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Vishwaamitra and Sahastraarjun
Once, when Vishwaamitra Jee had attained Brahmarshi's status, Sahastraarjun came to see him. He wanted his help in killing Parashuraam Jee. Vishwaamitra Jee refused to help him in this venture.

Vishwaamitra and Gaalav Muni
Their story comes in Mahaabhaarat. Read their story here.

Test of Harishchandra
Harishchandra was the King of Ayodhyaa and always stuck to truth. His wife's name was Shaibyaa (somewhere it is mentioned as Taaraamatee, somewhere it is mentioned as Chandramatee). One day both Vashishth and Vishwaamitra were sitting in Indra's court. Indra asked, "Do you find anybody who sticks to truth at this time, on Earth?" Vashishth Jee said, "Raajaa Harishchandra is like that." Vishwaamitra Jee said, "No, He is not." Argument grew hotter and ended up in testing Harishchandra for his truthfulness by Vishwaamitra Jee. He vowed - "If I don't prove that Vashishth is wrong, I will not call myself Vishwaamitra." Hatred towards Vashishth was the only reason of this.

Now the testing began. At one time Harishchandra had to do a Yagya, in which he had to donate a large quantity of gold. Vishwaamitra Jee went there to have that donation. Raajaa asked, "How much gold do you want?"  Vishwaamitra said - "When a tall person standing on an elephant throws a cowrie (shell), I need such a large heap of gold." Harishchandra readily said, " I will gladly give you this much donation. I have it in my treasury." Vishwaamitra did not expect this reply, this was his first defeat, so he said, "Let it be in your treasury for now, when I will need it, I will come to take it." Raajaa said, "As you wish."

Now Vishwaamitra Jee created many wild animals who were troubling public, so Raajaa with his wife Chandramatee (at some places her name is given as Shaibyaa) and son Rohitaashwa (or Rohit) went for their hunting. He set his camp in a jungle. Vishwaamitra Jee sent two beautiful girls in his camp. They talked to the Raajaa some non-sense so Raajaa sent them back with some beatings. Vishwaamitra Jee said to Harishchandra - "You have insulted my daughters, so either you give me money or marry these low-caste girls and give me my remaining money within 48 days." Raajaa did not want to marry those girls so he gave his kingdom including his treasury and went to Kaashee (Benaaras or Vaaraanasee). He sold his wife and son to a rich man and sold himself to a Shoodra and gave all that money he got, to Muni. Now this buyer of the Raajaa was Vishwaamitra's disciple Nakshatrak. He made him in-charge of a cremation ground.

One day Raajaa's son Rohit went to pluck some flowers from the garden, there he died from a snake-bite, so his mother Chandramatee brought his dead body for cremation in mid-night. Harishchandra did not recognize her. He asked her to cover the body as per rules of the cremation ground. But Chandramatee didn't have any cloth to cover his naked body, so she had to tear her Saaree (a cloth worn by Indian women) in half and then wrapped him in her half Saree.

Then Raajaa asked her to pay for the prescribed fee for his cremation which was supposed to go to his master. Although she told her plight that even she had wrapped her son's body in her half Saaree and she had only the other half part of that Saaree on her body, from where she could bring money to pay his cremation fees? Did he want to make her without clothes? But Harishchandra did not listen to it. So she went in the town to get that money. As she stole some money to pay the fees, she was caught by Raajaa's people for stealing the money and Raajaa ordered for her execution. This was also the duty of Harishchandra to execute her, so as he took out the sword to kill her, Brahmaa, Vishnu, and Mahesh all three gods appeared before him and held his hand. Raajaa was given back everything. Vishwaamitra Jee again got defeated from Vashishth Jee.

Note
In the Maarkandeya and other Puraan this story is told of Vishwaamitra's implacable persecution of King Harischandra (see Harischandra), one result of which was that Vashishth and Vishwaamitra cursed each other so that they were turned into birds, and fought together most furiously till Brahmaa put an end to the conflict, restored them to their natural forms, and compelled them to reconcile.

In Raamaayan Age
When Raam, Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughn were there in Tretaa Yug, then Vashishth Jee was their Kul Guru. Vishwaamitra Jee asked Dasharath Jee to send Raam and Lakshman to guard his Yagya from Maareech, Subaahu and Taadkaa demons. He gave Raam many Divine Astra - Bal and Aadi-bal, and trained them to kill powerful demons.

Raam killed Taadkaa and Subaahu at that time but left Maareech. He just threw him some 100 Yojan far with His blunt arrow. He killed him only when He was in exile for 14 years. (At that time Maareech appeared as a golden deer before Raam and Seetaa at the order of Raavan, and Seetaa Jee sent Shree Raam to bring it).

Then Vishwaamitra Jee took them to attend Raajaa Janak's daughter Seetaa's Swayamvar in Janak Puree. On the way he asked Raam to give Mukti to Ahalyaa (Muni Gautam's wife) by touching the stone with His foot. Then they came to Mithilaa for Seetaa's Swayamvar and all four brothers got married to Seetaa and her three sisters - Urmilaa, Maandavee and Shrutkeerti respectively.

After Raam's marriage to Seetaa, Vishwaamitra Jee became one of the seven celestial sages - Saptarshi or Sapt Rishhi. His life is unequalled, unique and indeed reverential.

TV Serial Vishwaamitra
Dr Dasari Narayana Rao has produced a TV Serial "Vishwaamitra" with the cast --
Mukesh Khanna as Vishwaamitra (Bheeshm in MBH),
Bhaanupriya as Menakaa,
Shaantipriya as Shakuntalaa,
Virendra Razdan as Maharshi Kanv (Vidur in MBH),
Arun Govil as Harishchandra (Raam in Raamaayan) and
Rasik Dave as Naarad Jee (Nand in MBH).
Produced by Dr Dasari Narayana Rao. Dialogs by Dr Rahi Masoom Raza. It is a South Indian production. It is all beautiful.

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