Bal Kanda
Analysis
Here, the lineage of Viśvāmitra is described. Viśvāmitra’s story was being narrated, the story of the yajña was progressing, and as the narrative moved forward, this chapter explains the ancestors of Viśvāmitra. It says that Brahmā had a son named Kuśa, Kuśa’s son was King Kuśanābha, Kuśanābha’s son was Gādhi, and Gādhi’s son was Viśvāmitra. This is what is written.
Now, we can simply read this as a straightforward genealogy—just as every family has its own lineage—and leave it at that. But there is another way of understanding it. This genealogy is not the kind of family tree we normally think of, like “my father, his father, his father, and so on.”
In the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, wherever genealogies are mentioned—especially earlier when Rāma’s lineage was given—we saw that these lineages do not describe physical descendants, but rather the inner stages one must pass through before the birth of “Rāma,” meaning the rise of self-knowledge.
Rāma means self-realization—knowing one’s true nature. So before this awakening happens, one must pass through particular inner stages of practice. These steps are presented symbolically as ancestors.
We saw earlier that the word Vivasvān represents a state without desires—the first stage of practice. If we want to know our true Self, the first requirement is freedom from desire. The next step is Ikṣvāku—meaning turning inward. The third step, Kakutstha, refers to being established in noble, elevated thoughts.
Then comes Raghu, which signifies cultivating acceptance of every situation—whether pleasant or unpleasant. After that comes Daśaratha, meaning a pure, disciplined mind. Only when these five inner stages are crossed does “Rāma,” the knowledge of the Self, arise within.
So wherever the Rāmāyaṇa mentions a lineage, we should not think of it as a family tree. Instead, we should understand it as the steps of spiritual practice—the inner ladder through which self-realization appears.
Now, in this thirty-second chapter, we have the lineage of Viśvāmitra: Brahmā → Kuśa → Kuśanābha → Gādhi → Viśvāmitra. The important point here is the lineage of Viśvāmitra.
Earlier, we understood the meaning of Viśvāmitra:
Viśvāmitra means the elevated state of mind that holds friendship and goodwill toward all beings. When the mind becomes free of ego and attachment—the obstacles to universal friendship—this state arises. This is what the yajña of Viśvāmitra symbolized: the removal of the inner obstacles to loving all.
But such a state of mind cannot appear suddenly. We cannot maintain friendship even with a few people consistently. Our love and friendship rise and fall. So developing a mind that holds friendship for the entire world is impossible without passing through inner disciplines. The Rāmāyaṇa says three stages must be crossed for this universal friendliness to arise.
The first stage is Kuśa. The word “Kuśa” has two parts: ku, meaning impure or faulty, and śa, meaning to calm or remove. Thus, Kuśa means removing inner impurities. Before universal friendliness can arise, we must purify the mind.
The second stage is Kuśanābha. Here, nābhi means center. So Kuśanābha means that purity should not remain only in the mind; it must reach speech and action as well—purity of mind, speech, and action. Only when purity flows through all three levels does the Kuśanābha state arise.
This chapter goes into detail about Kuśanābha. It says Kuśanābha had a hundred daughters born from the apsarā Ghṛtācī. To understand this, we must know what apsarās and gandharvas symbolize.
In the scriptures, gandharvas represent the experience of a feeling—joy, love, peace, knowledge—and apsarās represent the expression of that feeling. Different gandharvas and apsarās symbolize different experiences and expressions.
Ghṛtācī is formed from ghṛta (clarified butter) and a verbal root meaning “to feel satisfied.” Just as ghṛta is the essence of milk, here it symbolizes the essence of knowledge—the highest knowledge, self-knowledge. The apsarā Ghṛtācī symbolizes the expression of the joy that arises from self-knowledge.
Thus, Kuśanābha’s hundred daughters represent the countless qualities that arise when purity of mind, speech, and action come together with the inner joy of self-knowledge. The term “hundred” means many, not literal number.
The story then says the Wind-god made these daughters “hunchbacked.” The Wind-god represents prāṇa, the life-force. Prāṇa makes a quality active in life. If prāṇa does not support it, even a great quality remains inactive and hidden—“hunched” or withdrawn. So the story means that although many qualities arise in Kuśanābha’s state, they do not yet become fully active in practical life.
These qualities become active only when touched by Brahmadatta, whose name is explained through the word chūlī, hinting at a deep inner foundation. When these qualities connect with the essence of knowledge, they finally express themselves fully.
After Kuśanābha comes Gādhi. The word comes from the root meaning “to stand firmly” or “to immerse.” This represents standing firmly with self-respect and confidence. Only one who is pure in mind, speech, and action can stand in life with true confidence. This is the third step of practice.
Only after these three stages—
Kuśa: purification
Kuśanābha: purity in thought, speech, and action
Gādhi: inner confidence and dignity
—can the fourth state arise: Viśvāmitra, the mind that holds universal friendliness.
Thus, these chapters do not describe a physical lineage, but the inner steps needed for the heart to expand into genuine friendship for all beings.