused he tried to take it by force. A long contest thereupon ensued, in which king Viśvāmitra was signally defeated; and so great was his vexation, and withal so greatly was he impressed with the power inherent in Brāhmanism that he devoted himself to the most rigorous austerities till he successively got the titles Rājarṣi , Ṛṣi , Maharṣi , and Brahmarṣi , but he was not contented till Vasiṣṭha himself called him by the name Brahmarṣi , which, however, took place after several thousands of years. Viśvāmitra several times tried to excite Vasiṣṭha-for example by killing his one hundred sons-but the great sage was not in the least perturbed. His power, even before he finally became a Brahmarṣi, was very great, as was seen in his transporting Triśanku to the skies, in saving Śunahśepha from the hands of Indra, in creating things after the style of Brahman &c. &c. He was the companion and counsellor of young Rāma to whom he gave several miraculous missiles].