King Lomapada of Anga faced a severe drought in his kingdom, which had lasted for twelve years. Desperate to bring rain to his parched land, he devised a plan to bring Rishyashringa, the son of the sage Vibhandaka, to Anga. Rishyashringa, a young ascetic with miraculous powers, was believed to be the key to ending the drought.
Rishyashringa had been raised in complete seclusion by his
father Vibhandaka, who ensured that his son had no contact with the outside
world, especially women. Vibhandaka's overprotectiveness was driven by the
belief that any interaction with women would distract Rishyashringa from his
spiritual path. Despite this, King Lomapada was determined to bring
Rishyashringa to his kingdom.
To lure Rishyashringa away from the hermitage, King Lomapada
enlisted the help of an old lady and a group of beautiful women. These women,
accompanied by music and sweets, created a festive atmosphere that intrigued
the young ascetic. Fascinated by the music and the sight of the women,
Rishyashringa left his ashram and followed them to Anga. Upon his arrival in
Anga, the presence of Rishyashringa indeed brought rain, ending the devastating
drought.
However, this success brought with it a new problem.
Vibhandaka, upon realizing his son was missing, would surely be furious and
might curse the kingdom. The king's councilors advised Lomapada to take
preemptive measures to pacify the sage's anger. They suggested lining the path
from Anga to Vibhandaka's ashram with cows, as cows were highly revered and
considered sacred. The sight of these cows might soothe the sage's wrath.
Following their advice, King Lomapada lined the route with
numerous cows and renamed the villages along the way as Sri Rishyasringa, in
honor of the sage's son. When Vibhandaka returned to his ashram and found his
son missing, he began searching frantically. His anxiety led him to the newly
named villages, where he discovered that the villages belonged to his son,
Rishyashringa.
Vibhandaka was initially taken aback but soon realized that
his son had chosen to live as a householder. Understanding that his son was
safe and content, Vibhandaka's anger subsided. He decided to wait until the
time when King Dasharatha of Ayodhya would hold a great sacrifice, knowing that
he would meet his son there.
This story highlights the themes of cleverness, devotion,
and reconciliation and is found in the Bengali Krittibasi Ramayana, a regional
version of the epic Ramayana.