Vashishta, one of the Saptarishis and a manasputra of God Brahma, was blessed with the divine cow Kamadhenu and her child, Nandini. Known for their ability to fulfill any wish of their owners, these two were cherished by Vashista and his wife, Arundhati. In fact, Vashista is also credited with composing Mandala 7 of the Rigveda as one of the nine Prajapatis. His contributions are further praised in RV 7.33 for his part in the Battle of the Ten Kings. Interestingly, he is the only mortal, besides Bhava, to have a Rigvedic hymn dedicated to him. Additionally, he is believed to have authored “Vashista Samhita,” a renowned book on Vedic electional astrology. Lastly, there are several folktales and stories that revolve around Vashista’s life and they will be briefly discussed below.
In the Ramayana, Vashista is portrayed as Dasharatha’s court sage and also known as the Rajpurohit of the Ikshwaku dynasty. He was a greatly respected Rishi who believed in peace, generosity, and intelligence. Along with his wife Arundhati, he oversaw thousands of students at their residence on the Beas River. Vashistha was revered as the Sadguru of his time and possessed vast knowledge of God and the universe, including mastery of twenty divine arts known as “kalas.” Many Shlokas from his teachings can be found in the Vedas. During a feast, he called upon Kamadhenu (also referred to as Sabala), the cow of abundance, to provide food for all. Vashistha was also blessed with Nandini, daughter of Kamadhenu, who had the ability to produce enough food for an entire army instantly. When King Kaushika (later known as Vishwamitra) came to visit his hermitage, he was amazed by Nandini’s powers and attempted to claim her for himself. However, her spiritual strength proved too great for him to control.
