Vishwamitra king to sage

 

    Vedic sage Vishwamitra was a king before he became a rishi (sage), known for being the "universal friend". He is credited with writing many verses in the Vedas, most notably Mandala 3 of the Rigveda, which includes the famous Gayatri Mantra.  
    • King to Sage: 
      Vishwamitra was a kshatriya king known as the Kaushika before renouncing his throne to become a sage. His life is a story of a king who achieved the status of Brahmarshi (divine sage). 
    • Vedic Contributions: 
      He is a revered sage in Hinduism who wrote a significant portion of the Vedas, especially the third mandala of the Rigveda. 
    • Gayatri Mantra: 
      He is credited with composing the Gayatri Mantra (3.62.10). 
    •  The Puranas mention that only 24 rishis since antiquity have understood the whole meaning of —and thus wielded the whole power of — the Gayatri Mantra. Vishvamitra is supposed to have been the first, and Yajnavalkya the last
    • Viśvāmitra was taught by Jamadagni Bhārgava.
    • He was the purohita of the Bharata tribal king Sudās, until he was replaced by Vasiṣṭha.[4] He aided the Bharatas in crossing the Vipāśa and Śutudrī rivers (modern Beas and Sutlej).
    •  In post-Rigvedic literature Viśvāmitra becomes a mythical sage.

    • ramayana

    • Vishvamitra was a king in ancient India, also called Kaushika (descendant of Kusha) and belonged to Amavasu Dynasty. Vishvamitra was originally the King of Kanyakubja (modern day Kannauj). He was a valiant warrior and the great-grandson of a great king named Kushik 

      There was a king named Kusha (not to be confused with Kusha, son of Rama), a mindson (manasputra) of Brahma and Kusha's son was the powerful and verily righteous Kushanabha. One who is highly renowned by the name Gaadhi was the son of Kushanabha and Gaadhi's son is this great-saint of great resplendence, Vishvamitra. Vishvamitra ruled the earth and this great-resplendent king ruled the kingdom for many thousands of years.

       valmiki Ramayana, prose 51 of Bala Kanda, starts with the story of Vishvamitra: 

    • There was a king named Kusha (not to be confused with Kusha, son of Rama), a mindson (manasputra) of Brahma and Kusha's son was the powerful and verily righteous Kushanabha. One who is highly renowned by the name Gaadhi was the son of Kushanabha and Gaadhi's son is this great-saint of great resplendence, Vishvamitra. Vishvamitra ruled the earth and this great-resplendent king ruled the kingdom for many thousands of years