Viśvámitra

Viśvámitra is a renowned hermit whose appeal brings Ráma and Lakshmaṇ from the royal court into the service of a threatened sacred rite. In the episode, he joins religious authority to a practical need for protection: after explaining the danger, he receives the two princes from Vaśishṭha and leads them into his sphere of responsibility.

Identity and Arrival

The narrative presents Viśvámitra as a hermit of glorious fame, arriving to see the ruler of Ayodhyá. His entrance follows the king’s troubled reflections, shifting the scene from the concerns of the court to the danger facing a religious observance. The text identifies him as Kuśik’s son when Vaśishṭha entrusts the princes to him.

The Rite and Its Danger

Viśvámitra explains that he has come to state his need: a holy rite, authorized by scriptural teaching, requires his attention. Its performance is threatened by two fiends who can change their forms at will and roam by night. The appeal therefore makes protection part of the rite’s circumstances, not a separate concern; the threat is supernatural, while Viśvámitra grounds his request in the recognized authority of scripture and ritual duty.

Custody of Ráma and Lakshmaṇ

Before the princes depart, Vaśishṭha blesses Ráma and bends over his beloved head. He then entrusts Ráma, with Lakshmaṇ beside him, to Viśvámitra. The transfer marks a decisive change in who directs the princes: they leave the king’s household under the care of the hermit whose rite needs protection. Viśvámitra’s role in this episode is thus both religious and practical, joining the sacred obligation he has described to the princes’ new task.