| Trishanku - Part 3
 When Viswamitra started preparing for the yagna to help Trishanku, he invited other rishis also to participate in the Yagna. Though they realised that it was an impetuous act by Viswamitra, the rishis were scared of incurring his wrath and so agreed to take part in the Yagna. Each and every aspect of the Yagna was planned meticulously by
Viswamitra.
The 'Sankalp' was done with the sole purpose of sending Trishanku to heaven with his human body. Many items were fed into the fire and the flames were leaping towards the sky. Suddenly to everyone's surprise, Trishanku started rising from his seat. It was an incredulous sight to behold. Due to the powerful manthras recited by the rishis and the intensity of the fire, Trishanku reached the gates of the heaven and knocked on the door.
When the Devas opened the doors, they trembled in fear seeing a man in human form trying to enter the heaven, which was against the nature and an infringement of rules. The confused Devas informed Lord Indra about the unusual entry. When Indra saw Trishanku in in his full human form, he became angry and pushed him with all his might. Thrishanku, taken by surprise by this callous attitude of Indra, fell headlong towards the Earth. Nearing Earth, Thrishanku called to Viswamitra for help. Viswamitra, on seeing Trishanku falling down, was filled with fury. He could not accept the fact that his plan had gone awry and so he shouted, "Let Thrishanku stay where he is". Poor Trishanku stopped falling and remained between heaven and earth.
 Meanwhile, Viswamitra began creating a second heaven with another Indra and Devas. When Indra came to hear about this second heaven being created by the sage, he panicked. He knew that his strength was incommensurate with that of Viswamitra's and so he came to the sage and praised his achievements and noble qualities to placate him. He requested Viswamitra to stop creating a second heaven and agreed to take Trishanku to heaven with him. This was what Viswamitra wanted and so pleased with the result he acceded to Indra's request. He exonerated Trishanku from his 'Sandalan' state and so the latter, with his wish fulfilled went to Heaven with Indra in a Golden Plane which had come down to take them.
Viswamitra felt elated as he had kept his word to Trishanku. Where Vasishta had failed, he had succeeded. (Valmiki Ramayanam, Bala Kandam, Sargam 57-59; Devi Bhagavatham, 7th
Skandham).
Even today in India, when one refers to a state of Trishanku, one means that a person is neither here nor there.
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