Why did the nymph Rambha, the beauty of heaven and the terrible anger of the sage, remain like a stone for thousands of years? Know the unheard story

News India Live, Digital Desk: This story is from the time when Maharishi Vishwamitra was acquiring immense powers in the universe through his penance. Seeing Vishwamitra’s severe penance, Devraj Indra became nervous as always. They felt that if Vishwamitra’s penance was completed, he would snatch Indra’s throne.

Indra made his biggest ‘chess move’ to break this penance and recalled the nymph Rambha.

Indra’s order and Rambha’s compulsion
Indra ordered Rambha to go to earth and distract Vishwamitra with her beauty and sensuality. Rambha knew that Maharishi Vishwamitra was of very angry nature and interrupting his meditation was like playing with fire. He tried to refuse, but could not resist Indra’s harsh orders.

Disturbance in penance and anger of Maharishi
Rambha came to earth and created an atmosphere like spring and started dancing with melodious music. When the sound of the cuckoo’s call and the sound of bells reached Maharishi Vishwamitra’s ears, his eyes opened. At first they were fascinated, but soon they realized that this was all a ploy by Indra to make all their years of hard work go to waste.

Vishwamitra’s anger reached the seventh heaven. Looking at Rambha he said, “You have dared to pollute my rigorous penance, therefore I curse you that you will remain standing like a stone statue in this forest for the next ten thousand years.”

How did the curse end?
Maharishi’s heart softened a bit when Rambha pleaded, but the curse could not be taken back. He told that only after thousands of years when an ascetic Brahmin would touch her with the influence of his divine vision and penance, she would be able to come back to her original Apsara form. According to some stories, with the help of sage Vashishtha or after a period of time, Rambha was freed from this suffering.

What lesson can we learn from this story?
This story of Rambha and Vishwamitra tells us how amidst the mutual tussle between powerful people (Indra and Vishwamitra), often an innocent person has to sacrifice his life. The story also hits hard on discipline and the consequences of anger.