The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 178

Section CLXXVIII. ( *Chaitra-ratha Parva continued.* ) "The Gandharva continued, 'There was, O Partha, a king in this world, of name Kalmāshpāda. And he was of the race of Ikshāku and was unequalled on earth for prowess. One day the king went from his capital into the woods for purposes of hunting. And that grinder of all foes pierced (with his arrows) many deers and wild boars. And in those deep woods the king also slew many rhinoceroses. And engaged in sport for some length of time the monarch became very much fatigued, and at last gave up the chase desiring to rest awhile. 'The great Viswamitra endued with energy had, a little time before, desired to make the monarch his disciple. And as the monarch, afflicted with hunger and thirst, was proceeding through the woods, he met that best of Rishis—the illustrious son of Vashishta—coming along the same path. And the king, ever victorious in battle, saw that Muni bearing the name of Shaktri—that illustrious perpetuator of Vashishta's race—the eldest of the high-souled Vashishta's hundred sons—coming along an opposite direction. And 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 that a king should ever yield the way to Brahmanas.—Thus did they address each other respecting their right of way. *Stand aside*, *Stand aside*, were the words they said unto each other. And the Rishi who was in the right did not yield. Nor did the king yield to the Muni, from a sense of pride and anger. And that best of monarchs, enraged at seeing the Rishi refuse to yield him way, acting like a Rakshasa struck him with his whip. Thus whipped by the monarch, that best of Rishis—the son of Vashishta was deprived by anger of his senses and speedily cursed that first of monarchs. And he said,—O thou worst of kings, since thou persecutest like a Rakshasa an ascetic, therefore shalt thou, from this day be a Rakshasa eating of human flesh. Go hence, thou worst of kings! Thou shalt wander over the earth, affecting human flesh!' Thus did that Rishi Shaktri endued with great prowess speak unto king Kalmāshpāda. At this time Viswamitra, between whom and Vashishta there was a dispute about the discipleship of king Kalmāshpāda, approached the place where that monarch and Vashishta's son were. And, O Partha, that Rishi of severe ascetic penances. Viswamitra of great energy, approached the pair (knowing by his spiritual insight that they were thus quarreling with each other). And after the curse had been pronounced, that best of monarchs knew that Rishi to be Vashishta's son and equal unto Vashishta himself in energy. And, O Bharata, Viswamitra, desirous of benefiting himself, remained in that spot, concealed from the sight of both by making himself invisible. Then that best of monarchs, thus cursed by Shaktri, desiring to propitiate the Rishi began to humbly court him. And, O thou best 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 name Kingkara then entered the monarch's body, obedient to Shaktri's curse and Viswamitra's command. And knowing, O thou oppressor of all enemies, that the Rakshasa had possessed the monarch, that best of Rishis, Viswamitra, then left the spot and went away. 'Shortly after, O Partha, the monarch having been possest by the Rakshasa and terribly afflicted by him, lost all his senses. At this time a Brahmana beheld the king in those woods. And afflicted with hunger that Brahmana begged of the king some food with meat. The royal sage—Kalmāshpāda that cherisher of friends—answered the Brahmana, saying,—Stay thou here, O Brahmana, for a moment! Returning I will give thee whatever food thou desirest.—Having said this, the monarch went away, but the Brahmana continued to stay there. The high-minded king, having roved for sometime at pleasure and according to his wishes, at last entered his inner apartments. Then 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 hope of food. Go and entertain him, with food mixed with meat.—' "The Gandharva continued, 'Thus commanded, the cook went out in search of meat. And distressed at not having, found any, he informed the king of his failure. The monarch, however, possest as he was by the Rakshasa, repeatedly said without scruples of any kind,—Feed him with human meat.—The cook, saying *so be it*, then went to the place where the (king's) executioners were, and thence taking human meat 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 in anger.—Because that worst of kings offereth me food that is unholy and unworthy of being taken, therefore shall that wretch have himself a fondness for such food. And becoming fond of human meat as cursed by Shaktri of old, the wretch shall wander over the earth alarming and otherwise troubling all creatures.—The curse, therefore, on that king being thus repeated a second time, became very strong, and the king possest by 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 Shaktri who had cursed him, said,—Because thou hast denounced on me this extraordinary curse, therfore shall I begin my life of cannibalism by devouring thee!—Having said this, the king immediately slew Shaktri and ate him up, like a tiger eating any animal it is fond of. And beholding Shaktri thus slain and devoured, Viswamitra repeatedly urged that Rakshasa (who was within the monarch) against the other sons of Vashishta. And like a wrathful lion devouring small animals, that Rakshasa soon devoured the other sons of the illustrious Vashishta who were junior to Shaktri in age. But Vashishta learning that all his sons were caused to be slain by Viswāmitra, patiently bore his grief like the great mountain bearing the earth. And that best of Munis, that foremost of intelligent men, resolved rather to sacrifice his own life than exterminate (in anger) the race of the Kaushikas. And the illustrious Rishi threw himself down from the summit of Meru, but he descended on the stony ground as if on a heap of cotton. And, O son of Pandu, when the illustrious one found that death did not result from this fall, he ignited a huge fire in the forest and entered it with alacrity. But that fire though burning brightly consumed him not. O thou slayer of all 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.'" Thus ends the hundred and seventy-eighth Section in the Chaitra-ratha of the Adi Parva.