SECTION CLXXVIII
(Chaitraratha Parva continued)
"The Gandharva continued, 'There was, O
Partha, a king in this world, named Kalmashapada, who was of the race of
Ikshvaku and was unequalled on earth for prowess. One day the king went from
his capital into the woods for purposes of hunting, and this grinder of foes pierced
(with his arrows) many deer and wild boars. And in those deep woods the king
also slew many rhinoceroses. Engaged in sport for some length of time, the
monarch became very much fatigued and at last he gave up the chase, desiring to
rest awhile.
"The great Viswamitra, endued with energy,
had, a little while ago, desired to make that monarch his disciple. As the
monarch, afflicted with hunger and thirst, was proceeding through the woods, he
came across that best of Rishis, the illustrious son of Vasishtha, coming along
the same path. The king ever victorious in battle saw that Muni bearing the
name of Saktri, that illustrious propagator of Vasishtha's race, the eldest of
the high-souled Vasishtha's hundred sons, coming along from opposite direction.
The king, beholding him said, 'Stand out of our way.' The Rishi, addressing the
monarch in a conciliatory manner, said unto him sweetly, 'O king, this is my
way. This is the eternal rule of morality indicated in every treatise on duty
and religion, viz., that a king should ever make way for Brahmanas.' Thus did
they address each other respecting their right of way. 'Stand aside, stand
aside', were the words they said unto each other. The Rishi, who was in the
right, did not yield, nor did the king yield to him from pride and anger. That
best of monarchs, enraged at the Rishi, refusing to yield him the way, acted
like a Rakshasa, striking him with his whip. Thus whipped by the monarch, that
best of Rishis, the son of Vasishtha, was deprived of his senses by anger, and
speedily cursed that first of monarchs, saying, 'O worst of kings, since thou
persecutest like a Rakshasa an ascetic, thou shalt from this day, became a
Rakshasa subsisting on human flesh! Hence, thou worst of kings! thou shalt
wander over the earth, affecting human form!' Thus did the Rishi Sakti, endued
with great prowess, speak unto king Kalmashapada. At this time Viswamitra,
between whom and Vasishtha there was a dispute about the discipleship of
Kalmashapada, approached the place where that monarch and Vasishtha's son were.
And, O Partha, that Rishi of severe ascetic penances, viz., Viswamitra of great
energy, approached the pair (knowing by his spiritual insight that they had
been thus quarrelling with each other). After the curse had been pronounced,
that best of monarchs knew that Rishi to be Vasishtha's son and equal unto
Vasishtha himself in energy. And, O Bharata, Viswamitra, desirous of benefiting
himself, remained on that spot, concealed from the sight of both by making himself
invisible. Then that best of monarchs, thus cursed by Saktri, desiring to
propitiate the Rishi began to humbly beseech him. And, O chief of the Kurus,
Viswamitra, ascertaining the disposition of the king (and fearing that the
difference might be made up), ordered a Rakshasa to enter the body of the king.
And a Rakshasa of the name of Kinkara then entered the monarch's body in
obedience to Saktri's curse and Viswamitra's command. And knowing, O chastiser
of foes, that the Rakshasa had possessed himself of the monarch, that best of
Rishis, Viswamitra, then left the spot and went away.
"Shortly after, O Partha, the monarch,
possessed by the Rakshasa and terribly afflicted by him, lost all his senses.
At this time a Brahmana beheld the king in the woods. Afflicted with hunger,
that Brahmana begged of the king some food with meat. The royal sage,
Kalmashapada, that cherisher of friends, answered the Brahmana, saying, 'Stay
thou here, O Brahmana for a moment. On my return, I will give thee whatever
food thou desirest.' Having said this, the monarch went away, but the Brahmana
stayed on there. The high-minded king having roved for some time at pleasure
and according to his will, at last entered his inner apartment. Thus waking at
midnight and remembering his promise, he summoned his cook and told him of his
promise unto the Brahmana staying in the forest. And he commanded him, saying,
'Hie thee to that forest. A Brahmana waiteth for me in the hope of food. Go and
entertain him with food and meat.'
"The Gandharva continued, 'Thus commanded,
the cook went out in search of meat. Distressed at not having found any, he
informed the king of his failure. The monarch, however, possessed as he was by
the Rakshasa, repeatedly said, without scruple of any kind, 'Feed him with
human flesh.' The cook, saying, 'So be it,' went to the place where the
(king's) executioners were, and thence taking human flesh and washing and
cooking it duly and covering it with boiled rice offered it unto that hungry
Brahmana devoted to ascetic penances. But that best of Brahmanas, seeing with
his spiritual sight that the food was unholy and, therefore, unworthy of being
eaten, said these words with eyes red with anger, 'Because that worst of kings
offereth me food that is unholy and unworthy of being taken, therefore that
wretch shall have himself a fondness for such food. And becoming fond of human
flesh as cursed by Saktri of old, the wretch shall wander over the earth,
alarming and otherwise troubling all creatures.' The curse, therefore, on that king,
thus repeated a second time, became very strong, and the king, possessed by a
Rakshasa disposition, soon lost all his senses.
"A little while after, O Bharata, that best
of monarchs, deprived of all his senses by the Rakshasa within him, beholding
Saktri who had cursed him, said, 'Because thou hast pronounced on me this
extraordinary curse, therefore, I shall begin my life of cannibalism by
devouring thee.' Having said this, the king immediately slew Saktri and ate him
up, like a tiger eating the animal it was fond of. Beholding Saktri thus slain
and devoured, Viswamitra repeatedly urged that Rakshasa (who was within the
monarch) against the other sons of Vasishtha. Like a wrathful lion devouring
small animals, that Rakshasa soon devoured the other sons of the illustrious
Vasishtha that were junior to Saktri in age. But Vasishtha, learning that all
his sons had been caused to be slain by Viswamitra, patiently bore his grief
like the great mountain that bears the earth. That best of Munis, that foremost
of intelligent men, was resolved rather to sacrifice his own life than
exterminate (in anger) the race of Kusikas. The illustrious Rishi threw himself
down from the summit of Meru, but he descended on the stony ground as though on
a heap of cotton. And, O son of Pandu, when the illustrious one found that
death did not result from that fall, he kindled a huge fire in the forest and
entered it with alacrity. But that fire, though burning brightly, consumed him
not. O slayer of foes, that blazing fire seemed to him cool. Then the great
Muni under the influence of grief, beholding the sea, tied a stony weight to
his neck and threw himself into its waters. But the waves soon cast him ashore.
At last when that Brahmana of rigid vows succeeded not in killing himself by
any means, he returned, in distress of heart, to his asylum.'"
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