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Vashishth Jee

Vashishth Jee is one of the ten Maanas sons of Brahmaa Jee (Atri, Angiraa, Bhrigu, Daksh, Kratu, Mareechi, Pulastya, Pulah, Naarad and Vashishth). Vashishth Jee was married to Kardam Jee's one of the nine daughters Arundhatee. They had Mitra, Shakti, etc 100 sons. Brahmaa Jee appointed him as the Purohit of Soorya Vansh. These are some incidents of his life.

Enmity Between Vashishth Jee and Vishwaamitra Jee     see   Vishwaamitra Jee

Vashishth's Grandson Paraashar
Once Shakti was going somewhere, that he met the King Kalmaashpaad going in his chariot. The King did not move from the path, as in those days the chariots used to give way to pregnant women, or a man carrying a load, or a weak or old man on the road. King said, "Don't you see that I am coming?" Shakti said, "I am a saint, it is your duty to give me the way." At this King slashed him with his whip, and after this Shakti gave him Shaap of being Raakshas. Vishwaamitra Jee was seeing all this from a distance. He got very happy to see this because Vashishth Jee was his greatest enemy. He heard Shakti giving Raaja the Shaap of being Raakshas. 

A little later Vishwaamitra Jee saw a Raakshas named Kinkar. He asked him to enter Kalmaashpaad's body. Kinkar entered the King Kalmaashaad's body and Shakti's words proved true. Then Kalmaashpaad insulted another saint and he also gave Shaap to him to be a Raakshas. Now his nature was changing so he went to Shakti and said, "I am behaving like this because of you, so let me begin my Raakshas career with eating you. So he ate him up and he killed his brothers too. 

When Vashishth Jee heard this, he became very sad and started towards the forest. There he saw coming Shakti's pregnant widow Adrashyanti. He got pity on her, brought her in his Kutee, and after a few days she delivered a son. Vashishth Jee named him Paraashar.

One day Vashishth Jee and Adrashyanti went to collect Samidhaa (twigs for Yagya), that a Raakshas came and roared near Adrashyanti. Vashishth Jee also roared oat him in return and he got stuck there only. This Raakshas was the same King Kalmaashpaad to whom Shakti cursed. He understood that the Raakshas was the King Kalmaashpaad, so he took some holy water from his Kamandal and sprinkled on him pronouncing some Mantra. He became free from the Shaap. He asked for forgiveness and Vashishith Jee forgave him. When Paraashar grew up he decided to take revenge of his father's killing but Vashishth Jee stopped him saying that this does not look good to saints.

Why Vashishth Jee Did Not Declare Vishwaamitra Brahmarshi?
Once Vishwaamitra Jee was doing severe Tap to become Brahmarshi, and Vashishth Jee was not declaring him Brahmarshi. So he thought that Vashishth does not want him to become Brahmarshi. He wanted to kill him, so he started towards Vashishth Jee's Kutee. There Arundhatee was asking her husband, "Why don't you declare Vishwaamitra Jee Brahmarshi?" He said, "It is not easy, because first his "I" (ego) must die then only he can become Brahmarshi; besides he has to be very calm and patient and should never lose his temper. He does not follow this so what use of his Tap is?" Now Vishwaamitra Jee interpreted that statement in this way that "unless Vashishth will die I cannot be Brahmarshi"; and he entered Vashishth Jee's Kutee with the intention to kill him, so Vashshth Jee said, "See he is so angry, he is not trying to follow the things. His "I" (Aham, or ego) is not yet gone, how he can be declared Brahmarshi?" Then he understood what he wanted to say and went away feeling ashamed.

Vashishth and Raajaa Dileep and Raajaa Aj
Raajaa Dileep was in Soorya Vansh and Vashishth Jee was the Purohit of Soorya Vansh. Dileep was childless, so he came to Vashishth Jee and asked the reason. He told that once you passed by Kaamdhenu cow without greeting her that is why you don't have a child. Then he told if he served her (the cow's) daughter Nandinee, he could get a child. So he served cows and got a son.

Raajaa Raghu got the son named Aj. He was married to Indumatee. She died young, and the King forgot his royal duties in her sorrow. Vashishth Jee said - "Birth and death are not in our control. You may die in her sorrow, but still you will not get her. Storms come but mountains do not move, you should be like a  mountain."

Vashishth Jee and Trishanku
This Kathaa comes in Skand Puraan's Naagar Khand. Once there was a very mighty king named Satyavrat (popularly known as Trishanku after this event) in Soorya Vansh (lineage). He was so much proud of his might that he thought he could go to Swarg with his mortal  body. So he went to his Purohit Vashishth Jee and expressed his wish and asked the way. Vashishth Jee said - "There is no way one can go there with this body." Trishanku didn't like it, so he gave a thought to try his 100 sons. But they also agreed with their father. Trishanku got furious at this and told that he would appoint any other Rishi to do that Yagya which could take him to Swarg with this mortal body and they lacked required knowledge to perform such a Yagya. At this Vashishth's sons gave him Shaap - "Be a Chaandaal (a low caste)." The next moment he became a Chaandaal. Now he was so much ashamed of himself, he handed over his kingdom to his son Harishchandra and he himself went to the forest.

One day while wandering in the forest Trishanku met Sage Vishwaamitra Jee. He narrated his plight to him too. Since Vishwaamitra was the competitor of Vashishth Jee, he thought that he got an opportunity to prove his superiority over Vashishth. He told him that he could send him to Swarg with this mortal body, but before that he had to go for a pilgrimage to become pure. He could not go with Chaandaal's body. So both set out for the pilgrimage.

On the way, at Arbudaachal, they met Muni Maarkandeya. Vishwaamitra Jee told him everything in detail and said - "I have taken the vow to free Trishanku from Vashishth's sons' Shaap, but I have not succeeded yet, so I renounce the world. Maarkandeya Muni consoled him and instructed him to go to Haatkeshwar where taking a dip in Paataal Gangaa will purify Trishanku. Trishanku did so and he was surprised to see that all the qualities of a Chaandaal had vanished and he was purified. Vishwaamitra was also very happy to see this.

Then Vishwaamitra went to Brahm Lok to request Brahmaa Jee to be present at the Yagya which he was going to perform to send Trishanku to send to Swarg, and asked Trishanku to make necessary preparations for it. Brahmaa Jee said although it was impossible to go Swarg with the mortal body but if he would complete all rituals diligently then he could go there. Vishwaamitra Jee didn't like his comments and he challenged him that no power could stop him sending the King to Swarg.

So they started Yagya. It continued for 12 long years but there was no sign to go to Swarg. Trishanku got dejected and intended to go to forest for Tap. He could not go back to his kingdom because he was afraid that Vashishth's sons would make fun of him, but Vishwaamitra Jee consoled him that he would surely send him to Swarg, he should keep just patience. Then he worshipped Shiv Jee. Shiv Jee got pleased and granted the desired Var. Vishwaamitra asked him to bestow the powers to create universe like Brahmaa. Shiv Jee bestowed this Var also and disappeared.

Now Vishwaamitra was eager to test those powers. He did so and created everything from stars etc to sky, river mountains etc. Soon the place was filled with his creation resulting chaos all over. Now everything there were two, one was created by Brahmaa Jee and the other was created by Vishwaamitra Jee. This created a fallout of natural course of events. Everybody requested Brahmaa to bring an order in the Universe. Brahmaa Jee asked Vishwaamitra to stop his creation. He replied that he could stop it only if he will allow Trishanku to go to Swarg with his mortal body. At last Brahmaa Jee allowed him to go to Swarg.

Note
 In another version, Vishwaamitra Jee sent him up, but Indra sent him back to earth. Thus he went up with Vishwaamitra's Tap power and came down with Indra's power. Both were powerful, so neither he came down, nor he could go up, he remained in between, that is why he got popular by the name Trishanku.

Vashishth Jee and Nimi
Ikshwaaku (Manu's son born from his sneeze) had three sons, Vikukshi, Nimi, and Dand. Once Nimi wanted to do a Yagya, so he requested Vashishth Jee to be his Hotaa. Vashishth Jee said, "At present I am going to do Indra's Yagya, but I will come back soon, so wait for me." And he went away. Nimi thought  "Life is too short", so he appointed another Hotaa till Vashishth Jee came and started the Yagya. When Vashishth Jee came, he came to know that Raajaa Nimi had appointed another Hotaa, so he gave Shaap to him, "You are very proud of your knowledge and thoughtfulness, so your body should fall down." His Shaap was not according to Dharm, so Raajaa Nimi also gave him Shaap, "You also did not respect Dharm because of your greed, so your body should also fall down." After saying this Nimi left his body through Yog, at the same time Vashishth Jee also left his body. Vashishth Jee then reincarnated as the son of Mitraavarun and Urvashee later.