Page:Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion volume 2.djvu/48

 They entreated the Brahman to desist. Visvamitra recognises his power, and now resolves to subject himself to the severest exercises in order to attain to that power. He retires into solitude, and lives there a thousand years in abstraction alone with his consort. Brahma comes to him, and addresses him thus: “I recognise thee now as the first royal sage.” Visvamitra, not content with this, begins afresh with his penances. In the meantime an Indian king had come to Vasischtha with the request that he would exalt him in his bodily form to heaven. The request, however, was refused on account of his being a Kshatriya; but on his haughtily persisting in it, he was degraded by Vasischtha to the class of the Tschandala. Upon this he repairs to Visvamitra with the same request. The latter prepares a sacrifice to which he invites all the gods; these, however, decline to come to a sacrifice made for a Tschandala. Visvamitra, however, by an exercise of his strength, lifts up the king to heaven. At the command of Indra, he drops down, but Visvamitra sustains him between heaven and earth, and afterwards creates another heaven, other Pleiades, another Indra, and another circle of gods. The gods were filled with astonishment; they repaired in humility to Visvamitra, and agreed with him about the place they were to assign to their king in heaven. After the lapse of a thousand years, Visvamitra was rewarded, and Brahma named him the head of the sages, but did not as yet declare him to be a Brahman. Then Visvamitra recommences his penances; the gods in heaven became envious; Indra attempts to excite his passions (for it is essential for a perfect sage and Brahman that he should have subjugated his passions). He sends him a very beautiful girl, with whom Visvamitra lives five-and-twenty years, but then withdraws himself from her, having overcome his love. In vain, too, do the gods try to irritate and make him angry. Finally, the Brahmanic power has to be granted to him.