“The Gandharva continued, ‘Looking his ashrama without his children,
the Muni (Vasishtha) pained with
great grief left it again. O Paartha (Arjuna), in course of his wandering he saw a river swollen with the waters of
the rainy season, sweeping away numberless trees and plants that had grown on
its margin. O you of Kuru’s race (Arjuna), seeing this the distressed Muni (Vasishtha) thinking that he would certainly be drowned if he fell into the waters
of that river, he tied himself strongly with several cords and flung himself,
under the influence of grief, into the current of that mighty stream. But, O
slayer of enemies (Arjuna), that
stream soon cut those cords and left the Rishi (Vasishtha) ashore. And the Rishi rose from the bank,
freed from the cords with which he had tied himself. And because his cords were thus broken off by the violence of the
current, the Rishi (Vasishtha) called the stream by the name of Vipaasha (meaning
the cord-breaker) (Ancient Vipaasha
river is the modern Beas river in India).
“For his grief the Muni (Vasishtha) could not, from that time, stay in one place; he began to wander over
mountains and along rivers and lakes. Looking once again a river named Haimavati (flowing
from Himavat) of terrible aspect and
full of fierce crocodiles and other (aquatic) monsters, the Rishi (Vasishtha) threw himself into it, but the river mistaking the Brahmana for a mass of (unquenchable) fire,
immediately flew in a hundred different directions, and has been known ever
since by the name of the Shatadru (the river of a hundred courses) (Ancient Shatadru river is the modern
Sutlej river in India).
“Seeing himself on the dry land even there he exclaimed, ‘O, I cannot
die by my own hands!’ Saying this, the Rishi (Vasishtha) once more bent his steps towards his ashrama.
Crossing numberless mountains and countries, as he was about to re-enter his ashrama,
he was followed by his daughter-in-law named Adrishyati. As she neared him, he
heard the sound from behind of a very intelligent recitation of the Vedas with
the six graces of distinct pronounciation. Hearing that sound, the Rishi (Vasishtha) asked, ‘Who is it that follows me?’
“His daughter-in-law then answered, ‘I am Adrishyanti, the wife of (Rishi) Shakti. I am helpless, though devoted to
asceticism.’
“Hearing her, Vasishtha said, ‘O daughter (Adrishyanti), whose is this voice that I heard,
repeating the Vedas along with the Angas (six Vedangas) like to the voice of (Rishi) Shakti
reciting the Vedas with the Angas?’
“Adrisyanti answered, ‘I bear in my womb a child by your son Shakti. He
has been here (in the womb) full
twelve years. The voice you hear is that of the Muni, who is reciting the
Vedas.’
“The Gandharva continued, ‘O Paartha (Arjuna), thus addressed by her the illustrious (Rishi) Vasishtha became exceedingly glad. Saying, ‘O,
there is a child (of my race)!’--he
refrained from suicide. The sinless one (Rishi Vasishtha) accompanied by his daughter-in-law (Adrishyanti), then returned to his ashrama. The Rishi (Vasishtha) saw one day in the isolated woods (the
Rakshasa) Kalmaashapaada. O Bharata (Arjuna), the king (Kalmaashapaada) possessed by fierce Rakshasa (Kinkara), as he saw the Rishi (Vasishtha), became filled with anger and rose up,
desiring to east him. Adrishyanti seeing before her that the Rakshasa of cruel actions,
addressed (Rishi) Vasishtha in these
words, full of anxiety and fear, ‘O illustrious one, the cruel Rakshasa, like
unto Death himself armed with (his)
fierce club, comes towards us with a wooden club in hand! There is none else on
earth, except you, O illustrious one, and, O foremost of all that are knowledgeable
with the Vedas to hold him back today. Protect me, O illustrious one, from this
cruel wretch of terrible appearance. Surely, the Rakshasa comes here to devour
us.’
“(Rishi) Vasishtha, hearing
this, said, ‘Fear not, O daughter, there is no need of any fear from any
Rakshasa. This one is no Rakshasa from whom you anticipate such imminent danger.
This is king Kalmaashapaada endued with great energy and celebrated on earth.
That terrible man stays in these forests.’
“The Gandharva continued, ‘Looking him (Kalmaashapaada) advancing, the illustrious Rishi
Vasishtha, endued with great energy, held him back, O Bharata (Arjuna), by uttering the sound Hum (Humkaara
in Sanskrit). Sprinkling him again with
water purified with incantations (of mantraas), the Rishi (Vasishtha)
freed the monarch (Kalmaashapaada)
from that terrible curse. For twelve years, the monarch had been overwhelmed by
the energy of (Rishi) Vasishtha’s
son (Rishi Shakti) like (Lord) Surya captured by the planet (Raahu) during the season of an eclipse. Freed
from the Rakshasa, the monarch (Kalmaashapaada) illumined that large forest by his brightness like the Sun illumining
the evening clouds.
“Recovering his power of reason, the king (Kalmaashapaada) saluted that best of Rishis (Vasishtha) with joined palms and said, ‘O illustrious
one, I am the son of Sudasa and your disciple, O best of Munis! O, tell me what
is your pleasure and what I am to do.’
“(Rishi) Vasishtha replied,
saying, ‘My desire has already been accomplished. Return now to your kingdom
and rule your subjects. O chief of men (King Kalmaashapaada), never insult Brahmanas any more.’
“The monarch replied, ‘O illustrious one, I shall never more insult
superior Brahmanas. In obedience to your command, I shall always worship
Brahmanas. But, O best of Brahmanas, O foremost of all that are knowledgeable
with the Vedas, I desire to obtain from you that by which I may be freed from
the debt I owe to the race of Ikshvaku! O best of men, it is your duty to grant
me, for the continuation of Ikshvaku’s race, a desirable son possessing beauty
and accomplishments and good behaviour.’
“The Gandharva continued, ‘Thus addressed, (Rishi) Vasishtha, that best of Brahmanas devoted
to truth replied to that mighty bowman of a monarch, saying, ‘I will give you.’
After some time, O prince of men (Arjuna), (Rishi) Vasishtha,
accompanied by the monarch, went to the latter’s capital known all over the
earth by the name of Ayodhya. The citizens in great joy came out to receive the
sinless and illustrious one, like the dwellers in heaven (Devas) coming out to receive their chief (Lord
Indra). The monarch (Kalmaashapaada), accompanied by (Rishi) Vasishtha, re-entered his auspicious
capital (Ayodhya) after a long time.
The citizens of Ayodhya saw their king accompanied by his priest, as if he were
the rising Sun. The monarch (Kalmaashapaada) who was superior to everyone in beauty filled by his brightness the
whole town of Ayodhya, like the autumnal moon filling by his brightness the
whole sky. The excellent city itself, in consequence of its streets having been
watered and swept, and of the rows of banners and pendants beautifying it all
around, gladdened the monarch’s heart.
“O prince of Kuru’s race (Arjuna), the city (Ayodhya) filled
as it was with joyous and healthy souls, in consequence of his presence, looked
cheerful like Amaravati (city of Devas)
with the presence of the chief of Devas (Lord Indra). After the Rajarishi (Kalmaashapaada) had entered his capital, the queen, at the king’s command, approached (Rishi)
Vasishtha. The Maharishi, making an
agreement with her, united himself with her according to the high Shastraas. After
a little while, when the queen conceived, that best of Rishis, receiving the respectful
salutations of the king (Kalmaashapaada), went back to his ashrama. The queen bore the embryo in her womb for a
long time. When she saw that she did not bring forth anything, she tore open
her womb by a piece of stone. It was then that at
the twelfth year (of the conception) was born Ashmaka, that bull amongst men,
that Rajarishi who founded (the city of) Potana.’”
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