Seeing this power of Tap, Vishwaamitra left the kingdom and went to Himaalaya, and did Tapasyaa to please Shiv Jee. On His appearing, he asked for all the secret knowledge of archery and magical arrows of Yaksh, Raakshas, Maharshi, Gandharv. Shiv Jee granted him this Var and went away. Now with all this power he rushed to Vashishth's Aashram to take revenge from him. Vashishth Jee was busy in his worship. Vishwaamitra aimed many arrows at Vashishth Jee. Seeing this many Rishi who were worshipping there ran away from that place. 

Vashishth Jee opened his eyes and found Vishwaamitra standing with a fierce weapon. He called other Rishi back, and took his Dand (scepter) out of the ground on which his hand was resting and planted it just before him. Viswaamitra's all arrows and powers went useless before that Dand. He was very much ashamed of his weapons. His whole Tapasyaa proved useless to him in front of Vashishth's Power of Tap. At this he uttered, "Dhig-Balam, Dhig-Kshatriya, Brahm-Tejo-Balam Balam". It means that arms power is worse than useless before Brahm Tej power.

Now Vishwaamitra Jee thought to be a Brahmarshi, so he went to southwards with his queens and did tap for a thousand years to please Brahmaa Jee, the Creator. Brahmaa Jee appeared before him and appointed him as Raajarshi. But Vshwaamitra Jee was not satisfied with this, he wanted to be a Brahmarshi. So he continued his tap. 

This time a new development took place. There was a king named Trishanku (his real name was Satyavrat, he got known as Trishanku after this event) in Ikshwaaku Vansh and Vashishth Jee was his Kul Guru (family Guru). (see also "Vashishth Jee and Trishanku"). He wanted to go to Swarg with this mortal body, so he went to Vashishth Jee and requested him to send him to Swarg with this mortal body. Vashishth Jee refused his request saying that nobody could go to Swarg like this and refused to perform any sacrificial rites to attain such an impossible goal. 

So Trishanku went southwards and found the hundred sons of Vashishth Jee. He requested them too for this, but they said, "Whatever our father cannot do we cannot do."  "I will find someone else if you don't do this."  At this reply the sons felt insulted and gave him Shaap, "You have turned out to be a traitor to your Guru so be a Chaandaal" (the lowest cast people in Hindu society). Immediately he lost his color and beauty. He became black and his beauty was gone and he became a Chaandaal. He went further south and found Vishwaamitra Jee there. He requested Vishwaamitra Jee too to send him to Swarg with his mortal body. He immediately got ready to send him to Swarg so Trishanku came back to his kingdom. 

In the meantime there were no rains for some time. Vishwaamitra  Jee had already gone for Tap so Trishanku took good care of Vishwaamitra's family, so he was very happy with Trishanku. He said to Trishanku, "You have to go to pilgrimage to become pure before you could go to Swarg." So both set out for pilgrimage. 

He assured Trishanku to do such rites which could take him to Swarg with his mortal body. He had another purpose also in doing this as he could defeat Vashishth Jee by doing this. So he sent his disciples all around with this message to join him in these rites, and if anyone refused to do so then let him know about him. One Mahodaya and the 100 sons of Vashishth Jee refused to do so, so Vishwaamitra Jee gave Shaap to Mahodaya to be ruined and to 100 sons of Vashishth to be burned. Immediately Vashishth's sons were burned. 

Then Vishwaamitra Jee went to Brahm Lok to request Brahmaa Jee to be present at the Yagya to send Trishanku to Swarg with his mortal body, and asked Trishanku to make necessary preparations for the Yagya. Brahmaa Jee said although it was impossible to go Swarg with the mortal boy but if he will complete all rituals diligently then he could go there. Vishwaamitra didn't like His comments and he challenged Him that no power could stop him sending him there.

He continued his Tap for 1,000 years. Brahmaa Jee appeared again before him and declared him as Rishi. But that was not the goal of Vishwaamitra. So he again started doing his tap. This time he saw Menakaa (Apsaraa) and lived with her for 10 years. These 10 years seemed to him as one day. During these years in association with Menakaa, he gave up even his daily routines like "Sandhyaa Upaasanaa", Nitya Karm" etc required for a Vedic sage. They had a daughter, Shakuntalaa. When Menakaa went to Swarg she left her on earth. So Kanv Rishi brought her up as his own daughter.

Then one day he thought "Why did I leave my Tap?"  So he again went for Tapasyaa. This time he overcame his habit of anger and did Tap in peace. 

At the end of it he prepared a meal for himself and sat to take it, that Indra came in disguise of a Braahman and asked for the meal. He gave it to him and did Tap for 1,000 years again. This time Brahmaa Jee appeared again and declared him as Maharshi. That was also not his goal, so he again started his Tap. Indra tried to disturb his Tap, but this time he did not get disturbed and Brahmaa Jee had to declare him as Brahmarshi.

One day both Vashishth and Vishwaamitra were sitting in Indra's court. Indra asked, "Do you find anybody who sticks to truth at this time, on earth?"  Vashishth Jee said, "Raajaa Harishchandra is like that."  Vishwaamitra said, "No, he is not."  Argument grew hotter and ended up in testing Harishchandra for his truthfulness by Vishwaamitra Jee. He vowed, "If I don't prove Vashishth wrong, I will not call myself Vishwaamitra."

Now the testing began. At one time Harishchandra had to do a Yagya, in which he had to donate a large quantity of gold. Vishwaamitra Jee went there to have that donation. Raajaa asked, "How much do you want?"  Vishwaamitra said - "When a tall person standing on an elephant throws a cowrie (shell), I need so large heap of gold."  Harishchandra readily said, " I will gladly give you this much donation. I have it in my treasury."  Vishwaamitra did not expect this reply, this was his first defeat, so he said, "Let it be in your treasury for now, when I will need it, I will come to take it."  Raajaa said, "As you wish."

Now he created many wild animals who were troubling public, so Raajaa with his wife Chandramatee and son Rohitaashwa went for their hunting. He set his camp in a jungle. Vishwaamitra Jee sent two beautiful girls in his camp. They talked to him some non-sense and Raajaa sent them back with beatings. Vishwaamitra Jee said to Harishchandra - "You have insulted my daughters, so either you give me money or marry these low-caste girls and give me my  remaining money within 48 days."  Raajaa did not want to marry those girls so he gave his kingdom including his treasury and went to Kaashee (Benaaras or Vaaraanasee). He sold his wife and son and sold himself to a Shoodra and gave all that money he got, to Muni. 

Now the buyer of the Raajaa was Vishwaamitra's disciple Nakshatrak. He made him in charge of a cremation ground. Raajaa Harishchandra's son died of a snake-bite, so his wife brought his dead body in mid-night. Harishchandra did not recognize her. He asked her to cover the body as per rules of the cremation ground. But Chandramatee didn't have any, o she had to tear her Saree (a cloth worn by Indian women)  and then wrapped him in her half Saree.

Then he asked for the prescribed fee for his cremation which was supposed to go to his master. Although she told her plight that she had wrapped her son's body in her half Saaree and she had only the other half part on her body, did he want to make her without clothes? But Harishchandra did not listen to it. So she went in the town to get that money. There she was caught by Raajaa's people for stealing the money  and Raajaa ordered for her execution. This was the duty of Harishchandra to execute her, so as he took out the sword to kill her, Brahmaa, Vishnu, Mahesh all three appeared before him and held his hand. Raajaa was  given back everything. Vishwaamitra again got defeated from Vashishth Jee.

When Raam, Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughn were there in Tretaa Yug, then Vashishth Jee was their Guru. Vishwaamitra Jee asked Dashrath Jee to send Raam and Lakshman to guard his Yagya from Maareech, Subaahu and Taadkaa demons. Raam killed Taadkaa and Subaahu at that time but left Maareech. Raam killed him when He was in exile for 14 years. (He appeared as a golden deer before Raam and Seetaa, and Seetaa Jee sent Shree Raam to kill it).