That special Yajna required that all the sages should participate in it. When Vasishtha heard of the preparations for the Yajna, he forbade as many sages as he could to participate in it.
This infuriated Viswamitra."If not by the Yagna, I'll send you to heaven by my power of Yoga!" he consoled Trishanku.
He gathered all his power and sent Trishanku upward to heaven. But when Trishanku reached the portals of heaven, Indra and the other gods did not allow him to cross into their domain. With his supernatural power, Indra toppled him.
Trishanku began falling. At once Viswamitra shouted, mustering his Yogic power,"Stop!"
Trishanku thus remained midway between the earth and heaven. Viswamitra now got ready to create a new heaven solely for Trishanku.
But a new heaven was bound to create new problems. Therefore, Indra requested the sage to refrain from doing so. Indra then gave Trishanku a new body in place of his mortal body and admitted him into heaven.
Sage Viswamitra's spiritual power made it possible for King Trishanku to ascend the heaven. His son, Prince Harishchandra, was crowned king.
Harishchandra remained childless for long. He was worried about the future of his kingdom. He met Sage Vasishtha, the guru of his dynasty, and asked him,"O Learned One, is it so ordained that I should not have any issue? Will you kindly enlighten me about it?"
"O young king, whatever be in store for one in one's destiny cannot be altered. But so far as having a child is concerned, it is Varuna who decides it. Meditate upon him. You shall be blessed with a child if he is pleased."
Harishchandra retired to a lonely spot on river Ganga and meditated on Lord Varuna, the presiding deity of the waters. He appeared before him.
