Rcīka
By Swami Harshananda
Rcika was a great ṛṣi[1] endowed with special powers. He was the son of Aurva and the grandson of Bhṛgu, both of whom were also well-known. His wife was Satyavati, the daughter of the king Gādhi.
Pleased with her devoted service, Rcīka once asked her to pray for any boon she liked. She requested him that a son to be born to her and her mother too should be blessed with a worthy son. Rcīka gave both of them sanctified caru[2] to be consumed along with some special instructions. The ladies however, made a mistake and followed the instructions in the opposite order.
As a result, Rcīka informed them that Satyavatī’s son would be a kṣattriya whereas her mother would give birth to a son who would ultimately become a brāhmaṇa. However, on her pleading, he granted the boon that her son would be a brāhmaṇa while the grandson would become a kṣattriya. Accordingly, her son Jamadagni remained a brāhmaṇa sage and his son, Paraśurāma became a kṣattriya by temperament and actions. Gādhi’s son was Kauśika who became Viśvāmitra[3] by practicing severe austerities.
References[edit]
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore