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INDICA   TIMES

23 September 2026
Lore · Wit · Respect
Issue 2

Royal Priest Fords Flooded Rivers

Tribe escorted across; safe

News Desk · Rig Veda

Fresh details have emerged about the sighting of Vishwamitra Gathin that Indica Times broke last week. Though the sage himself was unavailable for comment, Indica Times spoke with a few people in the group. They expressed immense relief at having been able to negotiate the river crossings with life, limb, and wealth intact. Vishwamitra was travelling with King Sudas's entourage when the flooded Viapsha and Shatudri rivers blocked their route. The royal party included a huge cattle herd, several chariots, and hundreds of wagons.

Recalling the harrowing time, a teenager narrated with awe how Vishwamitra had pleaded with the rivers to ease their flow; how the rivers had refused to comply and crashed the banks with double the force; and how Vishwamitra had invoked Indra's name, whereupon, the rivers had calmed down and lowered their levels to below the axles of their lowest wagons.

When asked whether he remembered the words of the mantra, the youth shook his head shamefacedly, and declared his intention to enroll as a student in the sage's school.

It is understood that the group is only passing through. They are in a hurry to reach home, where a horse yagna is being organised by their king, Sudas Paijavan. 1

Your Warrior Profile This Week

You carry a bow of beautiful shape, adorned with images of Indragopakas 3, and a sword of strong blade cased in a sheath of goat-skin 4.

Your chariot is drawn by horses of the Kamboj breed, decked with parrot feathers 5, and its banner is Ashwin 6.

Your chariot is stocked with 431 whistling clubs of hard wood; 7 scimitars; 45 pots filled with poisonous snakes; 3337 diverse kinds of nooses and lassoes; and 19 long shafts.

Armour up; win glories!

Hymn of the Week

संवत्सरस्य तदहः परि ष्ठ यन्मण्डूकाः प्रावृषीणं बभूव ॥ 7

"Isn't it that rainy day of the year again, frogs, when you all gather around the lake and sing your hearts out?"

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Notes

  1. Inspired by Vishwamitra's dialogue with the Rivers in Rig Veda 3.33. The verses are in the Trishtup and Anushtup meters. Read the hymn, RV 3.33.
    The backstory, given in Nirukta 2.24 and Brihad-devata 4.105 and 4.106, is this: Vishwamitra, who had become wealthy through his role as priest to the king Sudas, was travelling with the king's entourage when their path was barred by the flooded Vipasha and Shatudri. He prayed to them, requesting passage. The rivers refused at first but then obliged. A companion hymn, RV 3.53, talks of Sudas and his campaign east, west, and north, and then a worship at "the best place in the world", but no source explicitly says whether the campaign was successful or where and what exact ritual was carried out. ↩

  2. From the Mahabharat. See BORI's cultural index. ↩

  3. From the Mahabharat. Yudhishthir's bow. ↩

  4. From the Mahabharat. Nakul's sword. ↩

  5. From the Mahabharat. Nakul's horses. ↩

  6. From the Mahabharat. Satanik's banner. ↩

  7. Rig Veda 7.103, a hymn of praise directed at nature and animals. The poet is Vashishth Maitravaruni. The verses are in the Trishtup and Anushtup meters. Read the verse
    The backstory, given in Nirukta 9.6 is that Vashishth prayed for rain and, when it did rain, the frogs cried out in joy and their evident happiness inspired Vashishth to applaud them. ↩

  8. muhurt (मुहूर्त): a division of time, one-thirtieth of a day or forty-eight minutes. ↩