Illustrated Classics From India Over 86 million copies of over 400 titles sold worldwide! Amar Chitra Katha is a collection of illustrated classics that retell stories from Indian mythology, history, folktale and legend through the fascinating medium of comics. Over 430 stories from all over India have been told in this series that has been endorsed by educationists and recommended by teachers the world over. Through a masterful blend of commentary, dialogue and illustration, Amar Chitra Katha presents complex historical facts and intricate mythology in a format that would appeal to children. They not only entertain, but also provide a fitting introduction to the cultural heritage of India. In a country so vast and varied, the series also serves as a medium for national integration, by introducing young readers to the rich cultural diversity of the country and highlighting the achievements of local heroes. ‘Amar Chitra Katha comics are like family heirlooms, passed down from generation to generation. These timeless illustrated classics are now also available online on www. AmarChitraKatha.com. Start your own collection today! No. 599 * Rs 30 -~ (BH INDIA BOOK HOUSE September 2006. ISBN: 81-7508-323-9 j00k House Pvt Ltd, Mahalaxmi Chambers, sai Road, Mumbai 400 026, India. 5th Floor, 22 BhulatROAMING OVER THE EARTH WITH HI5 HUNDRED SONS AND ONCE , LONG AGO , WHILE =| VAST ARMIES , THE MIGHTY j| KING VISHWAMITRA CAME: UPON THE HERMITAGE OF THE “| POWER Ful. SAGE VASISHTHA.- IT 1S SURPRIS— ING, BUT THE SIGHT OF THESE ASCETICS WHO HAVE “RENOUNCED THE WORLD EXHILA~ RATES ME.| PRESUME ALL IS WELL IN YOUR KINGDOM. VISHWAMITRA_ SAT NEAR THE SAGE AND THEY TALKED OF MANY THINGS » THEN — | WISH TO HONOUR )O WISE SAGE, yOu AND YOUR ROYAL RETINUE.. PLEASE LET ME BE THE HOST AT A BANQUET IS A PRIVILEGE AND THIS GRACI- OUS WELCOME ,AN T INSIST THAT yOu BE THE GUESTS AT MY FEAST. WE WILL STAY, SINCE IT 1S YOUR THEREUPON VASISHTHA SENT FOR HIS: FAVOURITE COW, THE DIVINE KAMADHENU.* 4 DEAR KAMADHENU; V ! PROVIDE US WITH FOOD \ FIT FOR A GREAT KING- FE * THE WISH-FULFILLING COW.IN AN INSTANT; THERE EMERGED ROYAL VISITORS. FROM THE DIVINE COW, CHOICE FOOD FOR THE VISHWAMITRA_ AND HIS MEA! ATE TO THEIR. HEART’S CONTENT WHEN THE FEAST WAS OVER — KAMADHENU IS A JJEWEL AND JEWELS BELONG TO THE = KING. BY RIGHT SHE SHOULD BE MINE. YET | WILL GIVE you A HUNDRED THOUSAND MILCH_ COWS IN RETURN. | HAVE NEVER TASTED SUCH DELICACIES BEFORE - KAMADHENU SHOULD BELONG TO ME! NO.1 CANNOT PART WITH HER EVEN FOR 1,00,00,0001 WILL GIVE YOU 14,000 ELEPHANTS] HARNESSED AND CAPARISONED IN GOLD; 800 CHARI ~ OTS OF SOLID GOLD EACH DRAWN BY FOUR MILK ) WHITE HORSES, i, N\A 11,000 THOROUGH-| Ld BRED HORSES ) ALSO HARNESSED FIN GOLD AND 10 MILLION i COWS OF VARIOUS HUES. f| ALL THIS AND AS MUCH H GOLD AS YOU WANT, A\SHALL BE YOURS. GIVE ME_KAMADHENU. Pe | THEN | SHALL HAVE. TO TAKE HER AWAY BY FORCE. VASISHTHA’S REFUSAL MADE VISHWAMITRA’S DESIRE” KEENER. HE INCREASED HIS PRICE. BUT VASISHTHA TURNED DOWN THE OFFER. FOR NO TREA-G# SURE ON EARTH WILL | PARTI WITH HER, O KING. ISHE 1S THE VERY SOURCE OF MY SPIRITUAL LIFE. SHE PROVIDES ME WITH ALL I NEED FOR MY RITUALS. SEIZE THE SAGE’S COW OF PLENTY AND BRING HER TO ME.KAMABHENU TOSSED ASIDE HER CAPTORS ... =] WHY DOES THE HOLY ONE PERMIT THIS OUTRAGE © | HAVE ALWAYS =\ LOVED AND SERVED HIM !1 WILL = SHAKE. OFF MY TORMENTORS AND GO TO HIM.SHE STOOD BEFORE VASISHTHA , WEEPING AND LOWING . DEAR ONE, | AM HELPLESS AGAINST THE KING AND HIS MIGHTY ARMY: O LORD, HAVE YOU_FORSAKEN ME 2 DID YOU NOT SEE HOW | WAS TREATED? YOUR SPIRITUAL POWERS ARE DIVINE AND BOUNDLESS. HIS MORTAL STRENGTH |S GREAT BUT LIMITED.O HOLY ONE, COMMAND ME AND BY YOUR LIMITLESS SPIRITUAL POWERS 1 SHALL HUMBLE THE PRIDE OF THIS WICKED WARRIOR. SO BE IT, KAMADHENU,++» AND SOON DESTROYED THEM. ENRAGED, THE SONS OF WSHWAMITRA RUSHED TOWARDS VASISHTHA. SE THE SAGE STOOD FIRM AND CALM. HE UTTERED BUT ONE SYLLABLE .-- .+» THE MERE SOUND OF WHICH BURNT] THE PRINCES AND THEIR HORSES» CHARIOTS » WEAPONS AND ALL. NOW | HAVE BUT THE ONE | SON WHO | STAYED BACK TO RULE THE KINGDOM.VISHWAMITRA RETURNED TO HIS KINGDOM FULL OF GRIEF HE WENT STRAIGHT TO THE HIMALAYAS AND BEGAN PRACTIS— ING SEVERE AUSTERITIES AND SHAME . THERE — Vail Wy. SON, THE KINGDOM IS YOURS. RULE VIRTU-| OUSLY OVER IT.1 PLAN TO RETIRE TO THE 4 bh. FORESTS FORA | SHALL PROP!— |TIATE LORD SHIVA AND BY HIS GRACE AVENGE THE DEATH OF MY GLORIOUS ~ | [A TRIUMPHANT VISHWAMITRA | INOW TURNED HIS FOOTSTEPS TOWARDS VASISHTHA’S: =) ; MERCY, O KING- MERCY. AT LAST SHIVA WAS PLEASED. HE STOOD BEFORE VISHWAMITRA. THE BOON THAT | you SEEK | © KING, SHALL BE YOURS. BY YOUR f GRACE ,LET ALLY KNOWLEDGE OF WEAPONS AND WARFARE BE > MINE. SHIVA GRANTED THE BOON AND WENT BACK TO HIS ABODE. |AS SOON AS VISHWAMITRA REACHED THE HERMITAGE HE SENT OUT FLAMING MISSILES AND SET IT ABLAZE. THIS: HERMITAGE |S NO LONGER A HAVEN FOR THE HOLY. VASISHTHA TRIED TO STOP THEM, BUT IN VAIN.’ | WILL DESTROY” THE EVIL KING. IA DEADLY SILENCE DESCENDED OVER THE DESERTED HERMITAGE - /T WAS BROKEN BY THE’ RESONANT" VOICE OF VASISHTHA- WICKED, DELUDED. ONE. YOU HAVE. WANTONLY DESTROYED MY ANCIENT HERMITAGE .FOR THIS. YOU SHALL DIESNATCHING HIS STAFF HE ADVANCED TOWARDS VISHWAMITRA - BEWARE ! MY WEAPONS WILL CONSUME. EVIL WARRIOR; LET US SEE HOW YOUR WEAP- ONS OF DESTRUCTION ENCOUNTER SPIRITUAL POWER. | Reig HURLED THE WEAPON. [ADMIT NOW, THE IMPOTENCE OF ALL YOUR WEAPONS-UT THEY WER! AT LAST VISHWAMITRA SENT OUT * ALL ABSORBED THE FATAL BRAHMASTRA. BUT... \_| VASISHTHA’S «eee." VISHWAMITRA , HIS PRIDE HUMBLED, HAD. TO ADMIT DEFEAT. THE MIGHT OF A WARRIOR 1S USELESS SPIRITUAL POWER IS THE GREATEST POWER OF ALL. 1 SHALL REALISE. BRAHMAN AND THE STATUS OF BRAHMARSHI* HE LAID DOWN HIS ARMS AND WENT HOME TO'HIS QUEEN. WANT TO BECOME(AS YOU COMMAND MY LORD. | A HERMITAGE IN THE SOUTH. THERE YOU WILL HELP ME. IN MY PENANCES. SO VISHWAMITRA AND HIS QUEEN| SET OUT. THEY REACHED THE CHOSEN HERMITAGE AND --+ THIS TIME | SHALL SEEK THE FAVOUR OF BRAHMA. * BRAHMA: RISHI.THEN VISHWAMITRA CONTINUED HIS AUSTERITIES WITH GREATER. SEVERITY INTIL. BRAHMA HAD TO APPEAR BEFORE HIM. Vou ARE THE GREATEST \THE STATUS ASCETIC AMONG KINGS. OF MERE. | CONFER UPON YOU RAJARSHI 1S THE STATUS OF NO REWARD FOR THE PEN— RAJARSHI* ANCES | HAVE. UNDERGONE - 1 SHALL ASK MEANWHILE TRISHANKU , A GREAT| KING OF THOSE TIMES, WAS SUDDENLY SEIZED WITH AN AMBITION. | WILL ENTER HEAVEN IN MY MORTAL BODY. A | SHALL ASK MY GURU, VASISHTHA , Ee TO HELP ME PER- SSS FORM A SACRI \ FicE TO RAJA RISHI BUT BRAHMA HAD ALREADY DEPARTED. VISHWAMITRA WAS DEJECTED: IN SPITE OF ALL MY PENANCES | AM ONLY A RAJARSHI TO THE | [cops ..1 WILL STRIVE HARDER FOR GREATER SPIRITUAL | WISH TO ENTER HEAVEN IN. THIS MORTAL FRAME OF MINE, SO... O KING! THAT CAN NEVER Be! ZAG TALIBUT TRISHANKU REFUSED TO GIVE UP THE IDEA. IF MY GURU WILL NOT HELP ME,HIS SONS WILL. 1 SHALL GO TO THEIR HERMITAGE IN THE SOUTH. 4 HOW DARE YOU SEEK OUR AID WHEN YOUR HAS DISAPPROVED. YOU ARE NOT FIT TO CLAIM HIM AS YOUR GURU, YOU IGNORANT ONE. GURU, OUR WISE FATHER, THERE TRISHANKU TOLD THE SONS OF VASISHTHA OF | THEIR. FATHER’S DECISION. PRAY, WILL You BECOME MY GURUS AND HELP ME 2 BUT TRISHANKU WAS BENT | UPON PERFORMING THE SACRIFICE. | THEN | SHALL Bm HAVE TO SEEK THE HELP OF | SOMETHE SONS OF VASISHTHA WERE FURIOUS WITH THE ADAMANT O EVIL KING , MAY you BECOME A CHANDALAT ALAS! ALAS! WHAT HAVE 1, A VIRTUOUS KING,DONE TO DESERVE THIS? WHICH SAGE WILL HELP ME Now, OUTCASTE AS 1AMO THEN SUDDENLY , HE REMEMBERED VISHWAMITRA . | WILL GO TO THE RAJARSHI. HE WILL HELP ME. *AN OUTCASTE- AS HE EXPECTED , VISHWAMITRA RECEIVED HIM COMPASSIONATELY AND LISTENED TO HIS TALE OF WOE. O HOLY SAGE, APART FROM YOU THERE IS NONE | CAN TURN TO.| BESEECH You, HELP ME OUT OF THIS PLIGHT.