Viśvāmitra and the Dog’s Flesh (Viśvāmitratīrtha)

Viśvāmitra-tīrtha · viśva-mitra-tīrtha, “the tīrtha of Viśvāmitra”

Viśvāmitra has other meanings too: see all meanings of Viśvāmitra.

Viśvāmitra and the dog’s flesh is the account, in the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa, of how Viśvāmitra-tīrtha on the Gautamī came to be. Brahmā tells it to Nārada as the expounders of the Vedas tell it. In a great drought, when his disciples, his sons and his wife were wasting with hunger, Viśvāmitra had the flesh of a dead dog cooked with mantras and offered as homa. Agni told the devas that they must take it, and Indra, in the form of a hawk, carried off the pot and brought it back filled with honey. Viśvāmitra would not drink the honey alone while the people starved, and so Indra called the clouds and rained amṛta for all. Viśvāmitra offered it first to the devas and the three worlds and then ate with his family. The place is the tīrtha where Śrī Rāma, son of Daśaratha, later honoured Viśvāmitra with the ṛshis, and it bears five names from the account: Viśvāmitra, Madhu, Aindra, Śyena and Pārjanya. Bathing and dāna there give the fruit of all yajñas.

The tīrtha where Rāma honoured Viśvāmitra

The place where the great king Rāma, son of Daśaratha, honoured the great ṛshi Viśvāmitra together with the ṛshis who see the truth is the tīrtha called Viśvāmitra. It yields great puṇya and ṛshis resort to it. Brahmā told Nārada its account as the expounders of the Vedas tell it.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 23

The drought and the dead dog

Long ago there was a great drought, terrible for all beings. The very wise Viśvāmitra went to the Gautamī with his disciples. Seeing his disciples, his sons and his wife lean and suffering from hunger, the glorious ṛshi was distressed and said to his disciples: “Let something to eat be brought, whatever the quantity, by whatever means, from wherever it can be found. Bring it as it is. Do not delay; go now, it must be brought at once.”

The hungry disciples set out in haste. Wandering here and there, they found a dead dog. They brought it running and offered it to their guru, and saying “Good! Well done!” he took it in his hand.

Viśvāmitra said: “Cut the flesh of the dog and wash it with water. Cook it duly while repeating the mantras, and offer it as homa into the fire according to the injunctions. After we have satisfied the devas, the ṛshis, the pitṛs, the guests, the gurus and the others, all of us shall eat what remains.”

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 23

Indra takes the pot

The disciples did exactly so. While the dog’s flesh was cooking, Agni, the messenger of the devas, went to the abode of the devas and told them everything: “The devas must take the dog’s flesh, since the ṛshi has offered it; and so it has come about.”

At Agni’s words Indra took the form of a hawk, flew through the sky and carried off the closed pot filled with the flesh. The disciples told the ṛshi: “Best of ṛshis, the pot has been taken away by a senseless bird.” The holy ṛshi was filled with anger and was ready to pronounce a śāpa on Indra. Learning this, Indra filled the pot with honey and brought it back.

Seeing the pot, Viśvāmitra spoke in anger: “Give us the dog’s flesh alone. You may take away this excellent amṛta. If not, I shall reduce you to ashes.”

Indra, frightened, said: “Perform the homa of the honey duly and drink it with your sons. What use is this unholy, filthy dog’s flesh, great ṛshi?”

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 23

Indra rains amṛta

Viśvāmitra said: “No. If I alone take it, what is the gain? The people are exhausted and suffering, Indra. What use is that honey to me? If the people get amṛta, I too shall partake of it. Or else, after the divine pitṛs have eaten the flesh, I shall eat of it. I do not speak untruth; believe me.”

Then the frightened thousand-eyed Indra quickly called the clouds and showered amṛta. With the holy amṛta given by Indra, the brāhmaṇa Viśvāmitra first satisfied the devas and then the three worlds, and then he ate of it with his disciples and his wife.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 23

The tīrtha and its phala

From then on that tīrtha is spoken of as giving great puṇya. It is the place where Indra came, and where amṛta was offered in place of flesh. Bathing and dāna there give the fruit of all yajñas.

The tīrtha is remembered by five names: Viśvāmitra, after the ṛshi; Madhutīrtha, after the honey; Aindra, after Indra; Śyena, after the hawk whose form Indra took; and Pārjanya, after the rain-clouds.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 23

Sources

• Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 23