Shanta?

Shanta is a character in the Ramayan. She was the daughter of Dasharath and Kausalya, adopted by the couple Rompad and Vershini.^[1] Shanta was married to Rishyasringa, son of the legendary Indian Hindu saint Vibhandaka.^[1] The descendants of Shanta and Rishyasringa are Sengar Rajputs who are called the only Rishivanshi rajputs.

Life[edit]

Shanta was a daughter of Maharajah Dasharatha and Kausalya, but was adopted by the king (rajah) of Angadesh, Raja Rompad, and her aunt Vershini, an elder sister ofKausalya. Vershini had no children, and, when at Ayodhya, Vershini jokingly asked for offspring. Dasharatha agreed to allow the adoption of his daughter. However, the word of Raghukul was binding, and Shanta became the princess of Angadesh.

Shanta was educated in Vedas, Art and Craft, and was considered to have been very beautiful. One day, while her uncle, the king Rompad, was busy in conversation with Shanta, a Brahmin came to ask for help in cultivation in the days of the monsoon. Rompad did not pay attention to the Brahmin's plight. This irritated and enraged the Brahmin, who left the kingdom. Indradev, the god of rain, was unable to bear the insult of his devotee, so there was little rainfall during the monsoon season. The Rajah calledRishyasringa to perform yagya, he agreed to perform yagya and during the recitation of it, it rained heavily. The public rejoiced and there were festivals in Angadesh. To pay honour to their saviour, Dashratha, along with Kausalya, Vershini, and Rompad, decided to give the hand of Shanta to Rishyasringaa.

As Dashratha had no children after Shanta, he wanted a son to continue his legacy and to enrich his royal dynasty. He called Rishyasringa to perform a putra kameshthi yagyato beget progeny, and as the consequence of the said yagya were born: Rama, Bharata, and the twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna.^[2]

There is a temple of Rishyashringa in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. Idol of Shringa Rishi with goddess Shanta reside in the temple. This place is about 50 km from Kullu.