Who Was Rishyasringa?

For begetting children, it was decided that Raja Dasharatha would perform Ashwamedha Yaga.

Sumantra, the minister, tells Dasharatha in private that not the purohitas of Ayodhya, but Rishyasringa has to be the Acharya of this Yaga.

Will this not offend the able Gurus and purohitas of Ayodhya, including Vasishta? That someone from outside is being brought in to officiate the Yaga?

Sumantra tells Dasharatha that this is pre-decided. Sanatkumara had said this in Deva Yuga itself — that Rishyasringa will be officiating the Ashwamedha Yaga of Dasharatha. Sanatkumara’s words are in the future tense.

The king may inform the purohitas about this so that they are not offended. This was the idea behind Sumantra telling this to Dasharatha.

Rishyasringa’s story has two different versions. The versions in Ramayana and Mahabharata are slightly different. We will adhere to the Ramayana version here. Only the details are slightly different.

Who was Rishyasringa?
Son of Rishi Vibhandaka. They lived alone in the forest. From the time of his birth, Rishyasringa had never seen the world outside the ashrama — outside the forest. Of course, he was a brahmachari.

Here Sanatkumara says that Rishyasringa would observe brahmacharya of both kinds.

What are they?
At the time of studies, total celibacy — this is the first kind of brahmacharya.
The second kind of brahmacharya is for the householder.
If a householder stays away from relationship during the first four days of the menstrual cycle of his wife, and also during parvas — parvas are special days such as Amavasya, Purnima, Sankranti, Ekadashi — these are all parvas, days on which special rituals or observances have been prescribed in the shastras.

If the householder observes celibacy on these days, it is as good as he is a brahmachari.

Essentially what Sage Sanatkumara is predicting is that in spite of his total seclusion in the forest, Rishyasringa will get married and will lead family life — that he will observe both kinds of brahmacharya.

In the forest, Rishyasringa had only two activities — serving his father and serving Agni.

In Anga Desha, Anga Rajya, there will be a king by the name Romapada.
Because of his own fault, having deviated from dharma, his kingdom will suffer severe drought. There will be no rains.

Romapada will bring in learned scholars and seniors and ask them what remedy he should perform.

They were well-versed in Vedas and shastra. They knew that there is nothing greater than giving a sahadharmini — a wife — to an eligible bachelor so that they can perform dharma together for the rest of their life.

This is why having a girl child is so important in Sanatana Dharma.
People say the samskara called pumsavana is for begetting a male child.
There is a variation of pumsavana, which is for begetting a girl child.
There are mantras to beget a daughter.

Marrying off a daughter to an eligible bachelor is so auspicious that it gives emancipation to seven generations before and seven generations after.

Same principle, same result. Having a son or daughter doesn't matter.
Son also — because he is going to get married and observe dharma.
Daughter also — because she will be an equal partner in her husband's observance of dharma.
The principle is the same.

So this is the remedy suggested.
Who can be a more eligible bachelor than the son of Sage Vibhandaka — Rishyasringa — who lives in the nearby forest?

His perfect brahmacharya is famous.
Forget women — he has not seen another human being other than his father.
He has not eaten anything other than fruits and tubers of the forest.

Somehow get Rishyasringa here.

Why somehow?

Obviously, see the way Vibhandaka brought up his son.
He doesn't want him to interact with the world.
Rishyasringa is completely cut off from the world.
Will Vibhandaka permit even anyone going near him?
And Vibhandaka is an ugra tapasvi — he can turn people to ashes just by one look.
Everybody is scared of him.

Romapada started wondering how to get Rishyasringa out of the forest and get him married to his daughter.

Ramaswamy Sastry and Vighnesh Ghanapaathi