Rishyashringa- Hindu FigureMortal"The Horned Sage"

Birth and Seclusion

Rishyashringa was the son of the sage Vibhandaka and a celestial doe. The Mahabharata's Vana Parva says the doe was the apsara Urvashi in animal form. He was born with a single horn on his forehead, marking his unusual origin. Vibhandaka, a reclusive and irascible ascetic, raised the boy in complete isolation deep in the forest, far from all human contact. Rishyashringa grew to manhood having never seen another human being besides his father and knowing nothing of women, cities, or society. His accumulated tapas was so potent that wherever he dwelt, rain fell and the earth flourished.

The Drought in Anga

The kingdom of Anga, ruled by King Romapada, suffered a catastrophic drought. Crops failed, rivers dried, and the people faced starvation. The brahmins advised that only Rishyashringa's presence could bring rain. But Vibhandaka's fearsome temper made a direct approach impossible. Romapada sent courtesans and entertainers into the forest to lure the innocent sage out. The women approached Rishyashringa with garlands, sweets, perfumed garments, and affectionate gestures he had never experienced. Fascinated and bewildered, the young sage followed them out of the forest. The moment he set foot in Anga, the skies opened.

Marriage to Shanta

Romapada gave his adopted daughter Shanta in marriage to Rishyashringa. The Ramayana records Shanta as the biological daughter of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya, given in adoption to Romapada. When Vibhandaka discovered his son had been lured away, he came raging toward Anga, withering the land with his fury. But upon seeing his son happily married and honored as the kingdom's savior, and upon being received with lavish gifts, Vibhandaka's anger subsided.

The Putrakameshti for Dasharatha

Rishyashringa performed the Putrakameshti sacrifice for his father-in-law Dasharatha, who was childless despite three queens. The sacrifice required a priest of absolute ritual purity. He conducted the fire sacrifice, and from the flames arose a divine figure bearing a golden vessel of celestial payasam. Dasharatha distributed it among his queens, and in due course Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna were born.