Triśaṅku

Triśaṅku was a king of the Sūrya-vaṃśa (the Solar dynasty). His earlier name was Satyavrata. He was the son of Tribandhu, in the line of Kakutstha. His guru Vasiṣṭha cursed him, and he became a caṇḍāla (an outcast). Even so, Viśvāmitra Maharṣi lifted him bodily toward svarga (heaven) through his great tapas. The devatās threw Triśaṅku back down headfirst. Viśvāmitra then held him in the sky through his tapobala (the power of his tapas). The Purāṇas say that Triśaṅku hangs there to this day, head downward, between the worlds.

The Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, the Harivaṃśa and the Devī Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa each tell his story, and the Mahābhārata mentions him briefly.

Lineage and early life

The Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa says that Triśaṅku was born as Satyavrata to Tribandhu in the Sūrya-vaṃśa. The line comes down from Ikṣvāku through these kings:

  1. Kakutstha.
  2. Purukutsa. At the request of the nāgas, he went down to Rasātala and destroyed the Gandharvas there, by the power of Bhagavān Viṣṇu.
  3. Trasaddasyū, the son of Māndhātā.
  4. Anāraṇya.
  5. Haryaśva.
  6. Aruṇa.
  7. Tribandhu.

(Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 9th Skanda, Chapter 7)

The śāpa of Vasiṣṭha

The Bhāgavata says that Satyavrata incurred the śāpa (a curse) of his guru Vasiṣṭha and became known as a caṇḍāla. He was shut out from the ranks of his own dynasty. The Bhāgavata does not describe the acts behind the śāpa. It says only that the śāpa made him an outcast.

The name Triśaṅku means “one hanging between three (śaṅkus, or difficulties)”. It marks him as one caught between the worlds.

The rise toward svarga

Triśaṅku wanted to go up to svarga in his own body. His guru Vasiṣṭha refused. He then went to Viśvāmitra Maharṣi, who agreed to perform a special yāga (fire ritual) for this. By the power of that yāga, Triśaṅku rose bodily toward svarga.

The devatās did not want to admit an outcast into their realm, even in a body. They threw him back down headfirst. Viśvāmitra did not want the saṅkalpa (resolve) he had made through his tapas to fail. He held Triśaṅku in the sky. Triśaṅku hangs there to this day, head down, between earth and svarga, held up by the unbroken tapobala of Viśvāmitra.

What followed

The Bhāgavata says that the rivalry between Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra touched this episode and related events, including their dispute over Hariścandra. Because of it, they spent many years as birds fighting each other. The 9th Skanda names this as a result of the Triśaṅku episode.

His son was Hariścandra, who became one of the most celebrated kings of satya-dharma (the dharma of truth).

(Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 9th Skanda, Chapter 7)

Triśaṅku in the Harivaṃśa

The Hari Vaṃśa Purāṇa (Hari Vaṃśa Parva, Chapters 12–13) gives the Triśaṅku account as part of the unbroken Sūrya-vaṃśa line from Ikṣvāku to Sagara.

The three pāpas and the name

The Harivaṃśa explains the name Triśaṅku. It says that Satyavrata did three wrong acts:

  1. He disobeyed his father Tryāruṇa and did not satisfy him.
  2. In hunger, he killed the cow of his guru Vasiṣṭha.
  3. He ate meat that had not been ritually purified.

Each of these was a grave pāpa (sin). For these three, Vasiṣṭha named him Triśaṅku. Tri means three. Śaṅku means a nail or peg, and here it stands for a weight or mark of pāpa. So the name means “one who carries three pāpas”. (Hari Vaṃśa Parva, Chapter 13)

Satyavrata’s exile and his kindness

The Harivaṃśa has an episode found only there. Satyavrata lived twelve years in exile in the forest, and the kingdom had a drought for the same twelve years. During this time Viśvāmitra Maharṣi had left his āśrama to perform tapas elsewhere. Viśvāmitra’s wife could not feed the family, and she got ready to sell her middle son into bondage. Satyavrata saw this. He paid for the boy and set him free. After that he fed the whole family of Viśvāmitra by hunting game and hanging the meat on a tree near the āśrama. He kept them alive by his kindness alone. Because of this service, Viśvāmitra became Satyavrata’s devoted friend and patron. (Hari Vaṃśa Parva, Chapter 12)

The rise toward svarga

Viśvāmitra was pleased with Satyavrata’s service and gave him a vara (a boon). Satyavrata asked to go to svarga in his own body. Viśvāmitra first placed him again as king of his father’s realm. Then he performed a yajña (fire ritual). Vasiṣṭha and the devatās looked on, and Triśaṅku rose bodily to svarga. The devatās drove him out headfirst, and Viśvāmitra held him in the sky through his tapobala. The Harivaṃśa says he is still there. (Hari Vaṃśa Parva, Chapter 13)

Wife and son

The Harivaṃśa says that Triśaṅku’s wife was Satyrathā. She bore him the famous son Hariścandra, who later performed the Rājasūya yajña and became a samrāṭ (emperor). (Hari Vaṃśa Parva, Chapter 13)

Place in the Sūrya-vaṃśa

The Harivaṃśa gives the whole chain from Ikṣvāku down through Triśaṅku’s descendants.

Ikṣvāku, Kakutstha, Purukutsa, Trasaddasyū, Anāraṇya, Haryaśva, Aruṇa, Tribandhu (Tryāruṇa), Satyavrata / Triśaṅku, Hariścandra, Rohita, Harita, Cañcu, Vijaya, Ruruka, Vṛka, Bāhu, Sagara. (Hari Vaṃśa Parva, Chapters 12–15)

The Devī Bhāgavata account

The Devī Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa (Skanda 7, Chapters 10–14) tells the Triśaṅku account with a focus on Devī. Her direct help is the turning point.

The three pāpas and the name

In this account Satyavrata was the son of Aruṇa in the Sūrya-vaṃśa. The line given is Māndhātā, Purukutsa, Aruṇa, Satyavrata. He did three wrong acts that earned him the name Triśaṅku:

  1. He carried off a brāhmaṇa bride at her wedding.
  2. He killed Vasiṣṭha’s cow in hunger.
  3. He ate the meat of that cow.

For these three pāpas Vasiṣṭha named him Triśaṅku, from tri (three) and śaṅku (a peg, or weight of pāpa). His father Aruṇa drove him out of the palace, and he lived among caṇḍālas in the forest. (Skanda 7, Chapter 10)

Devī Tribhuvaneśvarī saves Satyavrata

Vasiṣṭha’s śāpa had made Satyavrata a piśāca. He received the Nava-akṣara mantra of Devī and gave himself fully to her ārādhanā (worship). Once he despaired and saw no way out. He built a funeral pyre and got ready to enter the fire, thinking that death was his only way out.

At that moment Devī Tribhuvaneśvarī herself appeared, riding her lion. She said to him: “Do not enter this fire. Your father will return from tapas and place you on the throne.” By Devī’s compassion and by her darśana alone, the piśāca śāpa was lifted at once. His form shone again, and the marks of the śāpa were gone. The account says that Śrī Tribhuvaneśvarī stepped in before any guru or ṛṣi did. (Skanda 7, Chapters 10–12)

Restoration and the wish for svarga

His father Aruṇa heard the news from Nārada and came back from tapas. He placed Triśaṅku on the throne. Triśaṅku ruled with righteousness and performed many great Devī yajñas to give thanks. Hariścandra was born to him.

Later Triśaṅku wished to go to svarga in his own body. He went to Vasiṣṭha, who refused and said it was impossible while he was alive. Triśaṅku pressed him and said that he would find another priest. Vasiṣṭha cursed him a second time: “You shall become a caṇḍāla this very moment.” Triśaṅku’s golden earrings turned to stones. His divine clothes turned black. His body became that of a caṇḍāla. (Skanda 7, Chapter 12)

Viśvāmitra’s gratitude and the Gāyatrī puṇya

Viśvāmitra had returned from tapas and learned that Satyavrata had fed his whole family through the twelve-year drought. Satyavrata had hunted and left meat at the tree near the āśrama. Viśvāmitra felt deep gratitude and decided to repay the debt. He came to where Triśaṅku, in the form of a caṇḍāla, was living in misery. He said: “I shall repay what you did for my family.”

Viśvāmitra took water in his hands. He poured into it all the puṇya (merit) of his lifelong Gāyatrī japa (repeated recitation) and gave it to Triśaṅku to drink. In this way he passed the fruit of his tapas directly to him. Triśaṅku at once rose bodily toward svarga.

The devas saw a caṇḍāla rising and drove him out headfirst. Triśaṅku called to Viśvāmitra for help. Viśvāmitra threatened to create a second svarga. Indra saw that the power of his tapas could not be resisted and gave way. He gave Triśaṅku a divine body and took him to svarga. (Skanda 7, Chapters 13–14)

The Anuśāsana Parva account

In the Mahābhārata’s Anuśāsana Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira lists the deeds of Viśvāmitra. He mentions Triśaṅku briefly. All his kinsmen had given him up, and he went for refuge to Viśvāmitra in the southern direction. Viśvāmitra felt affection for him and carried him bodily to svarga, but head downward, because the devas would not let him enter in the usual way. (Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 3)

Sources

  • Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 9th Skanda, Chapter 7
  • Hari Vaṃśa Purāṇa, Hari Vaṃśa Parva, Chapters 12–15
  • Devī Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, Skanda 7, Chapters 10–14
  • Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 3