SECTION CLXXIX
(Chaitraratha Parva continued)
"The Gandharva continued, 'Beholding his
asylum bereft of his children, the Muni afflicted with great grief left it
again. And in course of his wandering he saw, O Partha, a river swollen with
the waters of the rainy season, sweeping away numberless trees and plants that
had grown on its margin. Beholding this, O thou of Kuru's race, the distressed
Muni 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 foes, that stream soon cut those cords and cast the Rishi 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 called the stream by the name of Vipasa (the cord-breaker).
For his grief the Muni could not, from that time, stay in one place; he began
to wander over mountains and along rivers and lakes. And beholding once again a
river named Haimavati (flowing from Himavat) of terrible aspect and full of
fierce crocodiles and other (aquatic) monsters, the Rishi threw himself into
it, but the river mistaking the Brahmana for a mass of (unquenchable) fire,
immediately flew in a hundred different directions, and hath been known ever
since by the name of the Satadru (the river of a hundred courses). Seeing
himself on the dry land even there he exclaimed, 'O, I cannot die by my own
hands!' Saying this, the Rishi once more bent his steps towards his asylum.
Crossing numberless mountains and countries, as he was about to re-enter his
asylum, he was followed by his daughter-in-law named Adrisyanti. As she neared
him, he heard the sound from behind of a very intelligent recitation of the
Vedas with the six graces of elocution. Hearing that sound, the Rishi asked,
'Who is it that followeth me?' His daughter-in-law then answered, 'I am Adrisyanti,
the wife of Saktri. I am helpless, though devoted to asceticism.' Hearing her,
Vasishtha said, 'O daughter, whose is this voice that I heard, repeating the
Vedas along with the Angas like unto the voice of Saktri reciting the Vedas
with the Angas?' Adrisyanti answered, 'I bear in my womb a child by thy son
Saktri. He hath been here full twelve years. The voice thou hearest is that of
the Muni, who is reciting the Vedas.'
"The Gandharva continued, 'Thus addressed by
her the illustrious Vasishtha became exceedingly glad. And saying, 'O, there is
a child (of my race)!'--he refrained, O Partha, from self-destruction. The
sinless one accompanied by his daughter-in-law, then returned to his asylum.
And the Rishi saw one day in the solitary woods (the Rakshasa) Kalmashapada.
The king, O Bharata, possessed by fierce Rakshasa, as he saw the Rishi, became
filled with wrath and rose up, desiring to devour him. And Adrisyanti beholding
before her that the Rakshasa of cruel deeds, addressed Vasishtha in these words,
full of anxiety and fear, 'O illustrious one, the cruel Rakshasa, like unto
Death himself armed with (his) fierce club, cometh towards us with a wooden
club in hand! There is none else on earth, except thee, O illustrious one, and,
O foremost of all that are conversant with the Vedas to restrain him today.
Protect me, O illustrious one, from this cruel wretch of terrible mien. Surely,
the Rakshasa cometh hither to devour us' 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 thou apprehendest such imminent danger. This is king
Kalmashapada endued with great energy and celebrated on earth. That terrible
man dwelleth in these woods.'
"The Gandharva continued, 'Beholding him advancing,
the illustrious Rishi Vasishtha, endued with great energy, restrained him, O
Bharata, by uttering the sound Hum. Sprinkling him again with water sanctified
with incantations the Rishi freed the monarch from that terrible curse. For
twelve years the monarch had been overwhelmed by the energy of Vasishtha's son
like Surya seized by the planet (Rahu) during the season of an eclipse. Freed
from the Rakshasa the monarch illumined that large forest by his splendour like
the sun illumining the evening clouds. Recovering his power of reason, the king
saluted that best of Rishis with joined palms and said, 'O illustrious one, I
am the son of Sudasa and thy disciple, O best of Munis! O, tell me what is thy
pleasure and what I am to do.' Vasishtha replied, saying, 'My desire hath
already been accomplished. Return now to thy kingdom and rule thy subjects.
And, O chief of men, never insult Brahmanas anymore.' The monarch replied, 'O
illustrious one, I shall never more insult superior Brahmanas. In obedience to
thy command I shall always worship Brahmanas. But, O best of Brahmanas, I
desire to obtain from thee that by which, O foremost of all that are conversant
with the Vedas, I may be freed from the debt I owe to the race of Ikshvaku! O
best of men, it behoveth thee to grant me, for the perpetuation of Ikshvaku's
race, a desirable son possessing beauty and accomplishments and good
behaviour.'
"The Gandharva continued, 'Thus addressed,
Vasishtha, that best of Brahmanas devoted to truth replied unto that mighty
bowman of a monarch, saying, 'I will give you.' After some time, O prince of
men, 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 coming
out to receive their chief. The monarch, accompanied by Vasishtha, re-entered
his auspicious capital after a long time. The citizens of Ayodhya beheld their
king accompanied by his priest, as if he were the rising sun. The monarch who
was superior to everyone in beauty filled by his splendour the whole town of
Ayodhya, like the autumnal moon filling by his splendour the whole firmament.
And 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. And, O prince of Kuru's race, the city
filled as it was with joyous and healthy souls, in consequence of his presence,
looked gay like Amaravati with the presence of the chief of the celestials.
After the royal sage had entered his capital, the queen, at the king's command,
approached Vasishtha. The great Rishi, making a covenant with her, united
himself with her according to the high ordinance. And after a little while,
when the queen conceived, that best of Rishis, receiving the reverential
salutations of the king, went back to his asylum. 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 Asmaka, that bull amongst men, that royal
sage who founded (the city of) Paudanya.'"
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