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 you 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 your son
Saktri. He hath been here full twelve years. The voice you 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 you 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 your pleasure and what I am
to do.' Vasishtha replied, saying, 'My desire hath already been
accomplished. Return now to your kingdom and rule your subjects. And, O
chief of men, 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, I desire to obtain from you 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 you 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.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 1 : UPA-PARVA 179 ---------------------
