Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.1562

c8.1562

NIṢĀKARA I. A maharṣi. Honoured even by the Devas he lived in his āśrama on the heights of Mount Vindhya. One of those days Jaṭāyu and his elder brother Sampāti, under a bet, flew up to the Sun's sphere. In his attempt to shield Jaṭāyu, who flew with great speed and neared the Sun's sphere, from the scorching heat of the Sun, Sampāti's wings got burned and he fell down on the heights of Vindhya where he lay unconscious for six days. Niṣākara maharṣi heard Sampāti crying and he saved the bird, which lived there for many years as the maharṣi's slave. The maharṣi, who could foresee things told Sampāti about Śrī Rāma's incarnation which was to happen in the future. He entered Samādhi after finally telling Sampāti that monkeys would go there then in search of Sītā, that Sampāti would point out to them where Sītā was and that on that day his wings would automatically reappear and his legs would become strong. Afterwards for eight thousand years Sampāti led a solitary life in the āśrama. It was during this period that monkeys, in the course of their search for Sītā got information about her from Sampāti. (Kamba Rāmāyaṇa; Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa, Canto 60).