King Vishwaamitra   OR   Brahmarshi Vishwaamitra

Vishwaamitra was not a Braahman by birth, he was a prince. He was the son of Raajaa Gaadhi. How he became a Brahmarshi, this quite a story. His sister Satyavatee was married to Richeek Muni. Once Satyavatee and her mother requested Muni Richeek to give them a son, so Muni prepared two separate Charu (Kheer), one for Satyavatee and the other one for Satyavatee's mother. After cooking the Charu he went to the river to take bath and told Satyavatee that he had prepared the Charu for both of them.

After Muni had left, Satyavatee mother thought that Muni must have cooked a better Charu for his wife so let me eat that one. She said to her daughter - "Dear daughter, Your Charu should be better one, so give me your Charu to eat." Satyavatee innocently gave her own Charu to her mother. Her mother ate her daughter's  Charu and Satyavatee ate her mother's Charu.

When the Muni came after taking bath, Satyavatee told him what she did. Muni said - "Oh, What did you do this? You have committed a great mistake." Satyavatee got scared and she asked what it was. The Muni said - "Your own Charu could have given you a great Rishi while your mother's Charu would have given her a great king; but since now you have exchanged the Charu, you will have a great mighty kingly son and she will have a noble great Rishi." Hearing this Satyavatee started weeping and told him that she did not want a killer son, she wanted only a saintly son, so he should do something for her. Then the Muni said, "OK, I cannot do more than this that then your grandson will be like a Kshatriya."

Thus Satyavatee's mother gave birth to Vishwaamitra who later became a Brahmarshi; and Satyavatee gave birth to Rishi Jamadagni who also was a great Rishi; but Rishi Jamadagni had the Kshatriya son Parashuraam who emptied Prithvi from Kshatriya 21 times. Vishwaamitra Jee's real name was Vishwarath.

How Vishwaamitra Became Brahmarshi?
Once Vishwaamitra was out for hunting with his army that he happened to be in Maharshi Vashishth Jee's Aashram (hermitage). Vashishth Jee, considering his privilege to entertain the King, requested him to stay in his Aashram. Vishwaamitra Jee considering the size of his people did not think proper to stay there but when Vashishth Jee insisted the he stayed back there but always wondered how he would manage.

Now Vashishth Jee had the cow Nandinee who fulfilled all needs of Rishi living there, so he took her help and felicitate the King in a kingly manner. Seeing this Vishwaamitra got stunned and thought that such cow should be in King's possession, so he asked him to give that cow to him. Vashishth Jee said - "O King, This cow fulfills our needs, we cannot do our work without her so we are sorry, we cannot give her to you." But Vshwaamitra Jee was adamant to take her to his palace. When Vishwaamitra Jee applied force, Vashishth Jee stopped him with his Yog power to take the cow from him.

This incident opened Vishwaamitra's eyes and he left his kingdom to attain Yog power. He did Tapasyaa for 1,000 years - after this Brahmaa Jee declared him as Rishi but he was not satisfied with Rishi's status, he wanted to be Brahmarshi. So he again did Tapasyaa for 1,000 years - during this period he had a daughter Shakuntalaa from Menakaa Apsaraa and was declared Maharshi. But as he wanted to be a Brahmarshi only, he again did Tapasyaa for 1,000 years; then only he was declared as Brahmarshi.

Vishwaamitra was always busy in research activities. Once he was doing a Yagya that Raavan's Asur Taadakaa, Subaahu and Maareech disturbed his Yagya. During that peiod Raam was born in Dasharath's palace, so he took Raam and Lakshman there to kill them. Raam killed Taadakaa and Subaahu and threw Maareech 100 Yojan far in the sea.

He has written Gaayatree Mantra also.