The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section 179

Section CLXXIX. *( Chaitra-ratha Parva continued.* ) "The Gandharva continued, 'Beholding his asylum reft of his children, the Muni, afflicted with great grief, left it again. And in course of his wanderings he saw, O Partha, a river swollen with the waters of the rainy season, sweeping away numerous trees and plants that grew on its margin. Beholding this, O thou of the Kuru race, the distressed Muni fell athinking, and thought he would certainly be drowned if he fell into the waters of that river. Then the great Muni tied himself strongly with several cords and flung himself, under the influence of grief, into the current of that mighty river. But, O thou slayer of all 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 by the violence of the current, the Rishi called the stream by the name of *Vipasha* (the cord-breaker). From grief the Muni could not, from that time, stay in one place. And he began to wander over moun- tains and along rivers and lakes. And beholding once again a river named Haimavati (flowing from the Himavat) of terrible mien and full of fierce crocodiles and other monsters, the Rishi threw himself into it. But the river mistaking the Brahmana for a heap of (unquenchable) fire, immediately fled in an hundred different directions and hath been known ever since by the name of the *Shata-dru* (the river of hundred courses). And seeing himself on 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. And crossing numberless mountains and countries, as he was about to enter his asylum, he was being followed by his daughter-in-law named *Adrishyanti.* And as she neared him, he heard the sound, from behind, of a very intelligent recitation of the Vedas with the six graces of elocution. And hearing that sound, the Rishi asked,—Who is it that followeth me?—And his daughter-in-law then answered,—I am Adhrishyanti, the wife of Shaktri. I am helpless though devoted to asceticism—Hearing her, Vashishta said,—O daughter, whose is this voice that I hear repeating the Vedas along with the Angas like unto the voice of Shaktri reciting the Vedas with the Angas?—Adrishyanti answered, saying,—I bear in my womb a child by thy son Shaktri. He hath been here full twelve years. The voice thou hearest is that Muni's who is reciting the Vedas.—' "The Gandharva continued, 'Thus addressed by her, the illustrious Vashishta became exceedingly glad. And saying—*O there is a child* (*of my race*)—he refrained, O Partha, from self-destruction. And 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) Kalmāshapāda. And the king, O Bharata, possest by a fierce Rakshasa, as he saw the Rishi, became filled with wrath and rose up desiring to devour the Rishi. And Adrishyanti, beholding before her that Rakshasa of cruel deeds, addressed Vashishta 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 foremost of all 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!—Vashishta, bearing this, said,—Fear not, O daughter, there needst be no fear from any Rakshasa! This one is no Rakshasa from whom thou apprehendest imminent danger. This, is king Kalmāshpāda endued with greeat energy and celesbrated on earth. That terrible man dwelleth in these woods.—' "The Gandharva continued, 'Beholding him advancing, the illustrious Rishi Vashishta endued with great energy restrained him, O Bharata, by uttering the sound *Hum.* And sprinkling him again with water sanctified with incantations, the Rishi freed the monarch from that terrible curse. And for twelve years the monarch had been overwhelmed by the energy of Vashishta's son like the Sun seized by the planet (Rāhu) during the season of an eclipse. And freed from the Rakshasa the monarch illuminated that large forest by his splendour like the Sun illuminating the evening clouds. Recovering his reason, the king saluted that best of Rishis with joined hands 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!—Vashishta replied, saying,—My desire hath already been accomplished. Return now to thy kingdom and rule thy subjects. And, O thou chief of men, never insult Brahmanas any more!—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 thou best of Brahmanas, I desire to obtain from thee that by which, O thou foremost of all that are conversant with the Vedas, I may be freed from the debt I owe to the race of Ikshāku! O thou best of men, it behoveth thee to grant me, for the perpetuation of Ikshāku's race, a desirable son possessing beauty and accomplishments and good behaviour!—' "The Gandharva continued, 'Thus addressed, Vashishta—that best of Brahmanas devoted to truth—replied unto that mighty bowman of a monarch, saying,—*I will give.* After sometime, O prince of men, Vashishta, accompanied by the monarch went to the latter's capital known all over the earth by the name of Ayodhyā. And the citizens in great joy came out to receive the sinless and illustrious one, like the dwellers of heaven coming out to receive their chief. And the monarch, accompanied by Vashishta, re-entered his auspicious capital after a long time. And the dwellers of Ayodhya beheld their king accompanied by his priest, as if he were the rising sun. And 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 the Kuru race, the city filled as it was with joyous and healthy souls, in consequence of his presence, looked gay like Amarāvati with the presence of the chief of the celeslials. And after the royal sage had entered his capital, the queen at the king's command approached Varhishta. And 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. And the queen bore the embryo in her womb for a long time. And when she saw that she brought not forth anything, she tore open her womb by a piece of stone. And 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.'" Thus ends the hundred and sixty-eighth Section in the Chaitra-ratha of the Adi Parva.